Phra Nakhon Khiri Palace, Phetchaburi, Thailand

I could feel that I was in a palace complex just by looking at the souvenir shops and the cable car lobby. On my, let me count, the third trip to Thailand (and which was not the last) I visited the Phra Nakhon Khiri Palace in Phetchaburi. The palace was the last stop on this trip.

As I walked past the souvenir shops, we went through long corridors at the end of which we could find clean washrooms. Finding clean washrooms has never been a problem in Thailand for me.

The cable car lobby certainly befitted a palatial complex. I can’t remember when I had seen such a beauty while waiting for a cable car!

The cable car was huge, I am sure it can easily seat 15 to 20 people. The tip is to take the first row in the front so that you can click the view of the Phetchaburi city as you go up. If you miss out on the front row while going up, after looking at the view from back seats, you will surely jostle for the front seats, as I did on my trip back!

This was the view of the city from the cable car! I still remember that the day was very hot even though it looks pleasant with a mild cloud over. The ticket to the cable car and the palace cost 200 Baht.

This is the far away glimpse of the Phra Nakhon Khiri Palace Complex. The palace was built by King Rama IV and it was completed in 1859. It is on a hilltop at 92 meters of elevation.

As we were later catching our flight to India, we were in a hurry to cover this attraction. We could only devote time to the national museum.

As we climbed the steps, we saw a few monkeys. The complex had a notice board giving a stern warning to the visitors to stay away from the monkeys.

The main complex of the palace is now a museum but photography is not allowed within the premises. The architecture of the palace is a mix of European, Chinese and Thai influences.

The palace complex also offers a very beautiful view of the city. The spaces were so beautiful that I would be often left behind photographing something or the other.

While everyone else was getting down, I ran across to click this grand looking observatory. I had no time to linger around or I would have been truly left behind this time!

If you are near Hua Hin you could make a stop at Phetchaburi which is at a distance of 70 km and visit the Phra Nakhon Khiri Palace.

PS. My trip to Thailand was sponsored by TAT New Delhi