The Summer Palace

To really understand the importance of King Chulalongkorn's Summer Palace on Koh Sichang, it's important to back up a bit and understand a bit about the man himself.

a statue of  HM King Chulalongkorn

With the possible exception of Thailand's current King Bhumibohl (Rama IX), King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) is the nation's most revered monarch. It's common to see paintings of the two men side by side hanging in shops, busses, taxis... even though they ruled half a century apart.

In the late 19th Century, while it's neighbors fell to foreign imperial powers (Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos to French Indochina, and Malaysia and Burma to the British Empire), Thailand remained the only Southeast Asian country never to fall to European colonialism. This is in no small part due to King Rama V's efforts to westernize and modernize Thailand. Educated in Europe, in his line of thinking, if the country appeared "civilized", then the European powers would not attack. His plan worked, and he saved his country's sovereignty, and was welcomed as an enlightened ruler and an equal in the courts of Europe. He ordered the construction of the Thai rail system (which I very much like), the construction of many paved roads, and the kingdom's first power plants, introduced Western-style apparel, and abolished slavery.

His Majesty loved Koh Sichang, and first built a small guest house for foreign dignitaries and members of the royal family. Soon after, he ordered the construction of a summer palace on the southeast end of the island.

one of the few remaining buildings

A few whitewashed buildings remain, but the original Summer Palace was deconstructed and moved piece by piece to Bangkok, where it is now known as the Vimanmek Teak Mansion. The foundation still remains.

the remains of the Summer Palace

Of course, being royal grounds, appropriate attire is expected, although since it's a small island town, they appeared pretty relaxed on this. I saw plenty of people, Thai and tourist alike, wearing shorts and sandals.

I followed some signs around this part of the island to a small temple on a hill. The King designed this temple as a quiet spot for meditation. What's interesting, is that in typical fashion for this western ruler, he designed the temple to look a bit like a Christian church, complete with stained glass and a prang that looks a bit like a steeple.

There are some older sights to see at the palace compound too, including an old chedi. I'm not sure how old it is or who built it, but it looks out of place amidst the turn-of-the-century buildings of the palace compound.

Koh Sichang is a great getaway from Bangkok; only a two-hour bus ride and 45-minute ferry ride from the city, it's easy to get to. You can quickly walk around the island by foot, and the quiet laid-back atmosphere of the island town makes it easy to unwind and leave the busy and hectic city behind. It's doable in a day trip, but I would definitely recommend at least a weekend to get in your share of relaxation! Despite the occasional rain stormps, I had a great time with a stack of books and a big pot of tea on the covered patio of my bungalow.

I'm back in Bangkok now, but planning one more short adventure before going back to work on Monday. Stay tuned!