Government House (Thailand)
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Government House ( th, ทำเนียบรัฐบาล; ) refers to the offices of the
Prime Minister of Thailand The prime minister of Thailand ( th, นายกรัฐมนตรี, , ; literally 'chief minister of state') is the head of government of Thailand. The prime minister is also the chair of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed si ...
and appointed cabinet ministers. It contains conference rooms and is used for state functions and receptions of foreign guests. It consists of several palace-like structures extending over .


History

King
Vajiravudh Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts ...
(Rama VI) commissioned the Italian architect
Annibale Rigotti Annibale Rigotti (30 October 1870 – 8 March 1968) was an Italian architect, teacher, designer and urban planner. Biography Born in Turin, he was educated in architecture at the Albertina Academy of Fine Arts and graduated in 1890. In 1893 he a ...
to design the main building in 1923, although construction would remain incomplete as Rigotti returned to Italy after the king's death in 1925. The house was originally called ''Baan Norasingha'' ( th, บ้านนรสิงห์). Initially intended as a family residence for one of the king's favorite generals, General Chao Phraya Ram Rakop, the building became the prime minister's office in 1941. Prime Minister
Plaek Phibunsongkhram Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram ( th, แปลก พิบูลสงคราม ; alternatively transcribed as ''Pibulsongkram'' or ''Pibulsonggram''; 14 July 1897 – 11 June 1964), locally known as Marshal P. ( th, จอมพล ...
then assigned Italian sculptor and artist
Corrado Feroci Silpa Bhirasri ( th, ศิลป์ พีระศรี; ; ), born Corrado Feroci (15 September 1892 – 14 May 1962), was a Tuscan-born Thai sculptor. He is considered the father of modern art in Thailand and was instrumental in the foundi ...
to complete construction (also working on the building at this point was the architect
Ercole Manfredi Ercole Pietro Manfredi (2 July 1883 – 9 June 1973) was an Italian architect who lived and worked in early twentieth-century Siam (now Thailand). Born in Turin, Italy, he attended the Albertina Academy of Fine Arts before travelling to Bangkok, ...
). The main building is crowned with a golden dome housing a statue of
Phra Phrom Phra Phrom ( th, พระพรหม; from Sanskrit: ''Brahmā'', ब्रह्मा) is the Thai representation of the Hindu creator god Brahma. In modern Thailand, Phra Phrom is often worshipped outside of Hindu contexts by regular Buddh ...
and its façade resembles that of the Ca' d'Oro Palazzo in
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
. During the
2008 Thai political crisis 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
, People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters besieged Government House. After a court order, they had to move, but then attempted to block the government house once more and succeeded. The cabinet temporarily moved to Don Mueang International Airport. The protesters then besieged Don Mueang International Airport soon after that, giving the cabinet no place to work. On 1 December 2008, after protesting for three months, the protesters left Government House as there were constant attacks. Government House was again besieged in December 2013 during the
2013–2014 Thai political crisis The 2013–2014 Thai political crisis was a period of political instability in Thailand. Anti-government protests took place between November 2013 and May 2014, organised by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), a political pressur ...
.


Thai-Khu-Fah Building

The Thai-Khu-Fah Building ( th, ตึกไทยคู่ฟ้า) is an important building on the Government House grounds. The building is home to the Cabinet of Thailand and the Office of the Prime Minister. The prime minister does not live in this building. The
Phitsanulok Mansion Phitsanulok Mansion ( th, บ้านพิษณุโลก) or formerly known Banthomsinth House ( th, บ้านบรรทมสินธุ์ lit: ''House of the Sleeping Narayana'') is the official residence of the Prime Minister of ...
nearby is the official residence of the prime minister. The building has two floors with a neo- Venetian Gothic architecture combined with Byzantine art and one staircase. On the roof there is a small shrine to
Phra Phrom Phra Phrom ( th, พระพรหม; from Sanskrit: ''Brahmā'', ब्रह्मा) is the Thai representation of the Hindu creator god Brahma. In modern Thailand, Phra Phrom is often worshipped outside of Hindu contexts by regular Buddh ...
. Downstairs are three lounges. The first is the Golden Dome Room on the south side of the building for the prime minister's guests. The second is the Ivory Room which is in front of the Golden Dome Room and adjacent to the right, which is a lounge for official visitors of the prime minister. The third is the Purple Room, which is on the ground floor to the right-hand side of the building. This is a lounge for the visitors of the deputy prime minister and other cabinet ministers. The building has a small conference room for the Board of Committees, chaired by the prime minister. The upper floor of the building houses the prime minister's office, the offices of political officers, and the old cabinet conference room.


Gallery

File:Government House of Thailand.JPG, The front of Government House of Thailand File:Children's Day at Government House of Thailand by Trisorn Triboon 24.jpg, Thai-Khu-Fah building File:ทำเนียบรัฐบาลลอดรั้วหนาม.jpg, Thai-Khu-Fah building and Santi Maitree building File:APEC2003.jpg, APEC 2003, Government House File:2009 Prince Mahidol Award Recipients.jpg, Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva (right) with guests in the Ivory Room File:นายกรัฐมนตรี และคณะ ณ ตึกไทยคู่ฟ้า ทำเนียบรัฐบาล 28 มกราคม 2553 (The Offici - Flickr - Abhisit Vejjajiva (1).jpg, Entrance, Government House File:Barack Obama at Government House in Bangkok.jpg, US President Barack Obama, Government House File:President Obama and Thai Prime Minister Shinawatra Hold a Joint Press Conference (8197040542).jpg, Press Conference Room


References

{{Authority control Government buildings in Bangkok Unregistered ancient monuments in Bangkok Buildings and structures in Bangkok Government buildings completed in 1925