The Grand Palace : If there is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without, it's the dazzling, spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city's most famous landmark. Built in 1782 - and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government - the Grand Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame indeed, that continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail, all of which is a proud salute to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people. Within its walls were also the Thai war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom.
Wat-Phra-Kaew : Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (officially known as Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram) is regarded as the most important Buddhist temple in Thailand. Located in the historic centre of Bangkok, within the grounds of the Grand Palace, it enshrines Phra Kaew Morakot (the Emerald Buddha), the highly revered Buddha image meticulously carved from a single block of jade.
In the past, the Grand Palace was the residence of the kings. King Rama I had it constructed during the establishment of Rattanakosin Kingdom. At first, there were only Phra Maha Prasat, Phra Maha Monthien, and Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which is located inside the palace area like Wat Phra Sri Sanphet. Later, in the reign of King Rama IV and King Rama V, western culture had a big impact on Thai society, resulting in the mixture of western architectures in this place. At present, the Grand Palace is separated into two areas; the Temple of Emerald Buddha and the Court—the king’s residence and working place. Inside the Court, it is also divided into the Outer Court, the Middle Court, and the Inner Court. Among the group of throne halls, the most important throne is Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat, formerly called Phra Thinang Intra Pisek Maha Prasat. It is the first throne in the palace and is a place housing the bodies of the former kings, queens, and their family. Many important royal ceremonies, including auspicious ceremonies and charitable ceremonies, are also held here. Another throne hall is Phra Thinang Aphorn Phimok Prasat where the king’s vehicles are kept. This is also where the king performs the ceremony of changing his regalia, together with the procession. The other throne hall is Phra Thinang Phiman Rattaya, constructed in 1789 during the reign of King Rama VI. The king used this place as a residence and a meeting hall for his family members and his courtiers to be awarded with regalia and State orders and decorations. It is also a place where the bodies of the members of royal family are cleaned before housing the cinerary urns in Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat. As for Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat, it was built in 1876 during the reign of King Rama V. It was used for welcoming foreign dignitaries and heads of state. There are many more throne halls in this area; for example, Phra Thinang Rachakaranya Sapha, Phra Thinang Moon Satharn Borom Ard, Phra Thinang Borom Ratchasathit Mahoran, Phra Thinang Chakraphat Phiman, and Phra Thinang Phaisan Thaksin. Moreover, the northeast part of the Grand Palace houses Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram or Wat Phra Kaew. The monastery is used for performing important religious ceremony. It was built in 1784 and was restored in every reign of the kings in Chakri dynasty. The chapel and the cloister display variety of spectacular mural paintings. This place enshrines not only Phra Phuttha Maha Mani Rattana Patimakon (the Emerald Buddha), Thailand’s respectable Buddha image, but also other beautiful objects with long history, such as Phra Prang Paed Ong (the eight colored Prangs), Phra Sri Rattana Chedi (the main stupa), miniature replica of Angkor Wat, and Prasat Phra Thep Bidon (Royal Pantheon). Finally, there is also the pavilion of regalia, royal decorations and coins. It is located on the right side before the entrance of the Inner court in the Grand Palace. There is the exhibition of coins and money used in Thailand, as well as regalia and royal decorations of the inner courtiers. The Grand Palace is open daily from 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
certain about the statue, except that it isn't actually made of emerald but rather of green jade or jasper. Getting a good look at it is difficult as photography is forbidden inside the temple, and it's perched so high up inside it's glass box that it's difficult to really see.It's thought to have been made in the 15th century and was the cause of several wars before ending up for good in Bangkok in 1782. The image is considered a talisman and holds tremendous significance for Thailand and the Thais. The 'robe' that it wears is changed 3 times each year by the King himself, at the start of each season: A diamond encrusted gold robe during the hot season, a solid gold robe in the cool season and a gilded monk's robe in the rainy season.There are also many other Buddha images inside the temple. Round the interior walls are murals depicting the jataka stories. These are located according to the typical Thai conventions inside temples. The ones facing the altar depict the victory of the Buddha over the evil demon Mara, as he subdues her and achieves enlightenment. As is normal for Thai temples, shoes must be taken off before entering into the temple. Despite it's national importance, Wat Phra Kaew is the only temple in Thailand that doesn't have any resident monks, and so is not a seat of Buddhist learning in the same way as the likes of Wat Pho and Wat Mahathat. A cloister surrounds the temple, and depicted along here is an extensive mural of the Ramakian, the Thai version of the famous Indian epic, the Ramayana. In total there are 178 sections, and although they date from the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV 1825-1850) they have since been restored on numerous occasions. The explanatory texts across from each were devised by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).
Also in the compound is:
- A miniature model of the famous Cambodian temple complex Angkor Wat, made during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV) when the Thai territory extended over Cambodia.
- Two libraries, built to protect copies of important Buddhist literature. The Phra Mondop library is impressive, but almost always closed to the public. If not, it's well worth looking Wat Phra Kaew guardianat.
- The impressive golden Phra Si Rattana Chedi, which it's claimed (somewhat improbably) houses ashes of the Buddha.
- The Royal Pantheon, with full size statues of the first seven kings of the reigning Chakri dynasty (Rama I - Rama VII). Only open on April 6th, the anniversary of the founding of this dynasty. Surrounding this are large statues of mythical guardians , such as the kinaree, half human-half bird and the Hindu garuda bird. It contains the scared Buddhist scriptures, the Tripitaka.
The Grand Palace adjoins Wat Phra Kaew in a common compound, and is where you will end up after exiting Wat Phra Kaew. Despite the proximity of the two, there's a distinct contrast in style between the very Thai Wat Phra Kaew and the more European inspired designs of the Grand Palace (the roof being the exception). The Grand Palace is nowadays used only for occasional ceremonial purposes and is no longer the royal residence. The present King Bhumibol (Rama IX) lives in Chitralada Palace (also closed to tourists), which is located not too far away in Bangkok's Dusit district. Though the interior of most of the buildings remain closed to the public Dusit Hall, Grand Palace
Highlights of it are:
- Boromabiman Hall, built by King Rama VI and every king since has lived here at some time.
- Amarinda Hall, the original residence of King Rama I and the Hall of Justice. Nowadays it's impressive interior is used for ceremonial occasions and coronations. It contains the antique throne, used before the Western style one presently in use.
- Grand Palace Hall / Chakri Maha Prasat. Visitors are allowed inside the spacious European style reception room. This building has not been used for royal residence since the mysterious death of King Rama VIII (the older brother of the current King), found shot dead in his room in 1946. The reverence for the monarchy in Thailand means that, even today, this remains a completely taboo subject to talk publicly about in Thailand.
- The impressive Dusit Hall, rated as perhaps the finest architectural building in this style.
- The Museum, which has information on the restoration of the Grand Palace, scale models of the Wat and Palace and numerous Buddha images. Labels are in Thai only, but there are free English tours available frequently. Entrance is 50B.