A second nucleus of royal heritage was created away from Rattanakosin Island by transforming King Chulalongkorn’s Dusit Park palace into a museum (opened in 1985) where royalist nostalgia and nouveau-riche aspirations came literally under one roof. Its centrepiece, the decaying teakwood Wimanmek Palace, was renovated and refitted with period furniture and fittings (including a bathtub and electric chandeliers); other exhibits include gilded thrones, paintings, objets d’art and assorted kitsch – all imported from Europe. On entering the room where a full-length portrait of Rama v in Western uniform hangs, the guides require Thai visitors to crouch on the floor as a sign of respect to his memory.