SCHONBRUNN Palace a few subway stations from downtown Vienna, Bao Dai’s holiday home in the Vietnamese highlands near Dalat, the comical Disney-esque structure a short hike from the Portuguese hamlet of Sintra.
I’ve seen a few summer palaces in my time, and now I can add another extravagant compound to that list after visiting the Thai royal family’s historic place on the beach between Hua Hin and Cham-am a couple of hour’s drive south from Bangkok.
Mardekatayawan Palace was built by His Majesty King Vajiravudh – or Rama VI, as his mates knew him – in 1923 as a place to escape the hustle and bustle of the Siamese capital for a little rest and relaxation.
The Thai royals have since found new digs in Hua Hin and the grand estate, which is made up of a series of elevated pavilions connected by covered walkways, is open to tourists with domestic holiday makers flocking to explore the impressive complex.
Rama VI designed the complex to make the most of the beachside location, with the rooms left open so the internal living spaces could be cooled by the sea breezes.
I visited on a brutally hot April day – the fourth month of the year is considered to be the hottest in Thailand, with temperatures hovering around 40C and humidity sitting just below 100 per cent – and it was impressive how much cooler the King’s suite actually was.
When I stood in the doorways of his quarters I was immediately cooled by the gentle wind wafting through the structure, and when I ventured behind a wall the perspiration immediately began to roll.
Rama VI’s pavilion consisted of a bathroom with an enormous tub the King could have done laps in, a dressing room where his royal robes were laid out at the start of every day, a bedroom with a canopy bed right in the centre of the space, and a study featuring a desk placed under another canopy in front of a bay window.
Mardekatayawan Palace, which is known as “the palace of love and hope”, is made up of three main pavilions with the central one allocated to the King and the structures on each side built for senior members of the royal family and trusted staffers.
The long open corridors connected each of these accommodations, with small landings providing extra places to relax, and steps touched the ground in a number of locations to let staff ascend and the royals climb down to the gardens and sand.
Visiting on such a steamy day made me think about the King’s sister and how she coped with returning to Hua Hin after residing in the United Kingdom for 20 years where she went to school and sought help for some health issues.
The complex, which is said to be the longest golden teak palace in the world, has been completely restored and now the number of people allowed to climb the stairs to the royal rooms is controlled to take the pressure off the ancient structure.
Hua Hin, which is just 200km from Bangkok on the north-eastern side of the Gulf of Siam, is still a favourite with the royal family who have a residence up the road from Mardekatayawan where they retreat to recover from battling the politicians and military in the capital.
It’s also a favourite with Thai holiday makers who make the journey to the seaside when they can string a few vacation days together to swim in the salt, eat huge plates of seafood accompanied by locally-brewed beer, and browse the stalls of the various day and night markets.
It’s also becoming an emerging destination for internationally travellers who are discovering the collection of delightful resorts that dot the coastline.