Did you know that in the past, member of the Thai royal family lived in Indonesia? His name was Prince Paribatra Sukhumbandhu.
He was a highly influential Thai prince who spent his final years in Bandung, Indonesia. He was the thirty-third child of the great King Chulalongkorn and served in many strategic government positions. These titles included Minister of Interior, Minister of Defence, and Commander of the Royal Thai Navy.
Before moving to Java, he was one of the most powerful leaders in the Kingdom of Siam during the early 20th century. He lived in the beautiful Bang Khun Phrom Palace in Bangkok. His family life centered there until his world was changed by sudden political unrest.
His life in Thailand ended abruptly when a revolution on June 24, 1932, abolished the absolute monarchy. The prince was arrested in his palace and eventually forced to leave his home country for a permanent exile abroad. He decided to relocate to the Dutch East Indies to escape the political changes in his homeland.
The Prince’s Exile
The revolution broke out while the king was residing in a coastal town away from the capital. As the acting regent in Bangkok, the prince was considered a major threat to the new People's Party that organized the coup. He had previously received police reports about a possible rebellion but chose not to authorize any arrests.
Military forces entered his residence without resistance and captured him while he was still wearing his pajamas. He was taken to the throne hall along with other senior members of the royal family before being forced to leave. The prince decided to move to the Dutch East Indies in August 1932 to start a new life.
He traveled by a special train through Malaysia before taking a boat to the island of Java. The prince arrived in Batavia with his royal wife, five children, and a group of assistants before settling in Bandung. He initially planned to travel to Europe, but the calm atmosphere of the city convinced him to stay permanently.
Life as a Gardener in Bandung
He chose Bandung because the city had a strong emotional connection to his father, King Rama V. His father had visited the Curug Dago waterfall twice. The prince personally spoke with the local government to ask for permission to reside in that specific area.
The prince enjoyed the cool and quiet atmosphere of the city, which suited his needs as a retiree. Dutch colonial officials provided him with three large homes in the Cipaganti neighborhood, including one named Dahapati. These houses had very large yards that allowed him to pursue his personal interests freely.
While living in exile, the prince spent much of his time working as a professional gardener. He was a true expert on orchids and built a beautiful flower garden in front of his house. The prince introduced rare orchid seeds to the local community to help the city's flower industry grow.
He felt that Bandung was "miskin bunga" or lacking in flowers and wanted to improve its natural beauty. In addition to gardening, he spent his time traveling to other areas like Solo, Surabaya, and Bali. He was highly respected by local officials who provided him with hotel accommodations during his travels.
The prince passed away in Bandung in January 1944 during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia. He was sixty-two years old and had already prepared land in the Setiabudi area for his villa and grave. Despite being an exile, he was given a funeral with full military honors to show respect for his royal status.
In 1948, his remains were brought back to Thailand by a royal commission to be cremated in Bangkok.
Today, the house where he lived in Cipaganti has become a very famous restaurant called Dapur Dahapati. Many people visit there to eat its legendary oxtail soup, which uses a recipe kept since 1932.
