Grand Palace

The Grand Palace is in the centre of the city, if Bangkok can really be said to have a centre. The Grand Palace is not where the King lives. He has a residence a little further north (Chitralada Palace). The Grand Palace is now just a tourist attraction used for a very few ceremonial occasions. It costs Bt200 to enter. An audio guide can be hired for an additional fee of Bt100. The guide is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese and Chinese (Mandarin). Tour guides can also be found at the Palace gate.

Please note that it is essential to be properly attired to visit the Grand Palace. No shorts, no sleeveless shirts, no short skirts and no informal footwear. Such garments are taken to express disrespect for the monarch and a group of clothing inspectors stationed at the Palace Gate will refuse admission or request wearers to wear more appropriate cover which will be provided for them.

The ticket received is in three parts. One part offers admission to the Royal Thai Decorations and Coins Pavilion just near the ticket office and entrance gate. The second part gives admission to the Palace and to Wat Phra Kaeo, which is within its confines, and is checked carefully at a turnstile. The third part gives admission to Wiman Mek Palace, which is in a completely different part of the city and to which fewer people go. It is not necessary to visit Wiman Mek Palace on the same day as the Grand Palace. Just retain this part of the ticket in case you want to go there at a later date

The Grand Palace is, as one might anticipate, a rather grand complex of buildings that includes:

The Emerald Buddha enshrined here was discovered in 1434 covered in stucco and lived first in a temple in Chiang Rai. He was moved to Lampang for a while, and then to Chiang Mai. From there, he was stolen by Lao invaders in the seventeenth century and taken to the Lao royal city of Luang Prabang, then later to the capital, Vientiane. He spent two centuries in Laos, before being recaptured when King Taksin fought a war against that country. General Chakri brought the statue back to Thonburi, which was, at the time, the nation’s capital. General Chakri later became King Rama I, succeeding King Taksin and founding the Chakri Dynasty which has retained the throne ever since. He moved the capital to Bangkok and brought the Emerald Buddha to this location in 1785. It is actually quite a small statue, only about 75cms high. It is not, in fact, made of emerald and is a jade statue. King Rama I had two royal robes made for the Emerald Buddha, one for the hot season and one for the rainy season, and King Rama III added another, just in case it he should feel chilly during the cool season. The King himself changes these robes on the appropriate three dates every year. Note that no photographs of the Emerald Buddha are permitted.

Inside Wat Phra Kaeo you will also find a model of Angkor Wat, the famous Buddhist temple in Cambodia, a reminder that the ancient history of these two nations is closely intertwined.

In front of the Grand Place is Sanam Luang originally called "Thung Phramen' and oval public area surrounded by 365 tamarind trees.

Ratchadamnoen Avenue built during the period of King Rama V as the royal road from the Royal Palace to the Dusit Palace and modelled on the Champs Elysees.

The Grand Palace is open from 8:30 until 3.30pm, with a lunch break from 11:30 until 1pm, but during the lunch break one can still enter the outer (free) area of the palace grounds. When a ticket is purchased, a brochure is provided giving more details of the buildings.

The Grand Palace is within walking distance of Khao San Road. From Sukhumvit Road take bus no. 2, 25 or 48, or air-conditioned no. 1 or 8. From Hualampong Railway Station take bus no. 25 or 53 (the latter goes nearer), or air-conditioned no. 1 or 7.

Wiman Mek Palace

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This palace is located at Ratchawithi Road in the Dusit District, near the King’s current residence and behind the National Assembly. It is a traditionally constructed Thai teak building of three storeys, but with European architectural influence, and it was built in 1868 as a summer house and moved to its current location in 1901, where it was used as a favourite royal residence by King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn). It was disused from 1935 until 1982, when it was re-opened to mark the bi-centenary of the city as the national capital. There are 81 rooms, and it claims to be the world’s largest building made exclusively of golden teak. No nails are used in its construction. It has Thailand’s first indoor bathroom. Displays include the first Thai typewriter, old china, furniture and paintings. The Royal Carriage Museum, within the palace area, has a collection of imported turn-of-the-century European carriages and the Aphisek Dusit Throne Room has a collection of paintings. The Wiman Mek Palace is open from 9:30 until 4pm. The same rules regarding dress apply as for the Grand Palace. Located behind the National Assembly building.

The following buses pass Wiman Mek Palace: 9, 12, 18, 28, 56, 70, 72, 108 and 110, and air-conditioned buses 3, 9, 10 and 16. From Khao San Road take a 9, 12, 56 or 70. From Sukhumvit Road, take no. 2, or air-conditioned no. 11, and alight immediately after crossing the railway tracks, from where it is about 20 minutes walk. If that is too far, continue to the Democracy Monument and change to a 9, 12, 56 or 70. From Hualampong Station, take a no. 53 to its terminus, from where it is about 10 minutes walk. (02 282 8683).

Suan Pakkad Palace

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This is a recent palace established in 1952 by the removal of some houses from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and the landscaping of what was originally a cabbage garden. The palace is now a museum of old statues, domestic items and Bronze Age discoveries from Ban Chiang, near Udon Thani in the north of the country. The gardens are also well known. There are examples of Buddhist and Hindu Art and a lacquer pavilion containing scenes from the Buddha's life and the Ramayana. Located on Si Ayutthaya Road.

The following buses pass near by: 14, 29, 34, 36, 38, 39, 54, 59, 63, 72, 74, 77, 201 and 204, and air-conditioned 2, 3, 4 and 13. (02 258 4934).

Chitralada Palace

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This is where the king actually lives. Therefore, it cannot be entered, nor even viewed, except from a considerable distance. It is a little east of Wiman Mek Palace. If you are taking a long-distance train from Bangkok (Hualampong), you will see the palace on your left as you approach Samsen Station, the first stop, just five minutes along the line. You will also see the king’s own special little station in front of the palace.

Nearby buses include 5, 8, 12, 18, 28, 50, 72 and 108, and air-conditioned 3, 10 and 16.

The Thonburi Palace

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This palace is now the home of the Royal Navy and was built in 1768. It consists of a number of halls that were built at different times. The palace is also referred to as the Old Palace and located at Arun Amain Road, Bangkok Yai District. The palace is open Monday – Friday from 8.30 – 3.30 and costs 60 baht. (02 475 4117)

Once the parliament building this palace was built during the reign of Rama V and compelted by Rama V1. Uthong Nai Road, Dusit.

Built in 1909 and originally used as cottage for Rama V. All that is left is the Throne Hall which is glass and wood building and has a western feel inside. King Mongkut Hospital, 315 Ratchwithi Road. BTS Victory Monument.