Phra Thinang Dusit Sawan Thanya Mahaprasat

Phra Thinang Dusit Sawan Thanya Mahaprasat should be built at the same time as Phra Narai Rachaniwet was built, due to its role as a throne hall of the palace for receiving audiences. Testimony of the Inhabitants of the Old Capital (Khamhaikan Chao Krung Kao) says that King Narai had been on a throne for 10 years, after which he ordered a construction of his new palace in Lopburi in 1666.

The site was listed and declared an ancient monument in the Government Gazette no. 53, part 24, on 2 August 1936.

Phra Narai Ratchaniwet had been restored several times. One as such was occurred during 2009-2010 by the Burana Thai co., ltd to restore the exterior of fortified wall on the west and the Gates 1 and 2.

The company continued their project on the fortification on the west, south, east and north (interior), and the interior walls including gateways and fortresses at the cardinal points as well as an archaeological fieldwork.

This throne hall was oriented toward the east. Its main building material is brick and is covered with plaster. The space of the room was divided into 2 sections.

The front part of the hall is a rectangular room lined with pointed arch windows along the walls of three sides: east, north and south. Its full pediment roof which is now destroyed would likely made of wooden structure and tiles.

The second section occupies a space at the back of the hall. It is a two-storied room of which the wooden floor was all destroyed, only rows of pilaster and a large pedestal in the middle remains. A window on the east wall of the upper floor was where King Narai received audiences beside which there was an exit leading down to the front hall. The roof of this section was plausibly adorned with prasat-typed spire.

1. Phra Thinang Dusit Sawan Thanya Mahaprasat is one of the most intact throne halls of the late Ayutthaya period. As its constructing date in the reign of King Narai was well documented, this throne hall can serve as a key architecture to be compared to other throne halls. For example, the throne hall is divided into 2 sections. The frontal section functions as a receiving room for officials and the back room with raised floor supporting a throne is a space for the inner circle of the royal court.

2. This throne hall displays a hybrid style of the traditional Thai and western style. The traditional Thai style can be seen at windows’ pediment (ban thalaeng) and Ayutthayan lion-legged pedestal. However, several windows are pointed arch by which bricks were placed vertically. This constructing technique was deployed from either the West or Persia. Hybridity in architecture was a characteristic of King Narai’s architecture.

รายงานการดำเนินงานบูรณะ (ระยะที่ 1) พระนารายณ์ราชนิเวศน์ ตำบลท่าหิน อำเภอเมือง จังหวัดลพบุรี. ลพบุรี: สำนักศิลปากรที่ 4 ลพบุรี กรมศิลปากร, 2552.

ศิลปากร, กรม. ทะเบียนโบราณสถาน. กรุงเทพฯ : กรมศิลปากร, 2532.

ศิลปากร, กรม. พระนารายณ์ราชนิเวศน์. กรุงเทพฯ : กรมศิลปากร, 2531.

สันต์ ท. โกมลบุตร. จดหมายเหตุการณ์เดินทางครั้งที่ 2 ของบาทหลวงตาชาร์ด. กรุงเทพฯ : กรมศิลปากร, 2519.