# Bang Pa-In Royal Palace

Bang Pa-In Royal Palace (Thai: พระราชวังบางปะอิน), also known as the Summer Palace, is a palace complex formerly used by the Thai kings. It lies beside the Chao Phraya River in Bang Pa-in District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province in Thailand.

## History

King Prasat Thong constructed the original complex$^{:211}$ in 1632, but it fell into disuse and became overgrown in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, until King Mongkut began to restore the site in the mid-19th century. Most of the present buildings were constructed between 1872 and 1889 by King Chulalongkorn.

## Buildings

Amidst vast gardens and landscaping stand the following buildings: Wehart Chamrun (Heavenly Light), a Chinese-style royal palace and throne room; the Warophat Phiman (Excellent and Shining Heavenly Abode), a royal residence; Ho Withun Thasana (Sages' Lookout), a brightly painted lookout tower; and the Aisawan Thiphya-Art (Divine Seat of Personal Freedom), a pavilion constructed in the middle of a pond and Wat Niwet Thammaprawat, a royal temple of the palace.
The palace remains largely open to visitors.
* Ho Withun Thasana, or Sages' Lookout
* Wehart Chamrun, or Heavenly Light
* Aisawanthipphaya-At Pavilion from the bridge
* Warophat Phiman
* Saphakhan Ratchaprayun Residential Hall
* Uthayan Phumisathian Residential Hall

## Milestones

* On 31 May 1880, King Chulalongkorn had a royal command to arrange a royal barge procession to go to Bang Pa-in Palace with every wife but because he was not able to follow a scheduled timing, he asked for a royal entourage to head to the palace first. While on the journey, the ship of Queen Sunanda Kumariratana suffered an accident causing her and their daughter Princess Kannabhorn Bejaratana to drown. After the accident, King Chulalongkorn ordered to build a marble monument at Bang Pa-In Palace in remembrance of the Queen and Princess.
* The royal funeral ceremony of the Princess Srivilailaksana was located in the Aisawanthipphaya Pavilion. The cremation ceremony was at Wat Niwet Thammaprawat, which is widely known to be a scared place and artwork, until it is well known among the royal servants that anyone who does not attend a royal event in the Aisawanthipphaya Pavilion is considered to be an outsider to the royal society.
* King Rama VI graciously performed the royal wedding of Prince Prajadhipok and Princess Rambai Barni on 26 August 1918 at the Warophat Phiman throne hall, which is widely considered the first royal wedding ceremony after enacting the royal rule on the marriage of the master of the royal family. It is said that the gift of the wedding ceremony was a diamond ring.
* Bang Pa-In Palace is used to welcome many royal visitors in the reign of King Chulalongkorn. In addition, during the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, it was used to endorse and give royal guests, such as Beatrix of the Netherlands, Margrethe II of Denmark, Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo and Elizabeth II.

## Footnotes

The official English names of buildings within the complex as appear on the palace's printed map differ slightly from RTGS transliteration. Both renditions are listed as follows:
* 1 2 Thai: พระที่นั่งวรภาสพิมาน; rendered on the palace's printed map as "Phra Thinang Woraphat Phiman"
* 1 2 3 Thai: พระที่นั่งไอศวรรย์ทิพยอาสน์; RTGS: Aisawan Thipphaya-at; from Sanskrit "Ishvāraya Divya Āsna"; or rendered on the palace's printed map as "Phra Thinang Aisawan Thiphya-art"
* ↑ Thai: สะพานเสาวรส, RTGS: saphan saowarot; rendered on the palace's printed map as "Saovarod Bridge"
* ↑ Thai: ประตูเทวราชครรไล; rendered on the palace's printed map as "Devaraj Kunlai Gate"
* 1 2 Thai: พระที่นั่งเวหาศน์จำรูญ, RTGS: we hat chamrun, or "Phra Thinang Wehart Chamrun" on the palace's printed map
* 1 2 3 Thai: พระที่นั่ง; lit. 'royal seat', means "throne hall"