Hundreds of Thai and foreign visitors made time to visit the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall where they appreciated the beauty of the architecture and the Thai art inside before the building closed Sunday for renovation.
Most were visiting for the first time. On Saturday, they flocked for a last chance to see the Italian Renaissance and Neo-Classical style building.
Chongkonnee Thorsuwan came with her friends at 10am and managed to get inside at 2pm. They stayed until officials asked them to leave at 4pm.
"It's worth the time, the paintings and the magnificent throne hall and the exhibition," she said.
Kriangsup Sangkassanee, a 42-year-old engineer, came with his father, 76, and mother, 65, and two sisters at 11.40am. They were able to enter the throne hall just after 2pm.
"The throne hall is so beautiful. I have never seen it before. I am proud that we have such a beautiful throne hall in Thailand," he said.
The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, the work of Italian architects and artists, was originally built to be a reception hall for Dusit Palace built since the reign of King Chulalongkorn from 1907 to 1915.
Marble was imported from Carrara, Italy. The dome and wall paintings depicted the history of the Chakri Dynasty until King Rama VI's reign.
After a change in the political system, the first National Assembly on June 28, 1932 took place in this throne hall. It was also used as the Parliament House until 1974. It was later the venue for the opening of first assembly of parliamentarians after each general election.
The latest royal ceremony held at the throne hall was the promulgation of the 2017 constitution signed by His Majesty the King on April 6.
It has also been open to the public and the venue for the Art of the Kingdom Museum exhibition of the Queen Sirikit Institute which showcases preserved delicate Thai arts and crafts.
The current exhibition museum will be displayed temporarily at the Support Centre, Koh Kerd, Ayutthaya province from February next year.
Kritcharoen Woranutkullaya, a government official, said it was her first time visiting the throne hall.
"The 150 baht entrance fee is quite high, but it's worth it," she said adding that seeing the place where the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej held a public audience was one of the highlights.
The late King on June 9, 2006, accompanied by the queen and the royal family, appeared on the balcony on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his ascension to the throne, while tens of thousands of people wearing yellow shirts were waiting at the Royal Plaza in front of the throne hall to greet him. This is also the venue for the royal reception of the monarchs from 25 countries on the same occasion.
Businessman Nattaphon Paorik, 44, came from Nakhon Pathom with his family. He said he was impressed with everything inside, especially the paintings and the exhibited items.
His wife Puticha Rodhongthong said, "When I prostrated myself before the royal 9-tier umbrella, I thought of King Bhumibol. I felt as if I was saying goodbye to him," she said.
Although the royal 9-tier umbrella shown inside the throne hall was before King Chulalongkorn's emblem, a 9-tier umbrella is regarded as the most sacred and ancient of the royal regalia of Thailand only used for the king.
Nong Nine, the couple's eight-year-old son, said he was impressed with the golden models of the royal barges.
Chen Jiaying, a student from China studying at Bangkok University, said she and her friends came to visit the throne hall because of its reputation as a tourist spot.
They had also heard the exhibition inside would move to Ayutthaya instead so they wanted to see it before it left Bangkok.
"The embroidered screen is so big and so beautiful. It was worth the attempt to come and see," she said in Thai language.
The embroidered screen is one of the works using ancient Thai embroidering techniques with the finest silk. Overlapping stitches create dimensions for the pictures.
Her friend Zang Xingping said: "There are a lot of art works inside. I've never seen anything like this."
Prapawan Chaisawangwong said she arrived a little after 2pm, but the queue had already closed. Disappointed, she and her friend stayed until 5pm just to appreciate the beauty of the compound.
Thadchon Khamdang, 25, said that as a Thai, she did not want to waste an opportunity to look inside the throne hall.
"We don't know for how long the closure will be or if we will ever have a chance to see inside again," she said.
"I am very impressed and asked myself why I did not come earlier," she said.