Mrigadayavan Palace or Marukhathaiyawan Palace is a magnificent all teak wood palace built in 1923 as a summer palace for Rama VI on Bang Kra beach near Cha-Am in Phetchaburi province.
Mrigadayavan Palace is open: Every Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun
From: 8.30am - 4.30pm
Admmission: 30 Baht Adults, 15 Baht Children.
Clothing covering the shoulders and knee's must be worn.
Visiting Mrigadayavan Palace
Mrigadayavan Palace (Marukhathaiyawan Palace on the road signs) is located in amphur Cha-Am but is only about 12km north of Hua Hin town in-between Hua Hin and Cha-Am. The Palace is inside of the grounds of the Rama VI Border Police Camp. 
People driving vehicles into the camp will have to leave a form of identification such as an ID card or a drivers license with the camp guards.
The Palace is open to visitors every day except Wednesdays including public holidays from 8.30am to 4.30pm. Admission into Mrigadayavan Palace grounds costs 30 Baht for adults and 15 Baht for children. There are dress restrictions for entering the palace. Visitors are not permitted to wear short shorts, short skirts and must have shoulders covered. Sarongs and T-shirts are available to borrow. No shoes are allowed to be worn inside Mrigadayavan Palace building (wearing shoes in the Palace grounds is ok). When entering the Palace building there are bags you are able to put your shoes in and carry about with you.
Only 20 people are allowed up into the Palace building every 10 minutes. Admission tickets now have a time stamp when you are allowed up. The Palace was not built with so many visitors in mind and too many people up at the same time puts too much strain on the structure.
Mrigadayavan Palace History
Mrigadayavan Palace was built by King Vajiravudh Rama VI as holiday home and is known as the 'Palace of Love and Hope'. King Vajiravudh himself drafted the original style and design of Mrigadayavan palace and Italian architect Ercole Manfredi drew the final plans. Construction of the palace begun in 1923 and took 1 year to complete. The King visited Mrigadayavan Palace just twice the first time in April 1924 and stayed for 3 months. His second and final visit was in April 1925 when he stayed for just over one month. King Vajiravudh Rama VI died the same year in November 1925.
Mrigadayavan Palace was never again lived in, was left empty and fell into great disrepair. The new King Prajadhipok Rama VII was to have a new palace built in what is now Hua Hin in 1927 called 'Wang Klai Kang Won' (Palace Far From Worries').
In 1965 the current King Rama IX gave the land surrounding the Mrigadayavan Palace to the Thailand Royal Border Patrol Police for special combat training. This training compound is called the Rama VI Border Police Training Camp.
In 1981 the Thailand Fine Arts Department made an area of more than 31Rai (5100sqm) including the Mrigadayavan Palace into a National Historic Site. Funds for the start of the restoration was secured in 1983 and the restoration of the palace began in 1987 when it was also first available to be visited by the public. Progress of the restoration of Mrigadayavan Palace was slow. Over the years a new part of the Palace was restored and finally completed in 1993.
A second restoration of the Palace was started in 2004 and completed in 2008 costing 120 million Baht leaving Mrigadayavan Palace as the marvellous spectacle it is now.
