Bang Pa-In
From Halal Explorer
Bang Pa-In (บางปะอิน) is in Ayutthaya Province, 60 kilometers north of Bangkok. It is notable for the Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, former summer residence of the kings of Thailand.
Contents
An introduction to Bang Pa-In
The Death of Queen Sunanda - In 1881, Queen Sunanda Kumariratana and her only daughter Princess Karnabhorn Bejraratana were on their way to the palace when the royal barge carrying them capsized. According to (Thai) law at the time, touching a royal was punishable by death, so onlookers could do nothing but watch them drown. An officious guardian on another boat even ordered help not to be given. King Chulalongkorn, shocked by the events, demoted and jailed the vizier who obeyed the letter of the law at such cost and erected a memorial to her in Bang Pa-In.
Get in
Take a bus to Bang Pa-In
Air-con 2nd class buses depart from stall 99 of Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit) every 30 minutes or so, no advance ticket needed. You may also be able to board along the way outside MRT Phayon Yothin station. Being a second-class bus, it stops at every bus stop, shopping mall and grilled Chicken stand along the way, so the journey takes the better part of two hours.
From Ayutthaya, shuttle vanes and songthaews connect Bang Pa-In with the central bus station, a 40-minutes journey.
Travel by train to Bang Pa-In
Bang Pa-In is the stop before Ayutthaya on the northern line, which runs to Chiang Mai. Several trains per day in each direction stop at Bang Pa-In and the journey from Bangkok's Hualamphong station takes 1½ hours. Early birds may appreciate the 07:00 departure but the 09:25 departure is also convenient. The train ride to Ayutthaya is only 15 min.
By boat
There are no scheduled services, but many of the river cruises to Ayutthaya stop at Bang Pa-In on the way.
By taxi
A taxi from Bang Pa-In to Ayutthaya costs a fixed 350 Baht.
Get around
Tuk-tuks of various interesting shapes and sizes shuttle between the bus station and the train station and the Palace.
What to see in Bang Pa-In
- Bang Pa-In Palace - Summer Palace | Bang Pa-In's number one sight. It was built by Ayutthayan King Prasat Thong in 1632 but abandoned after the sack of Ayutthaya in 1767. The site was partially restored by King Mongkut (Rama IV) in the 1850s. The site as it stands today, however, is largely the work of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). For 17 years from 1872 and the grounds were expanded and the more traditional (Thai) architecture was complemented with buildings in a variety of styles—mainly European but also Chinese. Last restored in 2001 and the palace and its immaculate grounds are well worth a visit. The grounds are not too large to be covered on foot, but you can also rent a golf cart to scoot around in for 400 Baht for the first hour and 100 Baht per hour after that. As at all royal sites, proper dress is required, but you can buy a 100 Baht wraparound skirt from the stall in front of the entrance if needed.
- Divine Seat of Personal Freedom (Aisawan Thiphya-At). The only Thai-style building in the palace, this beautiful pavilion sitting in the middle of a lake has been designated as the archetype of the (Thai) pavilion (sala Thai), a national symbol of Thailand. The statue standing in the middle represents Rama V and was erected by his son.
- Excellent and Shining Heavenly Abode (Warophat Phiman). A one-story mansion containing Chulalongkorn's throne hall. Open to visitors and well worth a visit, as it is richly decorated in turn-of-the-century European aristocratic style, only with quirky (Thai) touches.
- Exhibition Hall (Saphakhan Ratchaprayun). A colonial-style two-floor building built for the king's brothers, it now houses a small museum covering the history of the palace. It makes a good first stop.
- Heavenly Light (Wehart Chamrun). Built by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1889, this opulent Chinese-style palace is also another stand-out, full of red, Gold, dark woods and inlaid mother of pearl. Also open to visitors, be sure to catch the stupendous dragon sculpture inside carved from camel bone.
- Memorial to Queen Sunanda Kumariratana. Built in 1881 in memory of the drowned Queen Sunanda (see box), this simple marble monument has a slightly ungrammatical, but touching, English dedication by King Chulalongkorn.
- Sages' Lookout (Ho Withun Thasana). A merrily painted lighthouse-lookalike that gives sweeping views of the nationside.
- Wat Niwet Thamprawat - Another of King Chulalongkorn's European follies, built in 1878. Thit is an active Buddhist temple cleverly disguised as a Gothic church, down to the spiky eaves and stained glass windows. Getting there is half the fun, as a basic motorized cable vehicle swings visitors across the river. The cable vehicle station is hidden behind the Bang Pa-In vehicle park, which explains why the temple doesn't get many Western visitors. Free entry but donations welcome. The museum adjacent to the church-cum-temple has an unremarkable collection of Buddhist paraphernalia, but is worth a peek for the exquisite stained glass windows inside, showcasing scenes from (Thai) myths.
Muslim Friendly Shopping in Bang Pa-In
Exit from Bang Pa-In palace is through a giftshop selling tourist souvenirs like fluorescent baseball caps emblazoned with "Phuket" in large letters.
Eat and drink
The palace grounds have a number of simple cafes selling soft drinks and Snacks (25-60 Baht). The best views are from the one inside the Tevaraj-Kanlai Gate, right opposite the (Thai) pavilion.
Ramadan 2025 in Bang Pa-In
Ramadan 2025 in Bang Pa-In
Ramadan concludes with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which may last several days, usually three in most countries.
The next Ramadan shall be from Friday, 28 February 2025 to Saturday, 29 March 2025
The next Eid al-Adha shall be on Friday, 6 June 2025
The next day of Raʾs al-Sana shall be on Thursday, 26 June 2025
The next day for Mawlid al-Nabī shall be on Monday, 16 September 2024
Muslim Friendly Hotels in Bang Pa-In
Bang Pa-In is easily visited in a day trip from Bangkok or Ayutthaya, so there is neither any real reason to stay here nor any facilities for doing so.
Where to go next after Bang Pa-In
Copyright 2015 - 2024. All Rights reserved by eHalal Group Co., Ltd.
To Advertise or sponsor this Travel Guide, please visit our Media Kit and Advertising Rates.