Vimanmek Mansion

The beautiful Vimanmek palace was constructed under King Rama V’s direction after he had made a visit to European countries in 1897. The architecture is inspired by Neo-classical European architecture, fused with traditional Thai motifs with hints of modernization. The structure bears token of a royalty’s trip abroad and serves as an impression of what Europe and its castles and palaces would look like to a royalty. The place was named Dusit Garden under the King’s orders. It is located near the Dusit zoo, in Bangkok, Thailand. The palace is made out in three levels. The roof of the palace resembles traditional Thai architecture and is laid out in red tiling. The living space of the palace is octagonal in shape while the whole structure is shaped like the English alphabet “L”. The Different rooms of the palace feature different colours which make a visit to the palace a colourful and aesthetic experience with a hint of antiquity. Each room features King Rama V’s belongings, and other effects from noblemen through time. The Structure has 72 rooms. There was a celebration in 1901 to commemorate the completion of the palace. The palace remained the residence of the Thai Royal family up until 1906, and then after the family had moved out, it was transformed into a storage facility for the Royal family. The transition of the structure to a museum was an effort to showcase the history of the Thai people in 1982 on Queen Sirikit’s request to King Rama IX. The palace is the world’s largest golden teakwood structure and currently houses the gifts that King Rama V received during his visit to Europe.