| TAMNAK PHANIAT |
| Text & photographs by Tricky Vandenberg - April 2009 Updated 2012, August 2014 |
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| Tamnak Phaniat is located off Ayutthaya's city island in the northern area in Suan Phrik sub-district at the Phaniat locality. The royal pavilion is situated north of Khlong Daeng and south of the Elephant Kraal. In the immediate vicinity stands two old rural Thai houses and the War Elephant Monument. Tamnak Phaniat is a two storey structure designed in a western architectural style and built in the Ratanakosin period (post 1782 AD). The brick building is “L” shaped (23.80 meters wide by 25.70 meters long) with a front balcony. The balcony, which can be reached by a series of broad stairs is pointing north. The building has a low basement, wooden floors and the roof was made of clay tiles. This pavilion was built in the reign of King Rama V (r. 1868-1910) to be the residence of Prince Krom Phraya Bamrab Porapak, the director of the Krom Phra Khochaban (ผู้กำกับกรมพระคชบาล) or Department of Elephants, when he was appointed to restore the area of Phaniat. The present pavilion was constructed on the old tamnak where Prince Thepphonphak (กรมหลวงเทพพลภักดิ์) (b.1785-d.1837) resided when designated to lead the restoration works at Phaniat in the reign of King Rama II (r. 1809- 1824) and to supervise the elephant round-ups at that time. The pavilion was abandoned after the last elephant round-up in the beginning of the 20th century and the structure dilapidated afterwards. In 1999 the Fine Arts Department was granted the sum of 7,65 Million Baht to restore the old structure. |
| (Tamnak Phaniat - View from the north) |
| (View from the south) |
| (View from the west) |
| (View from the east) |