Bang Pa-In Royal Palace is the former palace complex of Thai kings. Often called the Thai Summer Palace, it is located by the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bang Pa-In district, in Ayutthaya Province. Once used as a residence of the Thai monarch, it is now opened to the public, and is usually visited by tourists on their way to Ayutthaya.
A royal palace was first built in Bang Pa-In by King Prasat Thong, who reigned between 1629 and 1656, in celebration of the birth of his son and successor King Narai. The present palace complex, however, was the work of King Mongkut, who began the restoration of the site in the mid 19th century. The majority of the buildings we see today are the work of his successor King Chulalongkorn, and were erected between 1872 and 1889.
Among the structures at Bang Pa-In Royal Palace is a Chinese-style palace and throne room called Phra Thinang Wehat Chamrun, a royal residence called Warophat Phiman, and a look-out tower called Ho Withun Thasana. But perhaps the most beautiful of them all is the mid-lake pavilion called Phra Thinang Aisawan Thipha'at. Its name means "divine seat of personal freedom". It stands in the middle of a man-made ornamental lake built by King Chulalongkorn in 1876.
How to get there
If you are not part of a day tour from Bangkok, you can go there on your own by taking an air-conditioned bus from Bangkok's Mo Chit bus terminal to Ayutthaya. From Ayutthaya, take a minibus or songthaeow to Bang Pa-In. The journey from Ayutthaya will take about 40 minutes.
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