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Phetchaburi Travel Guide :
Maruekhathaiyawan Palace
| Maruekhathaiyawan Palace is a summer seaside palace and it is often referred to as the palace of love and hope that is located halfway between Cha-am and Hua Hin. The Maruekhathaiyawan Palace was built in 1923 under orders from King Rama VI. It was built using golden teak wood that was got from the demolished Hat Chao Samran Palace. An Italian architect was hired to design that palace and he came up with awe-inspiring verandahs and splendid lattice work. |
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It is believed that King Rama VI was advised rest by his doctor and he was asked to go to a cool dry place. He decided to spend his summer in Phetchaburi but was not happy with the royal palace of Chao Samran, which was located on the beach. So, in 1923, the king decided to build a new summer palace near the beach in Huai Sai Nua in Cha-am District. The new location was cooler and drier and had a healthy surrounding with its natural forest and fresh water. The materials from the dismantled Chao Samran Palace were used to build the new palace.
Initially the designs of the palace were made by King Rama VI himself. He wanted to be sure that the palace had good ventilation and high ceiling. In addition, he wanted the palace on stilts so that the ground could be kept clean and he decided that in order to control the ants, each pillar supporting the palace and the walls that were connected to the ground would have niches for water. He then chose the Italian architect Ercole Manfredi to fulfill his dream design.
The Maruekhathaiyawan Palace is basically a group of three buildings. All buildings are one story high and built from golden teak. There are a total of 1,080 pillars supporting the palace. It has many interconnecting halls and a long passage leading to the sea. The residential area for the royal family is situated in the right wing while the royal retainers are accommodated in the left wing. The central part of the palace has the reading room, sitting room and drawing room. In addition, there is a two-story open pavilion located right next to the central hall. This pavilion was used for royal meetings and for hosting theater.
The public can visit the Maruekhathaiyawan Palace from Monday through Friday from 8.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. There is an admission fee of 90 Baht.
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