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Hidden in plain sight
Hidden in plain sight
Tens of thousands of commuters pass Phyathai Palace each day without realising the royal treasures nestled inside its grand doors
published : 28 Jan 2021 at 04:00
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After a month of closure due to the recent Covid-19 surge, the history-rich Phyathai Palace is set to reopen in February.
The Thewarat Sapharom Hall is the oldest building in Phyathai Palace. It was built during the reign of King Vajiravudh to serve as an audience hall for his mother Queen Sri Bajarindra who moved to live in the palace permanently after the death of King Chulalongkorn in 1910. When the Queen Mother herself passed away nine years later, King Vajiravudh decided to turn the place into a new palace of his own. He had all of the old buildings dismantled to make way for the new ones, except for the Thewarat Sapharom Hall. The king used it for functions and performances.