All the best information on historical sites | Bangkok’s Grand Palace

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, and it is probably the most visited part of the country of Thailand. In part this is because most airlines fly to Bangkok, but partly it is because as well as being the capital, there is lots to see here for the tourist.

Most of the interesting places to visit within Bangkok are near to the river, so one good way to avoid the city’s road traffic is to travel by express boat along the river from place to place. If you choose a hotel that’s near to either the river or a railway system, you should be able to travel comfortably around the city without worrying about traffic issues.

The Grand Palace (Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang), is a building complex that is made up of a number of temples, residences, and other structures. Building began on it in 1782 during the reign of king Rama I when he moved Thailand’s capital from Thonburi to Bangkok. Within the Grand Palace you’ll find:

• Outer Court – this is where the government administration was housed including things such as the army and the treasury.
• Temple of the Emerald Buddha – a purpose built temple to house an image of Buddha carved from a large piece of jasper. The temple isn’t home to any monks, instead this was designed more as a personal chapel for the royal family.
• Central Court – this is where the king’s actual residence is.
• Temple of the Emerald Buddha Museum – various artefacts associated with the Emerald Buddha and the Grand Palace are displayed here. There are many cannons and other items from the royal armoury around the outside of the museum as well.

Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) on the east bank of the Chaophrayan river is a temple that pre-dates Bangkok being the capital of the country. It looks most spectacular in the early morning when it gets the sunlight and reflected sunlight from the river shining on it. A number of festivals take place here through the year.

The Jim Thompson House Museum is one of Bangkok’s hidden treasures. Although mentioned in the guidebooks it’s rarely visited as tour buses can’t access the narrow alley where it is. It’s worth the trouble to visit it though as these six houses were ‘collected’ and reconstructed in the 1960’s and although modern conveniences such as electricity and indoor plumbing were incorporated they’re very traditional in many ways.

Lumpini Park is Bangkok’s oldest and best known park with two large lakes, jogging trails, muscle beach areas where you can lift weights, a library, and places where people can play chess in the open. It is a great place to visit to see some of modern Bangkok in motion.

Touring the canals by boat is a great way to cool off in the evening, after you’ve spent the day visiting all the various temples and other places of interest. Most riverside hotels rent out boats, or you can arrange for one at the pier by the River City shopping complex. Normally you pay by the hour, and booking a two hour tour will give you a great chance to get a flavor of canal life.
Grand Palace Visitor Information
The Grand Palace is open every day from 8:30 to 3:30 and admission is 350 Baht. While the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and Grand Palace grounds are open every day when not being used for state functions, the audience halls in the Grand Palace are closed on weekends. You can only gain entrance to see the magnificent thrones on weekdays. The Royal Pantheon in Temple of the Emerald Buddha is only open one day a year, on 6 April.

Visitors should note that there is a strict dress code for visiting the Grand Palace. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand’s most sacred site and so visitors must be appropriately dressed before going in. Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves. Socksmust be worn with all open toe footwear. Women must be dressed modestly, so no revealing clothing. You can get clothes at the front gate if you are dressed unsuitably.

Grand Palace Conservation Efforts

The Palace gets an average of 7000 visitors per day and yet remains immaculately preserved.  This is largely due to the fact that for many hundreds of years it remained the residence of the Royal House of Chakri who continually supported the preservation and restoration of the site.  The museum within the site holds all the information of restoration of the Grand Palace throughout the years.