Phuping Palace the royal winter residence in the mountains

Enjoyed a nice day walking around the Palace gardens. Phuping Palace is beautiful, regal structures and extravagantly landscaped gardens for visitors to take in. Thai royal family is not in residence but the garden is still fresh and decorated with flowers. There are roses and a variety of bird.

Along the road from the city to Doi Suthep-Pui National Park there are a plenty of tourist attractions. One of Chiang Mai’s most famous landmarks, Wat Prathat Doi Suthep is one of them, which most tourists take in on their visit here. Only four kilometers from Doi Suthep temple, is one of the King’s palaces that unfortunately many tourists are unaware of. Most people would imagine the King’s palace to be huge and luxuriously decorated, but Phuping Palace is different. Each building has been built in different styles yet all are simple, harmonizing with the surrounding natural environment.

The Phuping Palace is located on Doi Buak Ha, about 4 km behind Doi Suthep (22 km from the center of Chiang Mai city) in Chiang Mai Province. Phuping Palace is the Royal family’s winter residence during seasonal visits to the people in the North of Thailand and is also used as a royal guesthouse for state visitors from abroad. As Bhubing Palace was built only in 1961, before then state visitors could reside only in Bangkok. The construction was initially made up of the royal residence building and the guesthouse; other buildings were additionally built on at later dates.

Phuping Palace is well known for its roses. Suan Suwaree is a rose garden where 274 kinds of roses from around the world can be found.  Spent around an hour walking around the grounds and gardens of this palace. Although the very well maintained gardens are worth a visit year round as different flowers bloom in each season, they are at their best during the winter months when many colorful flowers are in bloom. During the monsoon season the mountain can be covered in clouds, which is an excellent time for the Palace orchids.

There are many gardens here and if you don’t like walking, take one of the golf carts.

There are 3 log cabins build from eucalyptus wood. Bhubing Royal Palace was built in the northern Thai architectural style called “Ruen Mu,” or group of houses. The building sits on stilts. The upper floor is the royal residential area, and the ground floor houses the royal entourage. The building master plan was designed by Prince Samaichalerm Kridagara, an architect from the Fine Arts Department. The construction of the palace was undertaken by the Bureau of the Crown Property, under the supervision of Prince Samaichalerm Kridagara. It took five months to complete. The first royal visitors to stay at this palace were King Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark on their visit to Thailand in January 1962.

Another highlight of the palace is the vast water reservoir that holds water for the entire palace’s use, and where the musical fountain show called “The Fountain of Celestial Water of People” is held; a nice spot for sitting, relaxing, and appreciating the view of the colourful flower garden. Providing a scenic backdrop to the log cabins, the fountains and water reservoir are as practical as they are attractive and provide the water used in the palace grounds.

Open Time : Phuping Palace is daily open from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. The ticket office opens from 8.30 to 11.30 am and 1.00 to 3.30 pm.  The palace is, however, closed from January to the beginning of March because it serves as the royal residence during that time.

Entrance Ticket : Admission is 50 Baht per person. Please follow the Palace dress code: long pants or skirts, no bare shoulders.

For elderly visitors or wheelchair users, golf carts are available for 300 baht per car, which can access most of the grounds.

How to get to Phuping Palace ?

The travel to the palace is easy because it is the same way to Doi Suthep, a renowned mountain, which is about 5 km from Chiang Mai. You can take a red pick-up passing in front of Chiang Mai Zoo. You can also stop over to pay homage to Khru Ba Si Wichai Monument. Khru Ba Si Wichai is the one who constructed Phra That Doi Sutheip Temple. The red pick-up services are provided to lead to Doi Suthep Temple, Phuping Palace and Meo Hilltribe Village. The distance from Chiangmai Zoo to Bhubing Rajanives Palace is about 17 km.

======== Related Posts ========