via Thai PBS, 10 July 2023: Suan Sunandha Palace, once the residence of female royals and ladies of the court, now serves as a university and features a museum showcasing the history, art, and culinary skills of the palace’s former occupants.
With the grand palace becoming overcrowded during the final years of King Chulalongkorn’s reign, the monarch created a garden outside the palace to serve as a place to relax and as a home for his consorts, daughters, and female courtiers after his death.
After the 1932 revolution, the palace was abandoned and the government put the buildings and grounds to other use. In 1937, it was turned into a school for girls, evolved into a teachers’ training college in 1975, and eventually became Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University.
Only a few of the 32 buildings that once formed part of Suan Sunandha Palace remain. The century-old Saisudha Nobbhadol Building, once the residence of Princess Saisavali Bhiromya, the royal consort of King Chulalongkorn, has become a museum.
