Phra Ram Ratchaniwet ( th, พระรามราชนิเวศน์), also commonly known as Ban Puen Palace (), is a former royal palace in Thailand's

Phetchaburi Province Phetchaburi ( th, เพชรบุรี, ) or Phet Buri () is one of the western or central provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram, and Prachuap Khiri Khan. In the ...

. It now serves as a museum, operated by the

Royal Thai Army The Royal Thai Army or RTA ( th, กองทัพบกไทย; ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. History Origin The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's so ...

History

The palace was commissioned in 1910 by King Chulalongkorn, in order to serve as an alternative country residence to the royal palace of Phra Nakhon Khiri, whose hilltop location was becoming inconvenient. Construction commenced in 1910, but Chulalongkorn died the same year, before its completion. The palace was completed in 1916 in the reign of his successor, King

Vajiravudh Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts ...

, who named it Phra Ram Ratchaniwet. It is also commonly known as Ban Puen after the village it is located in. The palace, designed by the German architect

Karl Döhring Karl Siegfried Döhring (often misspelled Döring; 14 August 1879, in Cologne – 1 June 1941, in Darmstadt; also writing under the pseudonym Ravi Ravendro) was a German architect, art historian and archaeologist. He lived mostly in Siam, now ...

, is a two-storey building in ''Jugendstil'' or German

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Moder ...

style. It has rectangular floor plan with a high mansard roof. The front façade features a large fractable, and a domed circular hall is attached to the right wing. A central courtyard, said to have housed the first badminton court in Thailand, today features a fountain. The palace now serves as a museum, operated by the 15th Military Circle of the Royal Thai Army, which now owns the palace and the surrounding grounds. The building is a registered

ancient monument In British law, an ancient monument is an early historical structure or monument (e.g. an archaeological site) worthy of preservation and study due to archaeological or heritage interest. The '' Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act ...

, and received the

ASA Architectural Conservation Award The Architectural Conservation Award ( th, รางวัลอนุรักษ์ศิลปสถาปัตยกรรมดีเด่น) is given by the in recognition of architectural conservation efforts by both the public and privat ...

in 2000.

References

* {{Royal palaces in Thailand Former royal residences in Thailand Buildings and structures in Phetchaburi province Registered ancient monuments in Thailand Art Nouveau architecture in Thailand Historic house museums in Thailand