The Royal Grand Palace, Bangkok (must see)
The Royal Grand Palace, a building complex in Bangkok, served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. King Rama I ordered the construction of a magnificent new Palace in 1782 when he moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok. The chosen area was, however, occupied by Chinese merchants whom he asked to relocate. The Palace has been constantly expanded and many additional structures were added over time.
Originally the palace consisted of several wooden buildings surrounded on four sides with a high defensive wall, 1900 meters in length and enclosing an area of 218,400 square meters. The Palace is rectangular in shape with the western side next to a river, the royal temple situated to the east side and all structures facing north. The King ordered the construction of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha as a royal temple and as his personal place of worship. Around the turn of the 20th century, Thai Kings stopped living in the palace. Today, the palace is used for all kinds of other ceremonial and auspicious happenings including royal funerals, marriages and state banquets.
The palace is divided into three quarters: the outer quarters, the middle quarters and the inner quarters. The Outer Court housed the government departments in which the king was directly involved including civil administration, army, and the treasury. The Temple of the Emerald Budha takes up one corner of the complex next to the outer court. In the middle is the Central Court, where the residence of the king and the halls for conducting state business were located. Behind the central court was the inner court where the king's royal consorts and daughters lived. It was like a small city entirely populated by women and boys under the age of puberty.
The Grand Palace with its beautiful architecture and intricate details is living proof of the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people. Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom. The Grand Palace with the Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand's most sacred site. All visitors must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temple. No bare feet and no see-through clothes are allowed.
Definitely the city's most famous landmark, the dazzling and spectacular Grand Palace is one must-see sight. Your visit to Bangkok would not be complete without visiting it.
Tip:
Come early 鈥� the place gets quite crowded around 12pm.
They offer free English tours at 10am, 10:30, 1pm, 1:30pm or an audio guide for other languages (200 THB).
Entry fee is 500 THB, which includes the ticket to a theater play (like a Thai musical). Pick-up and drop to the theater from the Grand Palace are also included.
Originally the palace consisted of several wooden buildings surrounded on four sides with a high defensive wall, 1900 meters in length and enclosing an area of 218,400 square meters. The Palace is rectangular in shape with the western side next to a river, the royal temple situated to the east side and all structures facing north. The King ordered the construction of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha as a royal temple and as his personal place of worship. Around the turn of the 20th century, Thai Kings stopped living in the palace. Today, the palace is used for all kinds of other ceremonial and auspicious happenings including royal funerals, marriages and state banquets.
The palace is divided into three quarters: the outer quarters, the middle quarters and the inner quarters. The Outer Court housed the government departments in which the king was directly involved including civil administration, army, and the treasury. The Temple of the Emerald Budha takes up one corner of the complex next to the outer court. In the middle is the Central Court, where the residence of the king and the halls for conducting state business were located. Behind the central court was the inner court where the king's royal consorts and daughters lived. It was like a small city entirely populated by women and boys under the age of puberty.
The Grand Palace with its beautiful architecture and intricate details is living proof of the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people. Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom. The Grand Palace with the Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand's most sacred site. All visitors must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temple. No bare feet and no see-through clothes are allowed.
Definitely the city's most famous landmark, the dazzling and spectacular Grand Palace is one must-see sight. Your visit to Bangkok would not be complete without visiting it.
Tip:
Come early 鈥� the place gets quite crowded around 12pm.
They offer free English tours at 10am, 10:30, 1pm, 1:30pm or an audio guide for other languages (200 THB).
Entry fee is 500 THB, which includes the ticket to a theater play (like a Thai musical). Pick-up and drop to the theater from the Grand Palace are also included.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Bangkok. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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The Royal Grand Palace on Map
Sight Name: The Royal Grand Palace
Sight Location: Bangkok, Thailand (See walking tours in Bangkok)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Bangkok, Thailand (See walking tours in Bangkok)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Bangkok, Thailand
Create Your Own Walk in Bangkok
Creating your own self-guided walk in Bangkok is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Food Walk
There aren't many cities out there, if any, beside the Thai capital to be just as voracious and passionate about eating! Food in Bangkok is a key aspect of daily life, attesting to which are the numerous eateries all over the city. And what's more, regardless of where you have it, be it a scrumptious street food stall or a fancy restaurant, the local food never fails to impress.
... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Wats and Temples of Bangkok
The 鈥淐ity of Angels鈥� 鈥� Bangkok 鈥� is a home to over 400 temples. Known locally as "wats", some of them are massive complexes, quite famous and attracting thousands of tourists every day, while others are smaller and lesser-known, located far down the tiny "sois" (side streets), well out of tourist traffic. Still, all these shrines equally form an integral part of the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Flower Market to Chinatown
One of the shopping capitals of the world, Bangkok is a city where you can buy almost anything, provided you know where to find it. And if shopping spree is high on your agenda, then the local markets are the best place to go.
Vibrant atmosphere, smiling faces, plus the staggering variety of unique things on offer, including wealth of delicious street food and snacks 鈥� there's nothing... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Vibrant atmosphere, smiling faces, plus the staggering variety of unique things on offer, including wealth of delicious street food and snacks 鈥� there's nothing... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Chinatown Walking Tour
Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the largest Chinatowns in the world. Founded in 1782, the core of it lies along Yaowarat Road, which serves as the main artery and sometimes lends its name to the whole area.
The district has been the center for trading by the Thai Chinese community for almost 200 years, progressively evolving from a vast wilderness outside the city walls to a major... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles
The district has been the center for trading by the Thai Chinese community for almost 200 years, progressively evolving from a vast wilderness outside the city walls to a major... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles
Bangkok Old City Walk
The Thai capital Bangkok emerged in the 15th century as a small trading post in the Chao Phraya River delta. The origin of the name 鈥淏angkok鈥� is unclear and was likely a colloquial adopted by foreigners, in which Bang is the Thai word for 鈥渧illage on a stream鈥� and Ko means 鈥渋sland鈥�, referring to the city's watery landscape. Another opinion is that it may be shortened from Bang... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
Top 15 Things to Buy in Bangkok
Well-made, local products not only remind people of the trip they've had, but also make great gifts to bring home to family and friends. Following is the list of original and representative of Bangkok local specialties that you might wish to consider as a memorable...
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Eating is huge in Bangkok, and luckily for the famished, you won't be that way for long, regardless of the hour. You can find conglomerations of vendors selling five-star fast food (in the you-won't-have-to-wait-long-to-enjoy-it sense, not McDonald's style) for under 100 baht (roughly...