Phra Nakhon Khiri National Park

Just west of Petchburi's city center is a three peaked hill locally called Khao Wang, which translates to "Palace Hill". In the 1850s, King Rama IV (Mongkut) commissioned a summer palace to be built on the northern-most peak. Before he became king, Mongkut spent many years as a monk. During that time, he had spent many nights in the temple at the base of Khao Wang, Wat Maha Samanaram.

The structures on the hills essentially comprise three groups: the palace complex on the northern-most peak, the Chomphet pagoda, and Wat Phra Kaeo Noi temple. There are several paths up to the hilltops, but you'll most likely use one of two routes: The easy way is to take the cable car on the western side of the hill. The car will take you to just below the palace complex. The cable car costs 40 Baht for adults, in addition to the park entrance fee.

The main alternative to the cable car is to walk up the wide pathway starting from the base of the hill on the east side, next to Wat Maha Samanaram. The walk is not difficult and there are several structures of the palace to stop and see along the way.

All of the buildings of the palace and its temples sit in the midst of a forest of frangipani trees that covers the entire hill. Making their home in the forest as well as the palace complex are several troupes of monkeys, pig-tailed macaques to be exact. Although not as aggressive as those at Lopburi, the monkeys can still be a nuisance. You need to be careful with your belongings.

The palace buildings are open daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission to the palace museum is 150 Baht.

In this section

Chomphet Pagoda

The Chomphet Pagoda (Phra That Chomphet) stands on its own on the central peak of the ridge of Khao Wang. The elegantly slender spire was built around the same time as the palace complex, but it reportedly was built over an older shrine. However, there's no information about that shrine. Chomphet pagoda, as seen from the palace complex. The pagoda sits on the highest of the three peaks, so you get excellent view from it of both the palace complex as well as Wat Phra Kaeo Noi.

Phra Nakhon Khiri Palace

The upper-most buildings of the palace complex, as seen from the Chom Phet Pagoda. The circular structure immediately behind the flag is the observatory. The palace built by King Mongkut was given the name Phra Nakhon Khiri, which means "celestial city on a hill". It was significantly expanded in the reign of his successor, King Chulalongkorn. The palace buildings are arranged along a meandering path up the hill towards the main buildings, which essentially comprise the inner court where only the King and his consorts were allowed.

Wat Phra Kaeo Noi

On the easternmost of Khao Wang's three peaks, King Mongkut had a small temple built, which he called Wat Phra Kaeo Noi, or “Little Temple of the Emerald Buddha”. In theory, it's a smaller version of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok's Grand Palace, but you would be hard pressed to see the resemblance. Wat Phra Kaeo Noi, as seen from the Chomphet Pagoda The structures of the temple are laid out in a north-south line.