French Ambassador’s Residence, Bangkok
The French Embassy is located in the Bang Rak district of Bangkok, on the banks of the Chao Phraya River and in the grounds of the embassy is the residence of the French ambassador, Gérard Araud. Usually, I only get a glimpse of this charming colonial-style building from the river as the boat surges on by but once a year, in September, the ambassador open his doors to the public as part of the European Heritage Days initiative. This initiative was started in 1984 so everyone could enjoy free visits to various sites in order to appreciate and learn about cultural heritage. It also raises awareness of citizens to the richness and cultural diversity of Europe, in particular.
The house was built around 1830, and in 1856 it was rented by the customs department to the French trading mission, before being awarded to France by King Rama V in 1875.
There are guided tours available in different languages but the number of people is limited. However, you are free to wander through the house and grounds between 10.00am and 4.00pm. The tour includes lunch which you can enjoy in a seating area on the ground floor of the house.
On the day I visited, I just missed a tour and I didn’t want to hang around waiting for the next one, although the lady told me I could go back and join the next one, but I was happy just to mooch around on my own.
So, let’s see what’s inside.
The reception room
The living room with a few of the ambassador’s collectibles
The dining room
Another dining room
The book collection
My favourite, some old photos and newspaper clippings of meetings between two nations
For relaxing
This garden is amazing and I can just imagine sitting by the river with a glass of wine. I wonder if the ambassador does that? 😉
Fantastic river views
Places like this in Bangkok just amaze me. I hope you enjoyed the tour 🙂
Guided tours:
French: 10.30am, 11.30am, 2.00pm, 3.00pm
Thai: 10.40am, 11.40am, 2.10pm, 3.10pm
English: 10.50am, 11.50am, 2.20pm, 3.20pm
Address: Rue De Brest, 35 Charoen Krung Road, Soi 36, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500
12 Replies to “French Ambassador’s Residence, Bangkok”
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing
Thank you so much! 🙂 Have a great day ahead
You are welcome. Thanks❤
🙂
How exciting to glimpse and wander around the building … and thank you for bringing us along ! Your photos are lovely and I’m enchanted by the gardens!
Thank you so much Annika for your lovely comments. I love exploring my city 🙂 x
Such a cute building, a piece of France 🙂 Everything is so simple but elegant. The garden is a treasure indeed.
Beautiful selfies, you sure had a great time. Wishing you a Happy New Year and safe travels!
I was glad I went to this as I missed out the year before on the one day a year it’s open to the public. It’s a lovely building with a fab garden and river views . Happy New year to you too xx
Hope the year is kind to us all xxxx
Let’s hope so and remain positive and happy xx
Always 🙂
🙂 xx