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A day excursion to King Rama VI's newly restored summer palace gives an
elite group of True Corporation clients some wonderful memories to cherish.
As part of its new privileged-customer affinity programme, True Sphere, True
Corporation Plc recently took a select group of corporate customers on an
exclusive jaunt to Hua
Hin. The programme, aptly called ``Once Upon a Time in Hua Hin'', was a
virtual trip through time, starting with a journey on the magnificent
Eastern & Oriental Express from Hua Lamphong.
As the train chugged its way out of the city, passengers were able to
lounge in their well-appointed cabins reflecting on how, back in the early
20th century, the railway was the only form of mass transport to Hua Hin,
before they tucked into a four-course meal.
After lunch, everyone gathered in the bar for a special lecture on Hua
Hin's Mrigadayavan Palace and some classic Thai music. There could hardly
have been better guides to the two subjects: Thanpuying Putrie Viravaidya,
deputy principal private secretary to His Majesty the King, and composer Dnu
Huntrakul, respectively.
Acharn Dnu's selection of Thai classics _ the theme being the literary
compositions of
King
Vajiravudh (Rama VI), who penned most of his thousand-plus works at this
beautiful palace by the sea _ was accompanied by vocalisation from ML
Kwanthip Devakul, with Acharn Dnu himself joining in a duet, to the surprise
and delight of his audience.
All too soon, the train arrived at the familiar landmark of the
Thai-style pavilion in Hua Hin railway station. From there, it was a short
coach ride to the Sofitel Central Hua Hin which, in its former incarnation
as the colonial-style Railway Hotel, dates back to 1922.
After a brief rest and change of attire, guests were taken to
Mrigadayavan Palace, the former summer retreat of King Vajiravudh. Built in
1921, it comprises a cluster of bungalows made of golden teak and set atop
1,080 concrete pillars (each with individual moats to prevent ants from
annoying the royal residents) with interconnecting covered walkways. The
king came up with the initial design himself and, by royal command, an
Italian architect from the Civil Works Department, Ercole Manfredi, was put
in charge of finalising the blueprints, with Chao Phya Yommaraj (Pan Sukhum)
supervising the actual construction.
Newly renovated, radiant in a fresh coat of paint illuminated by
spotlights, the palace is currently hosting celebrations for the centenary
of the birth of Phra Nang Chao Suvadhana, mother of King Vajiravudh's only
child, HRH Princess Bejraratana Rajasuda.
The tour of the palace was enlivened by Thanpuying Putrie who filled
guests in on the history of the palace and regaled them with tidbits about
everyday life in the royal household during the Sixth Reign and the various
court intrigues. It was almost as if the palace had come back to life. One
could almost visualise the king, casually decked out in muslin shirt and
silk pants, seated on floor cushions as he enjoyed lunch, feeding occasional
morsels of food to his pet dogs or having his hands washed by a
lady-in-waiting; or, dressed Western-style in formal tuxedo, kissing his
queen on the cheek before escorting her in to dinner.
The tour ended at the Bathing Pavilion in the Inner Court, where guests
walked across the lawn to a beautifully set up buffet which looked almost
surreal against the backdrop of the blue and yellow palace. The whole
programme had been effectively choreographed and discreetly stage-managed by
Buranee Rachjaibun of Ovation Studio.
Rounding off the evening was an intimate concert in the main hall. Open
to the sea breezes, this was the venue for many a similar musical or
theatrical soiree, activities the king himself enjoyed and even took part
in.
The Mai Thai Ensemble, with Acharn Dnu as music director, performed a
selection of Western classical and Thai music, the choice inspired by
references to King Vajiravudh. Schubert's Marche Militaire (Opus 50, No. 1)
speaks about the sweetness of the uniform, a feeling which is also evoked by
photographs of the king resplendent in his military attire. Prokofiev's The
Montagues and the Capulets, from the ballet Romeo and Juliet, was another
suitable pick, given the monarch's passion for theatre and the fact that
William Shakespeare was one of his favourite playwrights.
Sir Edward Elgar's Salut d'Amour deals with the subject of love, the same
theme celebrated in King Vajiravudh's best-known literary work, Madanabadha.
The reading which followed of excerpts from the same verse drama proved
equally diverting. It was performed in the upper balcony, first in a
traditional Thai poetry-reading style by ML Kwanthip Devakul (who also took
on the role of emcee for the day's proceedings) followed by a dramatic
monologue delivered by Vradda Leeaphorn.
The concert ended with two more numbers: first, Mozart's Concerto in C
Major for Harp, Flute and Orchestra (first movement), which brought to mind
Prince Chudadhuj Dharadilok, a brother of King Vajiravudh's, whose Chudadhuj
Harp is now a historic legacy treasured by the Tamnak Prathom Harp Centre.
Kaek Mon Bang Kunprom by Prince Paribatra of Nagor Svarga, another of the
king's half-brothers, provided a Thai finale to the evening though, as an
encore, the audience seemed delighted by a rendition of Acharn Dnu's
well-known composition, Cheepajorn Long Thao (Restless Feet).
Before leaving the palace, each guest was presented with a red rose and a
white rose, colours which, in the days of King Vajiravudh, Thanpuying Putrie
informed us, symbolised courage and compassion, respectively. A perfect gift
to accompany the wonderful memory of a perfect day.
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