I would like to take you on a little wander into Bangkok’s most famous tourist attraction, the Grand Palace. You will need all the stamina you can muster, it will be hot, sweaty and jammed pack with tourists. But it is totally worth it. It is really one of the most incredibly special places.
You need to be respectfully dressed, Women need to have their shoulders covered (and not just with a scarf) and modest attire, men must wear long trousers. On my visit last week as we went as a Grand Palace guest, our requirements were even stricter. Women had to wear dresses/skirts only with enclosed shoes.
If you do not pass the dress security screening there are plenty of places outside the palace to buy something deemed suitable.
King Rama 1, founder of the Chakri Dynasty began building the Grand Palace in 1782 when the capital city was moved to Bangkok. Successive kings all left their mark which has resulted in a charmingly eclectic mix of architectural styles.
It is a large area and some parts are not open to the public. When we went the throne rooms were closed and the Inner Court, which is never opened to the public. This is the area traditionally reserved for the women.
The Grand Palace is no longer the official residence of the Kings of Thailand. However, it is considered at the very heart of Thailand and still holds great ceremonial importance and home of this great museum and of several functioning royal offices. Entry is free for all Thai people.
The temple of the Emerald Buddha is considered the most important spiritual site in Thailand.
It is useful if you also bring with you a sun hat – you will see many Asian tourists like to use umbrellas these are a good idea as they are less hot than a sun hat, but it is a real occupational hazard of a Grand Palace visit, avoiding being poked in the eye these days. So my feeling is that it is rather anti-social! Certainly, a fan and a bottle of water are a must. We will try to keep our cool in more ways than one!
Let me introduce you to many of the faces you will see around the Grand Palace…
In my humble opinion, the Grand Palace authority needs to get a grip on the numbers of tourists allowed in at any one time, as the experience is more akin to a rugger scrum than a serene, dignified and pleasant experience, but we will do our best to avoid the crowds.
Here is a final photo where everything is calm!
G is for Grand Palace Bangkok and part of Blogging from A to Z April (2018) Challenge. Click here to see the list of all participants!
Thanks so much to the organisers.
4 comments
I have been reading your Bangkok posts with interest (but was a bit lazy with commenting, sorry). I was in Bangkok briefly in 1997. After six months of laid pack tent backpacking around Australia, I was utterly unprepared for the beehive that is Bangkok. I was meant to explore for a month but left after a week. I am still regretting this speedy departure. One day I am going back and when I do I will make sure I have your blog posts bookmarked 🙂
Ha Ha Christina, I can see how that would happen and of course, this was the exact route from Australia that I took…. It is quite a contrast. I hope your hurried departure took you to somewhere amazing like Koh Samui or one of the island spots? You would see lots of changes for sure if you came back. Bangkok has modernised in some areas, stayed staunchly traditional in others. It’s fun, infuriating, overwhelming, delightful I probably don’t know anywhere else where you can get all the these feels before you’ve even had your morning coffee! You should try it and of course if you do come back let me know!
Wren x
Spectacular. You did well to get such good shots of the Palace with so many visitors and their umbrellas getting in the way. x
Oh I know Karen as royal palaces go it is so spectacular, it makes Buckingham Palace look a tad drab for sure! I do try and specialise in the brighter side of life but they really should put umbrellas on the prohibited list! I have plenty of photos with the people in for sure, but at the end of the day the buildings are so spectacular and diverse that they shine brightly in any visit.
Wren x