Aside from a religious ceremony in the morning, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will preside over the evening function when she is to pay respects to the prince, one of the sons of King Rama V, and enjoy the activities.

All the events are designed to bring back the old days when the palace was a peaceful residence of Prince Paribatra, the grandfather of two former central bankers - MR Chatu Mongol Sonakul and MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, whose former office is located in the same premises.

In a tribute to Prince Paribatra in June, the Bank of Thailand turned the "porcelain room" on the second floor of the main building into the prince's room.

A wax statue of the prince was completed, donned in the dress of an admiral, as instructed by HH Princess Induratana, the only one of his 10 children who is still alive. It is located in the centre of the room, where his hand-written letters from Bandung were exhibited alongside with musical instruments, plus multimedia presentations to tell the prince's life story.

In the old days, the palace was famous for originating new things, particularly music and food. It also housed an orchid house, a theatre and a mini golf course. It was said music never stopped at Wang Bang Khunphrom.

Prince Paribatra himself composed a number of western songs - marching songs and waltzes - some of which still can be heard today. In the old days, there was a traditional Thai music band which created a number of songs.

Overlooking the Chao Phya River and the Rama VIII Bridge, the site has two main buildings which boast the beauty of baroque and rococo architecture. Completed in 1906, after the prince finished his military school in Germany and returned to the Kingdom, the palace was his residence for 28 years.

After the political reform in 1932, Prince Paribatra moved to the Ananta Samakhom Palace and next to Bandung, Indonesia, where he stayed until the last days of his life. Then, the palace was the office of several state agencies, until the Bank of Thailand took over it in 1961 and renovations started.

"Several changes have been made to the buildings as they were extensively used after the reform. When the Bank of Thailand took possession of this place it was in a run-down condition. The buildings were extended in some parts and some parts were modified," said Boonlert Trakulkajornsak, chief of the Bank of Thailand's second architecture unit.

The palace underwent massive renovations in 1989, when the Bank of Thailand's offices were moved to the new building nearby. The renovation required a preliminary cost of Bt46 million, excluding decorations. Chandeliers, new paintings, and new furniture were brought in. It was a time when beautiful frescos were discovered and are today held as one of the main attractions of the palace, which has been turned into a museum.

Yet, due to limited resources, the museum - dedicated to be one of Thailand's best places for currency information - is open to groups of no more than 10 visitors.

The good news is that, after the celebration today, the Bank of Thailand Museum may consider opening it to the public, so all can enjoy the beauty of one of Thailand's old palaces.

 Achara Deboonme

 The Nation