Bang Pa In Palace (summer palace) is within easy reach of Bangkok by car — less than an hour’s drive — and makes for a great day trip. If you don’t have a car, you can also take the train.
The palace was constructed in the mid-17th century along the Chao Phraya river. Its primary use was as a summer residence for the royal family. But after Burmese raids in 1767, the palace was abandoned. It wasn’t until the mid-19th century, under King Rama IV, that the palace was revitalized and once again used as a residence. A lot of the European-styled buildings and gardens on the palace grounds were added by the succeeding king, Rama V. Today, the palace is seldom used as a residence — summer or otherwise — by the current royal family.
A vibrant pavilion situated over an ornamental pond offers a nice place to sit in the shade and admire the palace and its manicured lawns. Referred to as the Divine Seat of Personal Freedom, the pavilion is decorated in the Thai-style (colorfully tiled multi-tiered roof, roof spires and finials). When I was there a vendor was selling rolls of bread to visitors who wished to feed the fish in the pond — and there are some BIG fish in that pond.
Also along the water’s edge is a colorful lookout tower known as the Sage’s Tower, or Ho Withun Thasana, which you can climb to the top. There are stairs leading to several viewing levels, but even climbing to the first level rewards you with nice vistas of the surrounding landscape.
Beyond that is a Chinese-styled residence building — which happens to be the only building within the inner complex of the palace open to visitors. The interior is predominantly adorned in red and ebony lacquered wood, with ornate pieces of furniture, tile, and porcelain on display.
Be sure to bring a hat, water and sunscreen. The palace complex is mainly an outdoor destination, and with the expansive grounds there is not a lot of shade.
* Remember, no bare shoulders or shorts/short skirts *
Ayutthaya is a bit further north of the summer palace. Quite a few tour packages offer day tours that encompass the Summer Palace and Ayutthaya, or if you prefer to self-tour you can also get here by car or train (though you will need to hire a bike or tuk-tuk to get to the sites from the train station). I stopped at the Wat Mahathat, Wat Yai Chaimongkhon, Wat Phutthaisawan and the Ayutthaya Historical park myself.
Ayutthaya was the capital of the Siamese empire, which expanded to cover most of present-day Thailand, between the mid-14th century through the late 18th-century. During this time, the kingdom enjoyed thriving trade with other nations including the Dutch and Portuguese. The capital eventually fell when it was attacked by the Burmese. After that, the capital was moved to Bangkok. A large amount of the building bricks from Ayutthaya were re-purposed in the construction of the capital in Bangkok. Consequently, there is not much left to the old city of Ayutthaya.
The remaining structures are considered to be in the “Thai” style with the bell-shaped chedi.
There are also signs warning visitors of pick-pockets in the area, so take care with your valuables.
