Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [65]
Standing in the throne hall and looking up into the 40m-high central dome you’ll find a ceiling embellished with frescoes by Italian masters Galileo Chini and Carlo Riguli. This, and six murals dedicated to the most notable achievements of each of the first six Chakri dynasty kings, look at first glance to be European in almost every respect. But look more closely and you’ll see subtle Thai identifiers that are enough to remind that you haven’t slipped through a sinkhole and landed in Florence.
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TRANSPORT: THEWET & DUSIT
Bus Air-con 505, 510 & 510; ordinary 3, 16, 18, 32, 53, 70 & 72
Ferry Thewet (N15)
With no Skytrain or Metro connections, peak-hour traffic gets very busy around here. That said, taxi is still a good way to get to Dusit.
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The first meeting of the Thai parliament was held in this building before being moved to a facility nearby. Today the hall and its exhibition, Arts of the Kingdom (www.artsofthekingdom.com), is open to the public – look particularly for the many uses of emerald-coloured beetle wings. Photos are not allowed.
The highlight of the park is Vimanmek Teak Mansion ( 9.30am-4pm daily, last entry 3.15pm) said to be the world’s largest golden teak mansion, built with nary a single nail. For all its finery, grand staircases, octagonal rooms and lattice walls, which are nothing short of magnificent, it is surprisingly serene and intimate. The mansion was originally constructed on Ko Si Chang in 1868 as a retreat for Rama V; the king had it moved to its present site in 1901. For the following few years it served as Rama V’s primary residence, with the 81 rooms accommodating his enormous extended family. The interior of the mansion contains various personal effects of the king and a treasure-trove of early Ratanakosin and European art objects and antiques. Compulsory English-language tours of the building start every 30 minutes and last an hour, though it’s a lucky dip as to whether your guide will actually speak decent English or not. Try to time your visit to see the Thai classical and folk dances staged in an open-sided săh·lah (often spelt sala) beside the mansion at 10.30am and 2pm.
Immediately behind Vimanmek mansion is Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall. Visions of Moorish palaces and Victorian mansions must have still been spinning around in the king’s head when he commissioned this intricate building of porticoes and fretwork fused with a distinctive Thai character. Built as the throne hall for the palace in 1904, it opens onto a big stretch of lawn and flowerbeds, just like any important European building. Inside, the heavy ornamentation of the white main room is quite extraordinary, especially if you’ve been visiting a lot of overwhelmingly gold temples or traditional wooden buildings. Look up to just below the ceiling to see the line of brightly coloured stained-glass panels in Moorish patterns. The hall displays regional handiwork crafted by members of the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations & Related Techniques (SUPPORT) charity foundation sponsored by Queen Sirikit. Among the exhibits are mát·mèe–style (a form of tie-dying) cotton and silk textiles, má·laang táp collages (made from metallic, multicoloured beetle wings), damascene and nielloware, and yahn lí·pow basketry (made with a type of vine).
The Dusit grounds are home to several other museums. Beside the Th U Thong Nai gate, the Royal Elephant Museum showcases two large stables that once housed three white elephants; it’s more interesting than it sounds. Near the Th Ratchawithi entrance, two residence halls display the HM King Bhumibol Photography Exhibitions, a collection of photographs and paintings by the present monarch – a man who even today is rarely seen without a Canon SLR camera slung around his neck. Among the many loving photos of his wife and children are pictures of the king playing clarinet with Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong in 1960. The Ancient Cloth Museum presents a beautiful collection of traditional silks and cottons that make up the royal cloth collection.