As
architecturally fascinating as the palace building is the Wat
Niwet Thamaprawat, which is opposite the Palace on an island between
the two banks of river Chao Phraya
During the hot season, Bangkok can be little more than a stuffy
and polluted sauna. At weekends the urge can be over powering
for Bangkok residents to make a break for the cool of the countryside.
But where do you go that isn ’t a major undertaking or has
the potential of being an unpleasant experience of fraught travel
on a sweltering day-off ?
Faced with just such a dilemma a friend suggested a trip to Ayuthaya,
the site of one of Thailand ’s past capitals before being
sacked by the Burmese and birthplace of the Ayuthaya roof design
so popular in expatriate homes in Thailand. About sixteen kilometres
down the road from this famous historical city is a jewel in the
treasure chest of Thailand ’s royal buildings. For here is
the place King. Rama V, the father of modern Thailand, decided
to build an out-of-town palace.
Those familiar with this most special of Kings will know he kept
the country from creeping colonization, which at that time was
rampant throughout Asia. He took much from the style of foreigners
who visited him and with whom he was a notorious negotiator. This
palace is in some ways a reflection of his character. As soon
as you walk through the gates you are met with ‘Capability
Brown, ’ English country manor grounds that roll around lakes,
follies and tree-lined horse-and-carriage driveways.
The
buildings themselves are to say the least eclectic. They are scattered
about the walled in gardens and include a central palace that
is now Georgian in design. This recently replaced the old palace,
which was reportedly a Swiss chalet-style wooden constr uction
that burned down.
Only a few buildings are open to the public and one is the Chinese
Wehat Chamr um Palace. Constr ucted of wood it is a brilliant
and colourful edifice, a blaze of red and gold and ador ned throughout
with ancient Chinese scripts. The main vestibule can be viewed
through glass walls where mother-of-pearl-inlay dark-wood craved
fur nit ure sits on marble floors.
To one side of this gift to the King from China is the Withun
Thasana building. It looks like a lighthouse with balconies, a
cross bet ween a fairground slide and Moorish steeple without
the building. Inside, spiral stair ways lead to checkered black
and white marble-floored verandas, f rom where one can sur vey
the entire palatial area. To me the building is reminiscent of
a set f rom the TV series ‘the Prisoner. ’ What really
took it over the top were the 60 ’s style golf buggies that
gently hummed about the grounds, available for rent to anyone
too exhausted to handle the walks between the buildings.
As architect urally fascinating as the palace buildings is the
Wat Niwet Thamaprawat, which is opposite the Palace on an island
between the two banks of the river Chao Phraya. Reached by cable
cars that hoist you across the river, operated by the monaster
y ’s monks, this temple has, for Thailand, a t r uly unique
building. Within the Wat compound is a perfect reproduction of
a gothic stone church, complete with slate steeple, butt resses
and stained-glass leaded windows. Entering the arched door way
any Christian will be thrown into confusion for instead of being
greeted by the nor mal lines of wooden pews, pulpit and altar
the church is empty except for a simple shrine to Buddha. Nuns
sit against the walls dressed in traditional white garb offering
lucky gifts to visitors and notes for their fut ure success. Bang
Pa-In is an int riguing historical site. It is well-preser ved
and benefits from recent and careful renovations. The drive to
get there is not arduous if you know the way. For the uninitiated
it may be wiser to book a tour. The Chao Phraya River Express
Boat Company runs a boat t rip ever y Sunday from Tha Maharat
in Bangkok to the palace, stopping off at a few other places along
the way. Alter natively, you could take a bus from the Norther
n bus ter minal or even go on an organised minibus tour. Coming
the other way you may like to tack on a visit to the palace after
a trip to Ayuthaya city, by catching the boat from Ayuthaya ’s
Chao Phrom Market on Naresuan road. Either way a perfect end to
the day would be an evening meal by the river, at any of the nearby
seafood restaurants, as the sun sets on the Mae Nam Chao Phraya.
