| Vimanmek Palace or Vimanmek Mansion Museum is located
on Ratchawithi Road behind the National Assembly. It is the world’s largest
golden teak building. The 3-storey palace contains 81 rooms, halls and ante-chambers.
The building was originally constructed by King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn,
reigned 1868-1910) on Srichang Island in the Gulf of Siam. Upon his return
from Europe in1897, King Rama V (1868-1910) used his personal money to
purchase orchards and paddy fields between Padung Krungkasem Canal and
Samsen Canal for the construction of a royal garden which he named “the
Dusit Garden”. The palace was built in the shape of the Roman letter L
with two wings, one running westward, the other northward, joined at an
angle of 90 degrees.
The first permanent residence in Dusit Garden was Vimanmek Mansion (Vimanmek
Palace), built in 1900 by the royal command of King Rama V. The mansion
was in fact his former Summer Palace, the Munthaturaltanaroj Residence
of the Chuthathujrachathan at Koh Sri Chang, Chonburi, that was dismantled
and rebuilt under the supervision of HRH Prince Narissaranuwaddhiwongse.
The celebration for the completion of Vimanmek Mansion was held on March
27, 1901. King Rama V moved from the Grand Palace to reside in Vimanmek
Mansion for 5 years until the completion of the Amporn Satarn Mansion
in 1906 where he lived until his untimely death in 1910.
After the death of King Rama V (Chulalongkorn) in 1910, Vimanmek Palace
was infrequently used by King Rama VI (King Vajiravudh). In 1925, near
the end of his reign, King Rama VI gave permission to for H.R.H. Indharasaksaji,
his wife, to take up residence in a section of Vimanmek Mansion. After
his death, she moved to the residence in Suan Hong compound situated north
of Vimanmek Mansion. The palace was used for a short period by King Rama
VII (King Prajadhipok) during the early part of his reign when Amphorn
Palace was being repaired. King Rama VII ordered a few renovations to
the Mansion. For example, he ordered the installation of electrical wiring
and repairs to the main pier at the man-made lake in the garden. Since
then, the Vimanmek Mansion has not been used as a royal residence and
has been used as a place of storage by the Bureau of the Royal Household
for the past 50 years.
In 1982, on the auspicious occasion of the Royal Bicentennial Celebrations
of Bangkok, Her Majesty the Queen asked for His Majesty’s permission to
renovate the Mansion to be used as a museum to honour King Rama V by displaying
his photographs, art and artifacts to commemorate royal visits to Europe
as well as to exhibit Thai handicrafts to serve as a showcase of the national
heritage for future generations.
The King's apartments on the palace's third floor have been decorated
as they were during the reign of King Rama V (Chulalongkorn). The shower
in the royal bathroom is believed to have been the first ever installed
in Thailand. The tank was manually filled to provide sufficient water
supply for the shower.
Vimanmek Mansion is the largest residence in Dusit Garden. Its elaborate
architectural style reflects a western influence. The building has two
right-angled wings. Each wing is 60 metres long and 20 metres high. It
is a three-storey building except for the part where the King resided,
which is octagonal and has four storeys. The ground floor is brick and
cement while the upper floors are built of golden teakwood planks. There
are altogether 31 exhibition rooms, some of which maintain the atmosphere
of the past, especially the bedrooms, the Audience Chamber and the bathrooms.
Some rooms house exhibitions of art works, for example, there is a silverware
display room, a ceramic display room, a glassware display room and an
ivory display room.
Besides Vimanmek Mansion and the Amporn Satarn Mansion in the compound
of Dusit Garden or Dusit Palace (as it was later renamed by King Rama
V), King Rama V allocated plots of land for the construction of residences
for his Queens, consorts, sisters, daughters, and his other wives. He
also named gardens, canals, gates and roads after the names of ancient
Chinese porcelain commonly called “Khrueng Kim Tung”, which were very
popular at the time. For example, the residence that belonged to Her Majesty
Queen Srisawarindhira was named Suan Hong Residence (Swan Garden Residence).
Now these residences, which are no longer used by the Royal Family and
located north of Vimanmek Mansion, have been turned into museum buildings
and a hall for royal coaches to be shown to the general public.
Vimanmek Palace is surrounded by water on all sides: Klong Rong Mai Hom
(Fragrant Wood Canal) to the east, Klong Khab Phaen Krachok (Sheet of
Glass Canal) to the north, Klong Rang Ngoen (Silver Canal) to the west,
and, best known of all, the southern pond, Ang Yok (Jade Basin), named
after the water's natural greenness. A bridge crosses Ang Yok to wooden
Thai houses called Ruan Ton, built when Vimanmek Palace was erected. The
King's express wish was to use the houses for a non-royal style of living
(that of a commoner), and it was there he received the numerous acquaintances
he made during frequent incognito tours of Thailand.
Location : Rajavithi Road, Dusit, Bangkok 10300
Open : 9.30 a.m. - 3.15 p.m. everyday |
