Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
countryside, and Prince Prajadhipok was happily contemplating a military career that was
to take him to the rank of commander of the Second Division, before his brother passed
away and duty called. The king was not many years into his reign when, in 1932, the mon-
archy was overthrown in a coup and he found himself no longer absolute ruler but a con-
stitutional monarch. He went to Britain for medical treatment in 1933, and in 1935 he ab-
dicated. He died in Britain in 1941, at the age of 48. After his death, the Ministry of Health
used the palace for a while. When the king's widow, Queen Rambhai Barni, returned to
Thailand many years later, the palace was returned to the royal family.
Phayathai Hotel is not a name that has become part of the classic Bangkok fabric, like
The Oriental or the Royal, but such a hotel did once exist. Very palatial it was, too, and
for good reason: it had originally been built as a palace. The story behind it is almost lost,
but it's an intriguing one. When Rama
V
built Dusit Palace and laid out the surrounding
area he had several new roads constructed. One of these was Ratchavithee Road, which
ran through orchards alongside the Samsen Canal to an area of rice fields known as Thung
Phayathai. The king thought it would be pleasant to have a country residence built here,
and in 1909 he bought forty acres of land and had a royal mansion built. He named it
Tamnak Phayathai. Here, the king and Queen Saowabha spent happy weekends, planting
experimental crops, and growing rice and vegetables. The queen loved the palace so much
she often stayed on for many days, the king commuting between Phayathai and Dusit in
his yellow motorcar. Their country idyll was short-lived, however. Within a few months
the king had passed away. After some hesitation his grieving widow decided to move into
Tamnak Phayathai, and here she remained until her own death ten years later. During
this time her son, Rama
VI
, continued to build on this area of land. A small canal, Klong
Phayathai, was cut through the grounds to link Samsen with the canal that ran along
Ratchavithee Road. To the east of this waterway were Tamnak Phayathai and a single-
storey throne hall built for official audiences. To the west were mansions for the ladies of
the inner court, the kitchens, and houses for attendants.
When the queen died, Rama
VI
had the palace dismantled. Part of it was rebuilt at
Vajiravudh School, and other parts became living quarters for the abbot of Wat Ratchati-
wat; these buildings can still be seen today. In its place Rama
VI
built a far more extensive
royal residence, in a more European style. The centrepiece was the Phra Thinang Phiman
Chakri, a two-storey masonry building with an unusual Gothic tower. In its main hall
the king gave audiences or dined privately. European visitors must have felt at home
here although slightly bewildered by the ornate fireplace that was one of the main design
features. Echoing the architectural form of this building was the smaller Phra Thinang
