Phaya Thai Palace is a romantic cluster of early-twentieth-century royal buildings just south of Victory Monument, originally built as a country retreat for Rama V and later embellished by Rama VI with a fanciful Gothic-Romanesque throne hall and a Roman-style garden theatre.
Now standing within the grounds of Phramongkutklao Hospital, the palace is lovingly maintained by a volunteer association that runs guided tours, and a cafe in one of the old halls is a local favourite. It is an offbeat, atmospheric stop, far from the tour-bus circuit, that rewards anyone curious about Bangkok's brief flirtation with European court style.