Bang Pa-In Royal Palace

Bang Pa-In sits on an island in the Chao Phraya south of Ayutthaya. A palace stood here in the seventeenth century, fell out of use, and was rebuilt from the 1870s as a summer residence, which is why the grounds read as a catalogue of nineteenth-century taste. A gilded Thai pavilion floats at the centre of an ornamental pond; a red and green Chinese mansion, assembled from parts shipped in by Chinese merchants, stands nearby; an observatory tower rises above the lawns; and a European-style residence closes the composition. The lawns are clipped, the topiary is cut into elephants, and the whole place is calmer and emptier than anything in Ayutthaya proper.

What you actually see

• Aisawan Thiphya-Art - the gilded Thai pavilion standing in the middle of the pond.
• Wehart Chamrun - the Chinese mansion with its lacquer, tiles and carved screens.
• Withun Thasana - the striped observatory tower with a lookout at the top.
• The gardens - lawns, canals and topiary between the pavilions.

When to go

November to February keeps the walk between pavilions bearable, since the grounds are open and largely unshaded. Mornings are quieter. The palace closes to visitors on occasional days for official use, so check before travelling. Golf carts can be hired at the entrance if the distances look long, and there is a strict dress code.

Honest expectations

The dress code is enforced at the gate: covered shoulders, no shorts or short skirts, and a sarong rental queue for those who arrive unprepared. Several buildings can only be seen from outside, and interior photography is banned in the ones you do enter. It is a pleasant hour or two rather than a highlight, and the grounds bake by noon.

Nearby

Ayutthaya's historic city to the north and the riverside market at Bang Sai.