How to get to unique Dusit Palace and Vimanmek Mansion from Pattaya?

How to get to unique Dusit Palace and Vimanmek Mansion from Pattaya?

Dusit Palace is considered to be the political center of the Kingdom. The construction of the park began at the beginning of 20th century and since then a whole complex of palaces and museums has been built there. Dusit Grand Park covers an area of more than 64 thousand square metres. The heart of the complex and the main sight of the park is Vimanmek Palace. In our article we will tell more details about the park, its history and how to get there from Pattaya.

History of the park

King Rama V, who was the ruler of Thailand at the beginning of the twentieth century, was the first of all Thai monarchs to visit the countries of Europe. Fascinated by the wide avenues and gorgeous palaces of the European capitals, the King decided to make Bangkok a modern city. Rattanakosin Island was chosen for the construction of a new district, which at that time was rather uncomfortable for living with numerous channels. Enormous efforts and expenses of King Rama V turned the island into a “new royal district” with unusual avenues and luxurious palaces.

Nowadays, all the main political institutions of the country are concentrated at the Dusit Grand Park: the buildings of parliament, the government and the unofficial residence of the Royal Family. Every year, on December 2, there is a special atmosphere of celebration in the park. On this day, hundreds of National Guard officers take part in a parade, proving loyalty to their King.

The Dusit Palace Complex became one of the main tourist sights in the 1980s, when Queen Sirikit decided to restore Vimanmek Palace and opened it to the public as a museum of King Rama V.

Museums in the park

A visit of Dusit Park is a great opportunity to learn more about the history of Thailand and various aspects of local life. Vimanmek Palace is the largest teakwood structure in the world. There you can learn a lot about King Rama V and see many unique exhibits, including the first bathroom in the Kingdom, the first portrait painting, the first typewriter and many others.

Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall impresses with its chic interior and houses the Thai Handicrafts Museum.

There are also two museums of photos of the current King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is actively interested in photography. In his photographs, His Majesty captured members of the Royal Family and showed his desire to improve the lives of his people.

The Museum of Ancient Watches contains unique watches and chronometers from different countries and many royal souvenirs and gifts brought from foreign trips.

You can see which fabrics were used during the reign of King Rama V in the Museum of Silk and Ancient Fabrics. Also here you can see modern fabrics, in the production of which traditional technologies were used.

The ancient pottery of the Bronze Age, which was discovered during archaeological excavations, is represented in the Prehistoric Museum of Pottery Ban Chiang. Banchiang is an archaeological site that was discovered at the end of the 1960s and became UNESCO World Heritage site.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, King Rama V ordered to fill up the canals of the island and make roads for horses with carriages. The most ancient and unusual royal carriages are exhibited in the Museum of Royal Carriages. Unique exhibits from the sunken ships of the periods of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya are represented in the Shipwreck Museum.

You can see a more detailed overview of all Dusit Park museums and their exhibits in the Presentation Hall. A colorful slide show will help you to choose the museums that are worth a visit and show photos of Vimanmek Mansion shining in the dark.

Historical museums are not the only sights of Dusit park. There is also a huge zoo where over 1,500 species of wild animals live, such as tigers, deer, hippos, koalas and many others.

There are two temples on the territory of the park: Wat Benchamabophit and Wat Intharawihan, which will amaze you with their beautiful architecture. There are also The Museum of the Press, the Museum of the Bank of Thailand and the Xuan Dusit Gallery in Dusit Park. Everyone can visit two shows with traditional Thai dances which are held at Dusit Palace every day.

How to get toDusit Palace from Pattaya?

Dusit Palace is located in Bangkok and it is better to get here from Pattaya with a tour. The tour to Bangkok includes a comfortable transfer and the services of a professional guide.

If you travel to Bangkok on your own, you can get to Dusit Park by Chao Phraya express boat. You can get on the boat at the Central Pier, which is located near the Saphan Taksin metro station. Many local buses run to Dusit Palace, but it is better to ask a local resident for directions in order not to get lost.

Visiting Dusit Park and the unique Vimanmek Palace, you will learn a lot about the life and culture of the Thais during the reign of King Rama V. Unique exhibits and beautiful architecture will give you a lot of positive impressions.