A Royal Residence Turned Public Cafe Prepares to Close
Deva Manor, a 130-year-old mansion on the bank of Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem near Thewet Pier in Bangkok, will close to the public around August 31, 2026, the venue announced on its Facebook page, though it noted the date could still change. Formally named Phra Tamnak Yai, the building is the main residence at Wang Pak Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem, more commonly known as Wang Thewet. According to the notice, King Vajiralongkorn wishes conservation work to continue in line with the intentions of the late Queen Mother Sirikit, and the restorer and custodian are now drawing up a formal agreement with the Royal Secretariat to keep the property cared for once it stops welcoming visitors.
King Chulalongkorn had the mansion built for his twelfth son, Prince Kitiyakara Voralaksana, and construction finished in 1896. The prince later became Krom Phra Chanthaburi Naruenat and lived there until his death in 1931. The following year his heirs divided the Wang Thewet estate into three parcels and sold them off, with the main residence passing to Phraya Aniruth Theva, born Mom Luang Fuen Phuengbun, who had previously sold his other home, Baan Narai Banthomsin, to the government. That building is now Government House, seat of the prime minister's office.
From Decades of Decay to 18 Years of Restoration
After Phraya Aniruth Theva died in 1951, the mansion sat empty and gradually deteriorated for decades. Colonel Fuangwit Aniruththeva, a third-generation heir, moved in around 2007 and began restoring the building piece by piece, researching its history along the way so that as much of the original structure as possible could be preserved. The restoration took 12 years, and Deva Manor opened its ground floor to the public as a cafe around 2020, giving a combined 18 years of conservation and public access, the figure cited in the closure announcement.
Colonel Fuangwit is now planning a series of farewell events with special admission rates before the doors close, with details to be posted on the Deva Manor Facebook page. Until then, the ground-floor cafe remains open daily from 10am to 6pm on Krung Kasem Road in the Wat Sam Phraya area of Phra Nakhon district, a short walk from Thewet Pier, while the upper floor remains accessible only by prior arrangement.
