The summer palace of the kings of Thailand, about 40 miles north of Bangkok along the banks of the Chaopraya River. The buildings are laid out alongside a lovely pond, lined with formal plantings. The original palace was built by King Prasat Thong in 1632 when Thonburi was still the capital of Thailand. The buildings fell into disuse for a long period, but were revived by Rama IV in the 19th century. Most of the buildings as they stand today were created by his successor, Rama V, who also expanded the area into the magnificent sprawling Versaillesque gardens in the late 19th century.