THE DARA PIROM PALACE MUSEUM located in the Dara Rasamee Border Patrol Police Camp in Mae Rim District in Chiangmai Province opened to the public on December 9, in remembrance of the day of the Princess' passing in 1933.
The Dara Pirom Palace was built after King Vajiravudh (or Rama VI) gave the petition to Jao Dara Rasamee to return to her childhood home city of Chiangmai after King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) passed away. Jao Dara Rasamee used her home at the palace to perform many good deeds in the fields of agriculture, culture and the arts. She also supported Buddhism and was a major influence in developing Lanna's handicrafts which are still making Chiangmai famous today.
She had her own experimental farm called "Suan Jao Sabuy" where she developed her strong interest in agriculture and helping the farmers in the North. She started planting new species of roses which she had obtained from an England Rose Club of which she was an avid member. Her favorite species of rose was a large pink with a strong fragrance. She named the rose in remembrance of her Royal husband ("Chulalongkorn") before the King had passed away. In her will, Jao Dara Rasamee passed her property to her descendants. Later, Chulalongkorn University purchased the property from them.
Jao Dara Rasamee was the King's favorite concubine not only because she was very charming but also because she was instrumental in building a good relationship between the Chakri dynasty of Siam and the Lanna dynasty in the North. Dara Pirom Palace of Jao Dara Rasamee is a great heritage that is protected by the Chulalongkorn University. The University thought it was very important to renovate the Dara Pirom Palace and restore it to its former splendor and to establish a museum as a visual reminder to the younger generation about how greatly Jao Dara Rasamee influenced the political atmosphere of her time with her diplomacy, promoting of the arts and pioneering agriculture methods.
By October 1998, the Dara Pirom Palace was considerably worn down but the building structure is still strong and the architectural design stands out clearly. The palace has been used as a case study of buildings that have Western architectural influence in Thailand. As part of the renovation, the entire exterior and interior of the palace have been repainted in their original colors and the gardens have been recreated to restore the atmosphere of the original palace gardens.
Chulalongkorn University cooperated with members of the Royal Lanna family to collect various things that Jao Dara Rasamee used in her life. Working together, they were able to recover some 270 pieces of furniture, decorative items, and personal effects of the princess which had previously adorned the original palace. These items are now on display showing the typical palace decor at the time of her life.