Another attraction that we enjoyed visiting in Bangkok was the Vimanmek Mansion: the world's largest golden teak building. The completion of the building was celebrated in 1901, and it was the royal residence for King Rama V for five years. After that, it was mostly used for storage until in 1982, Queen Sirikit obtained the permission to renovate the mansion and turned it into a museum.
The mansion is of a very elaborate architectural design, and the inside is ostentatiously decorated with beautiful exhibits of ceramics, silverware, crystal ware and ivory.Unfortunately,inside photography is prohibited. However, the official website has few virtual tours of some of the exhibits if you are interested.
The admission ticket to the Vimanmek Mansion is included in the Grand Palace ticket(300 Baht), and included in the ticket is a mandatory tour of the beautiful mansion. After the hour and a half tour of inside the mansion, visitors are allowed to tour the beautiful garden and waterfalls.Proper attire is required and the mansion is open daily 0930 am to 0400 pm. I highly recommend a visit.
Comments (7)
Looks a lovely place.
Can't believe "it was mostly used for storage until in 1982"!
Still, it was probably one of the most beautiful warehouses in the world.
If I had a 'places I'd love to visit' list, it would be on it.
Best,
Alex
Posted by Alex | August 12, 2009 3:13 AM
Posted on August 12, 2009 03:13
Hi Candi, wonderful to learn about this amazing mansion. Beautiful and unique architectural design. And the garden with the waterfall is also beautiful. It must have been a great experience to visit here.
Thanks so much for sharing more of your wonderful experiences and photos to Thailand!
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | August 12, 2009 6:44 AM
Posted on August 12, 2009 06:44
Great photos of that gorgeous building. The red roof reminds me of Italy. :) I'd never heard of golden teak - it's a very beautiful color. The gardens look very impressive too.
Posted by Annie | August 12, 2009 7:21 AM
Posted on August 12, 2009 07:21
I also love the red-tiled roof! And the gardens and waterfall look so lovely, and lush. This must have been a beautiful spot to visit!
Posted by sandrac | August 12, 2009 2:09 PM
Posted on August 12, 2009 14:09
It's a beautiful building and the red-tile roof makes it more striking. It must be so beautiful inside and so light and airy with so many windows, as seen in the second photo.
I'm curious about the proper attire requirement. Is it similar to what is considered proper in other religious buildings, like, for instance, in Italy?
Posted by María I. | August 13, 2009 10:27 AM
Posted on August 13, 2009 10:27
Thanks all for the comments.
Maria, yes, no shorts or sleeveless shirts, just like religious buildings. I found that interesting since it is only a royal residential converted into a museum.
Posted by candi | August 13, 2009 4:18 PM
Posted on August 13, 2009 16:18
What a gorgeous building, your photos are fantastic! I too am stuck on the "used for storage" part. I'm glad that Queen Sirikit rescued it from such a boring fate!
Posted by Anne | August 19, 2009 6:00 AM
Posted on August 19, 2009 06:00