Grand Palace - Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok

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The Grand Palace is a must see in Bangkok.

For 150 years the Palace complex was home to the King and also the entire government, including the country's war ministry, state departments, and the mint.

Thai Kings stopped living in the palace full time around the turn of the twentieth century, but the complex remains the seat of power and spiritual heart of the Thai kingdom.

The Grand Palace complex also houses the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Keow), the most famous Buddhist temple and at the heart of the temple itself is a fabulous Buddha image, carved from one piece of Jade, which is the holiest and most revered of religious objects in Thailand today.

Admission fees are 400Baht which also includes tickets to Vimanmek Mansion.

The Grand Palace is open every day from 8:30 to 3:30, unless its being used for a state function.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand's most sacred site so you must be properly dressed.

Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves . If you're wearing sandals you must wear socks. For women no see-through clothes, bare shoulders, etc.

There is a booth near the entry that provides clothes to cover you up if needed. You must leave your passport or credit card as security.

Also be careful of touts outside the palace who tell you it is closed, then suggest their own tour instead.

Their 'tour' will be to shops where they get commissions on your purchases and the Palace will really be open!!

If you want a hassle free visit to the Grand Palace then ensure you're wearing a top with at least short sleeves and not body hugging, no leggings or shorts. If wearing a skirt then not above knee and not tight either. You can cover up with clothing rented at Grand Palace from the first building on the right before you pay your entry fee.
Take a cold drink in with you and a fan to cool you down. Then enjoy.

Just hire a TukTuk and get them to take you to the Grand Palace. It is stunning. HUGE jade Buddha *remember never to point your feet towards it, a very great sign of disrespect* lots of brilliant and cheap shopping, fantastic street food, get the tuktuk driver to stop at the shops for you. Remember to bargain. You can also book a river restaurant cruise which will take you past the well lit monuments and temples. The food is excellent.

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When arriving at the Grand Palace entrance ignore the touts who point out that you are not appropriately dressed and offer to rent you a set of clothes. Once you pass throught the main entrance there is an official office where you can borrow a set of clothes at no charge after paying a returnable deposit.

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The Grand Palace is a very large complex of colorful temples. One of the attractions inside is the Temple of Emerald Buddha. The emerald buddha is said to have originated from India. It was later discovered as far as Cambodia, then Laos and finally Vietnam before it was transferred to Thailand. It is carved from emerald, unfortunately visitors are not allowed to touch it as it stands in a very high pedestal. No pictures are also allowed inside the temple. Another attraction of course is the Palace Hall. The palace was formerly used as the center of the Thai Government and residence of the Thai King. The present King however preferred to reside in another palace so this place is now used for selected royal rituals and ceremonies. Unfortunately for tourists this part of the Grand Palace is sometimes closed to the public when the palace is being used for royal rituals. Third attraction would be the multi-colored temples and architectural structures inside the grand palace complex. Entrance is 400 baht.

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Getting to Grand Palace is a lot easier by taking Taxi or "tuk-tuk" however, according to one travel blog I read, it is much more exciting to take Ferry thru Chao Phraya river to be able to see more of Bangkok. Therefore we decided to take that option. The Taksim Ferry station is approximately 10 minutes walk from our hotel in Silom Street where you can ride a Ferry worth 200.00 baht per person to Tan Thien Station.
Here are some photos took while on cruise.

After 5-7 minutes, we arrived at the ferry terminal which is about 300 steps to Grand Palace Entrance. There were several thai's offering you their goods and they will write the amount in a piece of paper (They are not an English country at all) . And if you response "so expensive!", they will hand you over the pen and the piece of paper so you can write the amount you want to bargain. LOL... Nice!

Right stepping at the main gate of the Grand Palace, there you can see hundreds of foreigners! They all scattered in different corners. Most of them are Chinese and Koreans, and some Westerners.
Due to my "broken pant" as they describe it, the security personnel did not allow me to enter the Palace and advised me to rent a "pants" and so with other tourist wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts - 200.00 baht rent refundable.
No wonder it's called GRAND PALACE, it is really beautiful! I imagine how Thai's in their creative and craftsmanship skills build this huge temples within the complex piece by piece. It could have been taken years to complete every single details of four each corners of this dazzling and spectacular Palace. Here are some of the photos and be get amazed!

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If you do nothing else in Bangkok, you must visit the Grand Palace. The name is misleading, because it's not 'a palace' but is actually an area of nearly 22 hectares. A quiet oasis in the bustle of the city, it is full of astonishing buildings. They are Royal residences, temples and government offices. The architecture, the colours, the gold leaf, the attention to detail are breathtaking.

grand palace bangkok well worth the visit one of the most beutiful palaces ive seen, if theres only one thing you can do in bagkok go here, we traveled using the sky train and boat, getting around is easy if your not in a car...........

What?

Grand Palace is not currently used by the royal family, save for the ceremonial occasions, so the grounds and the four palace buildings can be visited on most days (the buildings were closed on my first trip due to the lying in state of one of the members of the royal family).

Here's what you can see:

- Grand Panace Hall, built at the end of the 19th Century following the blueprint of British architects and blending European and Thai building styles
- Dusit Hall, originally a site for audiences and subsequently a royal funerary hall
- Borombhiman Hall, a former residence of Rama VI and the headquarters of a couple
- Amarindra Hall, former royal court

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We feel small! We feel poor! We feel ugly. But we feel blessed by the fortune of seeing such a collection of art masterpieces, in this large complex.

It's impossible to go to Bangkok without this palace in mind. Go with time (there are crowds) and if you're not in an escorted visit read what you can before going, or... in place. It's fantastic!