Bang Pa-In Palace

Bang Pa-In Palace is a tourist site that shows the adaptation of Thailand from the old era into western civilization which firstly started in the reign of King Chulalongkorn about 130 years ago.

The palace is located on an island called Bang Pa-In in the south of Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya, about 30 Kilometers along the Chao Phraya River, and it is 80 kilometers from Bangkok.
Additionally, the palace opens daily from 8.30-15.30 (on Saturdays and Sundays, too).
The History of Bang Pa-In Palace

King Prasat Thong built the palace as his royal residence in mid Ayutthaya period. The king commissioned building a pavilion in middle of a pond and named it “Phra Thinang Ai Sawan Thippaya-at” or “Ai Sawan Thippaya-at Pavilion”. He also built a temple called “Wat Chumphol Nikayaram”. It is believed that Ayutthaya kings always went for pleasures at Bang Pa-In Palace, but after Ayutthaya was destroyed in 1767, the palace was left and deserted. King Mongkut, the fourth king of Rattanakosin, commissioned renovating the royal residences inside the palace, and used the residences again in his reign. He also built a pavilion in the middle of a pond and named it “Phra Thinang Ai Sawan Thippaya-at” like the iriginal pavilion built by King Prasat Thong.
In the reign of King Chulalongkorn, he commissioned improving the palace area, constructing many buildings, and went for pleasures there. But in the reign of King Prajadhipok, the 7th king of Rattanakosin, he went there only once, and after that, the palace had been deserted. It was renovated again in the reign of King Bhumibol, the present king of Thailand.

Important Buildings Constructed in King Chulalongkorn’s Reign

Phra Thinang Warophat Phiman (Warophat Phiman Hall)
King Chulalongkorn used this hall to go out for granting audiences to officials. Nowadays, it is used by the King as one of his royal residences.
Phra Thinang Wehat Chamrun or Tian Meng Toey (in Chinese)
This hall was built by the cooperation of wealthy Chinese merchants hoping to carry favor for King Chulalongkorn. It is a Chinese-styled building with 2 storeys. All the carpenters and materials were imported from China. But only some rooms on the first floor are open to public.
Phra Thinang Uthayan Phumi Sathian (Uthayan Phumi Sathian Hall)
The present building of this hall was newly built in 1994. The original building built by King Chulalongkorn was only a two-storey building made of wood in the style of Swiss Chalet. It is decorated with French furniture in the style of Napoleon III. Unfortunately, it was accidentally burnt down in 1938.
Phra Thinang Aisawan Thiphaya-Art (Aisawan Thiphaya-Art Hall)
Aisawan Thiphaya-Art is a pavilion built in the middle of the outer pond. This pavilion was immtated Phra Thinang Arporn Phimoke Prasat in the Royal Palace in Bangkok. Nowadays, King Chulalongkorn image in the uniform of Field Marshal with the same size of his real body is situated in the middle of the pavilion.
Memorials to Queen Sunanda Kumariratana
Queen Sunanda Kumariratana was the main Queen of King Chalalongkorn. She died when her boat sank into the Chao Phraya River while she was on her way to Bang Pa-In Palace. She was pregnant, and no one could dare to help her because according to the old palace law, it prevented ordinary people to touch her royal body. King Chulalongkorn commissioned building the memorials made of marble for her because of his deeply love in the Queen. The King also engraved his words showing his love on her on the memorials both in Thai and in English.
Ho Withun Thasana (Withun Thasana Tower)
The observatory was built by King Chulalongkorn in 1881 as a lookout tower for viewing the surrounding countryside.

Ho Hem Monthian Thewarat (Hem Monthian Thewarat Shrine)
Hem Mountain Thewarat is a small stone structure in the form of a Khmer-style prasat (residence of a king or god with a corncob-shaped superstructure) built by King Chulalongkorn in 1880 and dedicated to King Prasat Thong of Ayutthaya, the literal translation of whose name is King of the Golden Palace, because a miniature Khmer-style prasat of gold was discovered during his reign.
Saphan (the bridge)
Saphan was used to connect the outer palace to the middle palace with dolls made of marble lined up along the bridge. An insulator with slatted windows also connected the middle palace to the inner palace, the area for ladies of the court. Thus it is understandable that the bridge was the foot-path for men and the insulator was the foot-path for women (ladies of the court).

Important Temples near Bang Pa-In Palace
Wat Chumphol Nikayaram
Wat Chumphol Nikayaram is at the head of the island near the bridge leading to the railway station. The temple was built in 1632, in the reign of King Prasat Thong.The two prang (stupa) was newly built with 12 indented-corners.
Wat Niwet Thammaprawat
Wat Niwet Thammaprawat is located opposite Bang Pa-In Palace on the outer area of the island in the south. King Chulalongkorn commissioned imitating a Christian temple in gothic style to build the chapel (the Ubosot). The doors and windows of the chapel were decorated with pieces of colored glass like Christian churches in general.  King Chulalongkorn’s picture in his royal wardrobe made of colored pieces of glass was placed over the door of the chapel. The principal Buddha image in the chapel was modeled by Phra-ong Chao Pradit Worakan, and the image was named “Phra Buddha Nareumol Thamopat”.

Reference
Kasetsiri, Chanwit, editor. (n.d.). Discovering Ayutthaya, pp. 128-129.