Royal Carriages and Paraphenalia

This exhibit is closed and no longer open to the public. There seems to be no plans to re-open it.

One of the royal landaus.

 
In a U-shaped open-fronted row of buildings around the Suan Hong residence are displayed many examples of court conveyances, both European in style as well as traditional.

Some royal palanquins for the ladies of the court.

The northern wing displays western style coaches, most of which were in fact built in London and shipped to Thailand. The west wing displays more ordinary coaches, wagons and dog-carts, most of which were built in Thailand.

The sourthern wing is devoted to traditional ceremonial carriages and palanquins. The ornate golden-roofed palanquins were for ladies of the court. One of the small carriages is referred to as the "royal fire-keeper." Its sole purpose was to carry the torch used by the royal family for cremation ceremonies of kings, queens or the supreme patriarch.