Chandrakasem National Museum

The location of Chandrakasem National Museum was once a palace area which was wider than that of the museum at the present. The palace was assumed to be built in the reign of King Maha Thamma Racha around 1577. It was used by Phra Naresuan, the viceroy, who ruled Phitsanuloke, when he visited Ayutthaya from time to time. When King Naresuan moved his troops to fight against the King of Hongsawadee, he and his followers also stayed at the palace. Thus, the palace was named “Wang Chan (Chan Palace)”, the same name as the palace where Phra Naresuan stayed in Phitsanuloke. Due to the fact that the palace was built using a kind of wood called “chan”, and this kind of wood was only used to build kings’ and noblemen’s residences. The name “Wang Chan” was changed to “Wang Chandrakasem” in the reign of King Mongkut, the fourth king of Rattanakosin (Bangkok) period.

The viceroy who stayed at the palace after King Naresuan was Phra Ekathotsarot. Later, the palace turned to be called “Phra Ratchawang Bowon Sathanmongkhol” (Phra Ratchawang means the royal palace), and the viceroy who stayed at the palace had been called “Krom Phra Ratchawang Bowon Sathanmongkhol” or “Wang na” (The front palace) until Rattanakosin period (King Chulalongkorn, the fifth king of Rattanakosin, stopped using “Wang Na” in his reign).

Not only King Naresuan and King Ekathotsarot used to stay at Chandrakasem Palace when they were the viceroys, but Prince Suthas, King Ekathotsarot’s eldest son, also stayed at the palace. He died of drinking poison because his father addressed that he was a rebel. Additionally, King Narai, King Sua, King Thai Sa, King Boromakot, Krom Phra Ratchawang Bowon Mahasenapithak (Prince Thammathibet) also stayed at the palace.

Chandrakasem Palace was burnt by a great fire in King Boromakot’s reign, but it was rebuilt. After Krung Si Ayutthaya was destroyed in the second time, many buildings were trumbled down. They were rebuilt in King Mongkut’s reign, and were used as the royal residence. The palace was also used as the Provincial Hall in the reign of King Chulalongkorn, and was used as Sua Pa club (Wild Tiger Corps) building in the reign of King Vajiravudh, the sixth king of Rattanakosin.

Buildings inside Chandrakasem palace

Plappa Jaturamuk (Jaturamuk Pavilion)
Jaturamuk Pavilion was two four-faced buildings connected to each other. Later, King Mongkut renovated it and used the front hall for granting audiences to officials, and the rooms in back were used for royal residence when the king visited Ayutthaya. Therefore, we can still see King Vajiravudh’s royal seat placed under “Noppadol Maha Sawettachat (nine tiers of layers hanging on the ceiling)” in the middle of the front hall. The royal seat was decorated with a pair of royal spittoons in front and a pair of “klong mahorateuk” (ancient metallic drums) on left and right. The back of the royal seat was decorated with a wooden frame carved in patterns of foreign plants and flowers. A large frame of foreign-styled mirror in imperial arts was intervened at the back. Next to the mirror is a big wooden bed.

A big set of furniture made of a kind of wood called “ma-glua” is placed in the left room of the hall. The backs of the furniture are carved in Chinese stoned patterns with two big mirrors on left and right. Many styles of Buddha images are displayed in the right room, especially Buddha images made of sand stones in the posture protected by a canopy of serpent heads in Khmer style. The images are very beautiful, and this right room also has a toilet in western style.
Piman Rattaya Pavilion

This pavilion comprised a group of four buildings that had been used as the provincial hall in the reign of King Chulalongkorn since 1899. Nowadays, the pavilion is used to display groups of beautiful Buddha images from Ayutthaya period.

Pisan Sanyalak Tower (Ho Song-klong)
It was a four-storey tower constructed by King Mongkut on the location of the old one built by King Narai, and used as the King’s astronomical observatory.

The Regional Hall Building

Reference
Kasetsiri, Chanwit, editor. (n.d.). Discovering Ayutthaya. pp. 120-121.