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The Royal Palace, also known as the Grand Palace, is a sight that every tourist must see during their stay in Bangkok! We didn't want to miss out on this highlight either and headed towards the palace after our visit to Wat Pho. However, the palace was closed to the public on this day, as the one-year mourning period for the late King Bhumibol was continuing and his son, the new king, was visiting. For this reason, the palace had to wait another day for us and we tried our luck the next morning.
As we wanted to visit the palace as early as possible to avoid the rush of visitors as far as possible, we were at the entrance before the opening hours, which run from 08:30 to 17:00. It opened its doors right on time and let the curious visitors into the extensive grounds. However, it should be noted that the last possible admission is at 15:30. You also have to pay 500 baht (~ €14) per person at the entrance, but the ticket gives you free access to the entire grounds. And if you want to find out more about the complex, its origins and significance, you can take part in free guided tours in English. These are offered every day at 10:00 am, 10:30 am, 1:30 pm and 2:00 pm, but audio guides can also be rented at any time for 100 baht (~ €3) at the ticket office. A few dress rules should also be observed. Shorts, crop tops and skimpy dresses should be left in the closet out of respect for the culture.
After a few steps from the ticket counter, you reach the central courtyard, which is one of four parts of today's palace and clearly the most impressive. From here, we caught our first glimpse of Wat Phra Kaeo, which then loomed directly in front of us. Literally translated, this means Temple of the Emerald Buddha, as it houses a Buddha statue that is over 1,000 years old. It is considered the most important religious site in the whole of Thailand and is also known as the spiritual heart of the country. The emerald-colored figure rests on a gilded throne at a lofty height of 11 meters. It is surrounded by standing Buddha statues and the walls and ceilings are covered with murals.
Construction of the royal palace began in 1782, just 15 years after the Burmese destroyed the old capital of Ayutthaya, the remains of which we also visited. The plans for the 2.6 km² site were modeled almost exactly on the Wang Luang that had previously been destroyed in Ayutthaya. The current state of the complex is the result of constant new construction and reconstruction of the various buildings, the last of which was inaugurated in 2006. Furthermore, the Grand Palace was considered the official residence of the kings of Siam from the end of the 18th century until the middle of the 20th century. After the death of King Mahidol in 1946, however, the seat of state was moved to another palace. The residence, also known as Chakri Maha Prasat, cannot be visited. So you have to make do with a view of the manicured garden and the positioned guards.
Impressed by the size and splendor of the building complexes, we strolled around the extensive grounds for several hours. We took in all the impressions unfiltered and kept discovering new, fascinating details. There are numerous places to sit along the buildings where you can take a short break and discover the buildings from a different perspective. After we had seen every corner of the palace and the temples and the rush of visitors increased at lunchtime, we decided to break down our tents and devote ourselves to Bangkok's next highlight. We crossed the Chao Phraya by boat and made our way to the Temple of Dawn, Wat Arun!
