Phra Chuthathut Palace

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Phra Chuthathut Palace

Palace

The restored seaside palace of King Chulalongkorn on Ko Si Chang, with wooden pavilions, garden terraces and a hilltop shrine overlooking the bay, now a museum.

Phra Chuthathut Palace Map data © OpenStreetMap contributorsSri RachaPhra Chuthathut Palace

Phra Chuthathut Palace essentials

Country: Thailand
Driest months: Dec-Feb
Pay in: Baht (฿)
Language: Thai
Emergency: 191

Phra Chuthathut Palace was King Chulalongkorn’s (Rama V) seaside retreat on Ko Si Chang, built on the hillside above Tha Wang Bay on the island’s east coast. Its restored grounds, with wooden buildings, garden terraces, stairways and old reservoirs, are now an open-air museum and the island’s main sight.

Allow a couple of hours to wander the terraces, the buildings and the hill above. Highlights include:

  • The restored wooden buildings, among them the Vadhana, Phongsri and Apirom buildings, now used for exhibitions on the palace and the royal family’s time on the island.
  • Wat Atsadangnimit, a small shrine on the hilltop with a distinctive chedi and views over the bay and the ships anchored offshore.
  • The gardens and stone stairways, laid out across the slope.

Dress respectfully (shoulders and knees covered), as this is a royal site.

Things to Do
When to Go

Weather & Climate near Phra Chuthathut Palace#

Climate

Tropical climate with consistently warm temperatures year-round. Temperatures range from 21°C to 33°C. Abundant rainfall (1220 mm/year), wettest in September with a pronounced dry season.

Air Quality: AQI 68 Moderate
Best Time to Visit
JanuaryFebruaryDecember
Temperature & Rainfall
Temperature Range
34°
Warmest Month
18°
Coldest Month
Monthly Conditions
Month Comfort Temp Feels Rain Sky Humidity Wind UV Daylight
January Ideal 22° - 31° 26° 10 mm mostly sunny 72% 1.8 m/s 1.8 very high 11.3h
February Ideal 24° - 31° 30° 19 mm mostly sunny 75% 2.0 m/s 2.0 extreme 11.6h
March Excellent 25° - 32° 33° 44 mm some cloud 77% 1.9 m/s 2.2 extreme 11.9h
April Very Good 26° - 33° 35° 70 mm partly cloudy 76% 1.9 m/s 2.4 extreme 12.3h
May Acceptable 26° - 33° 35° 161 mm overcast 78% 2.4 m/s 2.3 extreme 12.6h
June Acceptable 26° - 32° 35° 104 mm overcast 79% 2.8 m/s 2.3 extreme 12.8h
July Good 26° - 32° 34° 104 mm overcast 79% 2.4 m/s 2.3 extreme 12.7h
August Good 25° - 31° 33° 122 mm overcast 79% 2.4 m/s 2.3 extreme 12.4h
September Good 25° - 31° 32° 264 mm overcast 81% 1.7 m/s 2.1 extreme 12.1h
October Good 24° - 31° 30° 245 mm overcast 80% 1.6 m/s 1.9 very high 11.7h
November Excellent 23° - 30° 27° 67 mm partly cloudy 77% 2.3 m/s 1.8 very high 11.4h
December Ideal 21° - 30° 26° 10 mm some cloud 73% 2.3 m/s 1.8 very high 11.2h
Getting There & Around

How to Get to Phra Chuthathut Palace#

Take the ferry from Sri Racha’s town pier to Ko Si Chang; the crossing takes under an hour. The palace is south of the main pier on the east coast, a short samlor (three-wheeled taxi) or scooter ride, or a longer walk.

History & Culture of Phra Chuthathut Palace#

Members of the royal court first came to Ko Si Chang for its sea air to recover from illness. In 1888 Queen Saovabha Phongsri and Crown Prince Vajiravudh stayed on the island to convalesce. In 1889 the king built three convalescent residences, named after Queen Savang Vadhana, Queen Saovabha Phongsri and Princess Saisavali Bhiromya.

In 1892, while Queen Saovabha was expecting a child on the island, construction began on a full palace with throne halls and royal residences. It was named after the son born there, Prince Chudadhuj Dharadilok.

The palace’s royal life was short. During the Franco-Siamese crisis of 1893, French forces occupied Ko Si Chang, and the court abandoned the island. In 1900 one of the palace residences, the Munthatu Rattanaroj, was dismantled and rebuilt in Bangkok’s Dusit district as Vimanmek Mansion (closed to visitors since 2016). The remaining buildings later passed through several users, and the site was restored and opened as a museum in 2004.