Vimanmek Mansion, Dusit, Bangkok

Exploring Vimanmek Mansion

The Vimanmek Mansion is a former royal palace. The name Vimanmek, also written Vimarnmek, means "abode in the clouds". Often called Vimanmek Palace or Vimanmek Teak Mansion, this royal residence is located within the Dusit Palace complex, in Dusit, to the northeast of Rattanakosin.

Vimanmek Mansion was originally built as the Munthaturattanaroj Residence in Chuthathuj Rachathan on the island of Ko Sichang, in the Gulf of Thailand. I have read conflicting accounts of it being built by His Majesty King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn) either in 1900 or in 1868 The earlier date seems a bit far-fetched because that's the year King Chulalongkorn ascended to the throne, at the age of 16, but chief minister Chao Praya Si Suriyawongse was the regent for the next four years. In any case, I believe it was built in 1868, and was dismantled in 1900, to be relocated and reassembled in Dusit. The relocation culminated in a grand opening celebration on 27 March, 1901.

Billed as the largest golden teak building in the world, Vimanmek Mansion has 81 rooms, built on an L-shape floor plan, and surrounded by manicured lawns. It was King Chulalongkorn's favorite residence. Apart from his own apartment, which is housed in the octagonal tower and entered through a separate staircase, the rest of Vimanmek's 81 chambers are out-of-bounds to men, and are used by the queen, princesses, concubines and female palace attendants. The king occupied the palace from 1902 until 1906, when Chitrlada Palace was completed.

Getting there

Vimanmek Mansion is located on Ratchawithi Road. There are two entrances, at Ratchawithi Road and U-Thong Nai Road. There are no Skytrains or Metro subways operating within its vicinity, so the best way is to take a taxi. If you care to take the bus, then buses 18, 28, 108, air-conditioned 510 and 515 passed through Ratchawithi Road while bus no. 70 passes through U-Thong Nai Road. Along Si Ayutthaya Road, there's also bus 23 and 72.

Opening Hours
Mon - Sun: 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Ticket booth closes at 3:15 pm
Tel: +66 2 628 6300-9 Ext 5120-5121
Official Website: www.vimanmek.com

Nearby Sights

Within Dusit Palace

Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall

Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall

King Rama V Equestrian Statue

Princess Arun-wadi Residential Hall

Princess Puang Soi Sa-ang Residential Hall

Royal Elephant National Museum

Suan Hong Residential Hall

SUPPORT Museum

Vimanmek Mansion

Outside Dusit Palace

Dusit Zoo (Khao Din)

Dusit Park

Chitrlada Palace

SUPPORT Museum

Wat Benchamabophit

Wat Indrawihan

Thewet Flower Market

My nearest allowed photo of Vimanmek Mansion (27 October 2006)
© Timothy Tye

Location Map of Vimanmek Mansion in Bangkok

Vimanmek Mansion
author: LiborM.net in

Vimanmek Mansion
author: Andreas Hörstemeier in

Compare Hotel Room Rates

Find the lowest price of hotel rooms from different Hotel Booking websites. Our free Hotel Search Engine lets you compare room rates from different booking sites. Just key in your visiting City. You'd be glad to do your homework!

Find a hotel

New York City
Bangkok
Amsterdam

Guests:

Rooms:

Find Local Tours in Thailand

When you travel to a distant, exotic destination such as Thailand, it is important to use a reputable tour operator. It will save you time, money, and headaches. Here are some local tours of Thailand which you may want to consider. As an independent traveler, you have the freedom to create your own vacation according to your own schedule. The tours are arranged by Viator, a big and reputable tour organisation, so you can peace of mind when placing your booking.

Follow me on Twitter

Please link to me!

If you enjoy exploring Asia and getting to know its places of interest, place a link from your website or blog to AsiaExplorers. Let AsiaExplorers be your window to all the fascinating sights in Asia! It is as easy as copying the source code below and pasting it on your site:

Return to AsiaExplorers homepage

View Updates from my other sites: Earth Documentary, Flowering Garden, Penang Travel Tips and World Greatest Sites

AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. Reasonable care is taken to check and verify the accuracy of the content. AsiaExplorers disclaims responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the tips and advice provided directly or indirectly by this website. All pages may be printed out for your own personal, non-commercial use. Photographs not credited to a third party belong to Timothy Tye and may not be reused in any form unless you are first given permission. Write in to inquire if interested. Third party photographs are governed by their respective licenses. The author is a Christian. Click here if you are interested to know more about his Christian beliefs. To contact AsiaExplorers, use the following email address: