Central Thailand / Ayutthaya / Chandra Kasem Palace

Chandra Kasem Palace was built during the reign of King Maha Tammaraja, the 17th Ayutthayan monarch, as residence for his son, Prince Naresuan. While Maha Tammaraja was installed as king by the Burmese only after aiding them to invade Ayutthaya in 1569, King Naresuan not only re-established the independence of Siam but also conquered an area considerably larger than the territory of present day Thailand, encompassing today's Laos and Cambodia as well as parts of what is now Burma and Malaysia. Like other ruins, the palace was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767 and left unrestored for a long time. King Mongkut (Rama IV, reigned 1851-1868) of the present Chakri Dynasty ordered the reconstruction of this palace and used it as a residence during his occasional visits to Ayutthaya.

Today, the palace is a museum, open every day except Monday and Tuesday from 9:00 to 16:00.