CONSAL CULTURAL VISITS
From page 5
As a part of the meeting programme, the host institutions also arranged cultural visits for
the delegates.
Day 1
The study tour to Samakhom Ananta Throne Hall Bangkok,a very beautiful building in
Bangkok. The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is a former reception hall within Dusit
Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. It now serves as a museum and is from time to time used
for certain state occasions. The building in Italian Renaissance and Neo Classic style
was commissioned to the architects Mario Tamagno and Annibale Rigotti. Marble from
Carrara, Italy, and other foreign building materials were used. The Throne Hall is a two
storey construction with a large dome (49.5 m high) in the centre, surrounded by six
smaller domes. The domes and walls are covered with paintings by Professor Galileo
Chini and Carlo Riguli depicting the history of the Chakri Dynasty, from the first to the
sixth reign. This building was finally completed in 1915. It is open to the public every day
except on Chulalongkorn Day (23 October), the King's birthday (5 December) and the
Queen's birthday (12 August). We have to pay 150 Baht for entry fee to this buil ding and
its exhibits.
Day 2
On the second day we visited the Ancient City of Ayutthaya. It is the capital of Ayutthaya
province in Thailand which is located in the valley of the Chao Phraya River. The city
was founded in 1350 by King U Thong. The Historic City of Ayutthaya, founded in 1350,
was the second capital of the Siamese Kingdom. It flourished from the 14th to the 18th
centuries, during which time it grew to be one of the world’s largest and most
cosmopolitan urban areas and a center of global diplomacy and commerce. Ayutthaya
was strategically located on an island surrounded by three rivers connecting the city to
the sea. Now it has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
From here we proceeded to Bang Pa-in Summer Palace, which is a palace complex
formerly used by the Thai kings. The palace is located on the Chao Phraya River bank in
Bang Pa-In district, Ayutthaya Province. The facilities include vast gardens and
landscaping, Wehart Chamrunt (Heavenly Light), a Chinese-style royal palace and
throne room; the Warophat Phiman (Excellent and Shining Heavenly Abode), a royal
residence; Ho Withun Thasana (Sages' Lookout), a brightly painted lookout tower; and
the Aisawan Thiphya-Art (Divine Seat of Personal Freedom), a pavilion constructed in
the middle of a pond. The palace remains largely open to visitors. Next we visited the
Wat Chaiwatthanaram temple, the most impressive ancient temple compound in
Ayutthaya. Built in 1630 by King Prasat Thong to honour his mother, Wat Chai
Wattanaram was conceived as a replica of the Angkor temple. There is a fee of 50 Baht
to enter the grounds
After that we were taken to visit the Ayutthaya Elephant palace and Royal Kraal.
Elephants are regarded as the royal symbol of Thailand and have long serve the country
in numerous ways, for example the past kings in the battle for national freedom. A visit to
Ayutthaya Elephant Palace and Royal Kraal offers a priceless insight into the dignified
role that elephant have played in the history of Thailand freedom. The Ayutthaya
Elephant Palace and Royal Kraal offers several activities, such as taking visitors on a
ride on an elephant to get an idea of the past glory of Ayutthaya by following the royal
routes once taken by the kings.
Wadah Perpustakaan Bil.6 Jun 2013
Page 6