The Grand Palace in Bangkok: A Day in Photos

[TotallyOz]

The Grand Palace in Bangkok is a series of buildings right in the heart of the city. A visit to Bangkok without seeing this magnificent compound at least once is a shame. Every time I go there I am transported back to the King and I movie I saw as a child. It really is simply breathtaking and photos do not do it justice.

 

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is one of my favorite areas. It is quite stunning.

[Guest flipao]

thank you!

[vinapu]

I even know few serious travelers who are placing Grand Palace in the same league of great Asia  monuments with Taj Mahal or Borobudur.

 

In order to avoid crowds try to be there when they open at 8.30, before buses with hordes arrive.  Past 10 a.m. it may be very difficult to get a glimpse of Emerald Buddha due to crowds.

 

If you want to treat your boy special take him there-you may even be moved by his reaction. 

 

Trip from Sathorn pier  ( Saphan Taksin BTS station) to Grand Palace (Tha Chang  pier) by the boat ( Chao Praya express) is one of cheapest yet memorable Bangkok treats. 

Admission to the Palace for foreigners is 500 baht but included the same day admission to Vinamek Teak Palace and Throne Hall nearby. Taxi from palace to Vinamek should be 70-80 baht .

[TotallyOz]

I even know few serious travelers who are placing Grand Palace in the same league of great Asia  monuments with Taj Mahal or Borobudur.

 

In order to avoid crowds try to be there when they open at 8.30, before buses with hordes arrive.  Past 10 a.m. it may be very difficult to get a glimpse of Emerald Buddha due to crowds.

 

If you want to treat your boy special take him there-you may even be moved by his reaction. 

 

Trip from Sathorn pier  ( Saphan Taksin BTS station) to Grand Palace (Tha Chang  pier) by the boat ( Chao Praya express) is one of cheapest yet memorable Bangkok treats. 

Admission to the Palace for foreigners is 500 baht but included the same day admission to Vinamek Teak Palace and Throne Hall nearby. Taxi from palace to Vinamek should be 70-80 baht .

As always vinapu, great advice!

 

Yesterday, we encountered TONS of tourists and most from China, Japan, Malaysia, etc. There were literally 1000 buses full of them but we didn't get there till late. So, listen to vinapu and get there early and you will be able to see more and enjoy a bit more.

[Rogie]

 

In order to avoid crowds try to be there when they open at 8.30, before buses with hordes arrive.  Past 10 a.m. it may be very difficult to get a glimpse of Emerald Buddha due to crowds.

 

 

True enough. That's a good photo of the Emerald Buddha Michael. I well recall on my first visit to Thailand and the Grand Palace I was frustrated to catch hardly a glimpse if it. It would help if it was bigger of course, but I can't really say that, can I? - after all I regard myself as a serious tourist, rather than a gawper.

[ChristianPFC]

They have dressing rules, with shorts you cannot enter.

 

Unfortunately, I did not think of these rules when I left my room (otherwise I would have dressed in long trousers). They provide long trousers that you can over your shorts, however you have to queue and pay a deposit, then queue to get trousers, then queue for the dressing room, and on leaving the same backwards (you get your deposit back). Very annoying and a big waste of time!

[firecat69]

The big waste of time is that you don't understand the country you are living in and respect the customs that everyone should understand about religious sites.  Read up before you go somewhere and then you will be properly dressed and not have to complain about the procedure that would have made up for your indifference!!!

[Rogie]

That's quite so. I wrote my comment below before reading post #7.

 

Undoubtedly annoying, but that reaction is only fair if you are an inexperienced tourist, visiting a country with Buddhist temples for the first time. Doubly annoying if you are in a tour group and neither the tour leader (usually somebody from your home country) nor the local guide has informed you! If you know the rules, but just happen to forget, you have only yourself to blame.

 

I had what was certainly an annoying experience in Bangkok at the restaurant at the top of the Banyan Tree hotel. They don't like shorts so I had to borrow some longs. I was extra-annoyed as I had been wearing a nice pair of shorts (no cargo pockets!) that came down to my knees. Other men were being admitted wearing scruffy jeans. It just goes to show a sense of humour helps in Thailand. Rather than seethe just laugh it off. I think that's why some ex-pats and tourists come amiss, they let the little annoyances fester which in time is a recipe for becoming jaded and cynical.

[vinapu]

They have dressing rules, with shorts you cannot enter.

 

Unfortunately, I did not think of these rules when I left my room (otherwise I would have dressed in long trousers). They provide long trousers that you can over your shorts, however you have to queue and pay a deposit, then queue to get trousers, then queue for the dressing room, and on leaving the same backwards (you get your deposit back). Very annoying and a big waste of time!

Good thing you mention that Christian so others can be warned and prepared.

 

Last time I had my sarong  I just bought in Indonesia and proven handy anywhere I went  -to cover myself in Emerald Buddha and other temples, to use as towel in hot springs, even one of boys visiting my  used it to show his modesty  after shower. Long live sarong !  

 

 

Don't treat your experience with shorts as waste of time, rather as other culture learning experience or handy reminder. 

 

We enter church, we take hat off, we enter synagogue hat goes on, in the mosque or wat we will  take our shoes off . 

Not difficult to remember and makes sightseeing  easier and shows that we know and care.

 

As I  mentioned before biggest waste of time at Grand Place will be staying in the bed too long-than you need to beat crowds, it took me 4 or 5 visits before I smarten up to realize that. 

[vinapu]

 It just goes to show a sense of humour helps in Thailand. Rather than seethe just laugh it off. I think that's why some ex-pats and tourists come amiss, they let the little annoyances fester which in time is a recipe for becoming jaded and cynical.

Wise , wise words. Unfortunately often forgotten.

 

And not only in Thailand sense of humor and distance to ourselves helps-works everywhere.

 

The same goes with your recipe for becoming jaded -not only tourists and ex-pats can use  your warning but everybody . Looking at full half of glass  is always much better than being upset about empty part.

 

i.e. on our home turf of  various forums -instead of being inflamed by unkind responses to one's posts poster should enjoy fact that somebody bothered to read and took pain to respond

[Rogie]

 

i.e. on our home turf of  various forums -instead of being inflamed by unkind responses to one's posts poster should enjoy fact that somebody bothered to read and took pain to respond

 

I like your use of the term 'home turf'. I wonder if some of us don't get a little 'possessive' from time to time?

 

(Veteran poster with over 1,000 posts - thinks to self: "How dare that newbie with just a handfull of posts pull me up on one of my posts")

[vinapu]

 

 

 

Veteran poster with over 1,000 posts - thinks to self: "How dare that newbie with just a handfull of posts pull me up on one of my posts"

It must be upbringing, Today's youngsters seem never learn their place in line.

[ChristianPFC]

We enter church, we take hat off, we enter synagogue hat goes on, in the mosque or wat we will  take our shoes off . 

Not difficult to remember and makes sightseeing  easier and shows that we know and care.

 

(my emphasis) Now that you mention it, and to proof firecat69 wrong*, before I went to the Gurudwara (Sikh temple) in Bangkok, I read on the internet and found out that you have to cover your head. So I brought a hat with me, but they had triangular cloths for visitors to wear. In one place you have to take off your head, in another place you have to cover it. One religion does not allow consumption of beef, but of poultry; another religion allows consumption of beef, but not of poultry.

 

The Vinmanmek Palace is even worse. There are security checks like on an airport, and you have to leave everything in a locker, if I remember correctly the fee is not refundable.

 

* Most temples do not require you to wear long trousers. I think I had the Grand Palace in mind when I went out, so I could have worn long trousers, but simply didn't think of it. Now we have dragged the defensive position I am in on other boards (Almost there (getting laid locally)) to this board as well.

[firecat69]

You only have to be in a defensive position when you are wrong which of course you were.  How did doing the right thing on a visit to one temple change the fact that you did the wrong thing going to the Palace in shorts.

 

If you had done the right thing and checked you would have worn pants. To complain about the procedure for people who arrive in shorts as a waste of your time is just ridiculous.

 

You were wrong and yet they provided a way for you to visit anyways .  It is not their fault that it requires some of your time to make up for your own mistakes. 

 

You live in Thailand , learn the rules for visits to tourist sites.

[vinapu]

 

 

The Vinmanmek Palace is even worse. There are security checks like on an airport, and you have to leave everything in a locker, if I remember correctly the fee is not refundable.

 

* Most temples do not require you to wear long trousers. I think I had the Grand Palace in mind when I went out, so I could have worn long trousers, but simply didn't think of it. Now we have dragged the defensive position I am in on other boards (Almost there (getting laid locally)) to this board as well.

You are correct, Vimanmek locker fees are not refundable. I don't remember what they are a but it was more than token amount.

 

My apologies if  I sounded aggressive with temple dress mini-lecture. I did not mean to attack you at all nor directed it at you Christian, rather wanted to provide some info to all those newcomers to Thailand  who are always on prowl for the advice  combing posts on this and other forums. It just came handy there  because of contents of your posts

 

I'm following your posts on other boards with interest..  

 

Still believe we should not to be upset at hosts trying to enforce their rules, be it temple, bar or house.