Bang Pa-In palace is the perfect place to visit during a summer trip to Thailand if you have the day to spare while staying in Bangkok. It is a palace with a lot of history, its fair share of tragedy and beautiful gardens.
The Summer Palace
To get to the Summer Palace, the royal family would take their barge down the Chao Phraya river with a small retinue of guests. Something you can still visualise if you stand on the banks near some of the best restaurants in Sukhumvit and let your imagination soar.
The Tragedy of the Royal Family
In the year 1880, Queen Sunanda Kumariratana and Princess KarnabhirnBejraratana were taking the barge to the summer palace when their raft capsized. In those days, touching the royal family members was considered a crime punishable by death, so their retinue just watched helplessly as the queen and the princess drowned.
The Architecture of Bang Pa-In
There are some diverse Chinese-style buildings in the compound and Thai-style architecture for the small buildings. There are also several very notable European influences.
Visiting the Palace
Don’t just visit the gardens but visit the palace as well. It is located two hours north of Bangkok and only 20 minutes from Ayutthaya. Small canals run through the royal compound, connecting it to the river. If you are staying at a local resort the likes of Maitria Hotels & Residences, you can be back in Sukhumvit for dinner.
