On June 20, Mr. Warawut Jiraprapanon, District Chief of Sam Roi Yot, presided over a ceremony commemorating the 134th anniversary of the Kuha Karuhas Pavilion.
The event, held at Phraya Nakhon Cave in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, saw attendance from notable figures including Mr. Somjet Chantan, Director of the Office of Conservation Area Administration 3 (Phetchaburi branch), Mr. Surawat Plianpran, Director of the National Park Division, Mr. Nitath Chantong, Director of the Prachuap Khiri Khan Natural Resources and Environment Office, and Mr. Phongsathorn Phromkhunthot, Head of Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park.
During the ceremony, Mr. Warawut led the attendees in paying homage, delivering a royal tribute, taking an oath of allegiance, and laying a wreath in front of the statue of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) housed in the pavilion. This act of loyalty and gratitude honored the benevolence of King Chulalongkorn, who raised the pavilion’s gable apex on June 20, 1890.
In preparation for the anniversary, Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park sought historical information about Phraya Nakhon Cave from the Fine Arts Department. Former Director-General Mr. Pratheep Phengtako confirmed that five Thai kings had visited the cave: King Mongkut (Rama IV) in 1859 and 1863, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) four times between 1863 and 1890, King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) once, King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) on November 20, 1926, and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) twice in 1958 and 1981.
The Kuha Karuhas Pavilion, a four-gabled structure measuring 2.55 meters wide, 8 meters long, and 2.55 meters high, was built during King Chulalongkorn’s reign as a royal residence for his visits to Phraya Nakhon Cave. The pavilion was constructed in Bangkok by Prince Kachorncharat Wong, the Minister of Defense, and later transported and assembled under the supervision of Phraya Chonlayut Yothin.
Today, the Kuha Karuhas Pavilion stands as a significant historical landmark and the emblem of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. It is particularly striking when sunlight illuminates it through the cave’s opening. The Fine Arts Department registered the pavilion as an important historical site in 1952