Phra Ram Ratchaniwet Palace
Originally called “Ban Puen Palace”, this glamourous western-style palace of King Chulalongkorn the Great or King Rama V is located on the west bank of the Phetchaburi River. Subsequent to the monarch’s second official visit to Europe in 1907, from which he probably drew inspiration, he contemplated staying in an alternative retreat where he could feel really at peace during the rainy season. Bearing in mind that the construction ought to be funded out of his own coffers, he looked for a city-centre location and finally acquired some land from common people. To undertake such a royal project, Mr. Karl Siegfried Döhring, a German architect and engineer working with the Ministry of Interior, was charged with designing and overseeing the construction. So it would appear that the ambience of Kaiser Wilhelm II’s castles is likely to pervade this new villa eternally. Phra Ram Ratchaniwet features a two-storey high-ceilinged building whose architectural style is highly influenced by both Jugendstil or German Art Nouveau and Baroque. Due to Döhring’s determination to be tailor-made, none of his works became a faithful reproduction. From afar, the Wang Ban Puen resembles vaguely to a theatre designed by Oskar Kaufmann, 14
who was universally popular in those days. It has a rectangular floor plan, with a steep mansard roof above the front façade and a partially glazed cupola perched on the circular hall attached to the right wing. The interior of the palace looks bright and spacious. The ground floor contains a number of rooms including the dining room and the Throne Hall. The double spiral staircases leading to the second floor are ornately adorned with hugh ceramic cherubs along the banisters. The well-manicured courtyard, said to have housed the first badminton court, features a fountain.
The construction commenced in 1910, but unfortunately King Rama V passed away the same year, before its completion in 1916. The Wang Ban Puen was renamed “Phra Ram Ratchaniwet” by King Rama VI in 1918 to accommodate foreign state visitors. After that, it was utilised for many purposes. Currently it serves as a museum, managed by the 15th Military Circle.
