Kham Yat palace

Kham Yat palace is a ruin of a royal residence in Pho Thong, Thailand, with brick and mortar walls displaying traditional Thai architectural forms. The remaining structures provide a sense of how the complex was originally arranged.

A king of the Ayutthaya period built this palace as a hunting lodge for retreat in this region. Later the building served as residence for another royal person who lived there as a monk.

The palace name reflects its role as a royal retreat in this region during its time of use. Visitors can see how the simple but solid construction reveals the way the royal family lived in that era.

The site is accessible year-round and sits in a rural setting that is easy to reach on foot. Visitors should know this is an open ruin and appropriate clothing plus sun protection are recommended.

On one specific day each year at the winter solstice, the setting sun creates a rare light effect through the palace openings at 5 PM. This natural phenomenon was possibly not accidental but may have been deliberately built into the original orientation of the building.