Bangkok, known to the Thais as "Krungthep", which
means the City of Angels, was established in 1782 by King Rama I as capital
of Siam. Over the past two centuries, it has developed into a great metropolis
with a population of over eight million. Like other modern cities in the
world, Bangkok boasts lots of massive buildings, numerous luxurious hotels,
shopping centres, and a modern international airport. But Bangkok has also
retained its traditional charm. It is a mixture of East and West, the ancient
and the modern. Its surface has taken on the look of the present time, while
underneath the old ways are much alive in Thais' everyday life. So, despite
its modernization, Bangkok is still best suited for a glimpse of the traditional
arts, architecture, religion, and other aspects of the culture of the Thai
people.
If you want to visit these places with a travel agent, please click
here.
Grand
Palace & Wat Phra Kaeo(Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
This is the most famous place that
is a must for all tourists. It is a large compound located near Sanam
Luang in the very heart of Bangkok. The Grand Palace and the Temple
of the Emerald Buddha were built after King Rama I ascended the throne
as the founder of the Chakri Dynasty on 6 April 1782 and have undergone
several repairs and renovations.
The Grand Palace consists of several buildings with different styles
of architecture. Wat Phra Kaeo is renowned as the most beautiful and
important Buddhist temple in Thailand. It houses Phra Kaeo Morakot
(the Emerald Buddha), the most highly revered Buddha image carved
from a single block of fine jade.
Scattered in the temple grounds are numerous interesting sculptures
of artistic value, including the fanciful animals in mythology, the
fierce-looking giants standing guard at the gates, the six pairs of
Cambodian-style bronze lions and the stone figures from China.
On the inside walls of the temple's compound, there are extensive
mural paintings depicting scenes from the famous epic "Ramayana".
It is the longest wall painting in the world as well as one of the
Unseen Bangkoks. A distinctive characteristic of this temple is that
there are no monks living in it like other temples.
Among the four groups of palaces,
the Chakri Maha Prasat is the largest and most famous. Erected
by King Rama V in 1882 as his own residence, the 3-storey building
is a mixture of Thai and Western architecture. The top part is pure
Thai with tapering spires and tiered sloping roofs, and the lower
parts, designed by a British architect, are in the Imperial Victorian
style.
Boromphiman Hall This
French-inspired structure was built by King Rama V for Crown Prince
Vajiravudh as his residence. It is now used to accommodate visiting
foreign heads of state.
Note : Proper dress is required. Women visitors must wear long pants
or long skirts. Men in short pants are not allowed to enter the temple.
Photography inside the main temple is forbidden.
Open
Daily, 08.30 - 15.30 hrs.
Admission fee
250 baht to Wat Phra Kaeo and the Grand Palace
Compound. The fee includes entry to the Royal Thai Decorations
& Coins Pavilion (in the Grand Palace Compound) and to Vimanmek
Mansion and Apisek Dusit Throne Hall (Ratchawithi Road).
Located across the street from the eastern
wall of Wat Phra Kaeo to the southeast of Sanam Luang, this shrine
contains a wooden pillar erected by King Rama I in 1782 to represent
the founding of the capital. The spirit of the pillar is considered
the city's guardian deity to whom hundreds of Thai worshippers
daily come to pay homage and offer prayers.
Thai classical dance performances are given many times daily from
08:30 until 15:30 hrs. (16:00 for Sunday).
Located in the Dusit
Palace area behind the old National Assembly Building, this three-storey
European style mansion is the biggest golden teakwood building in
the world. It was originally built in 1868 by command of King Rama
V as a summer house on the island of Ko Si Chang off Chon Buri province.
It was moved to Dusit Palace compound in 1901 and used as a royal
residence.
After having been deserted
for decades, it was renovated by order of H.M. Queen Sirikit in 1982
and opened to the public as the private museum of King Rama V with
31 exhibition rooms in total. Some rooms such as the bedrooms, the
throne room and the bathrooms, are kept in the original condition,
while the others are used to display art works.
The collection consists mostly of photographs of royalty and other
personages. Also displayed are antique furniture, elegant Thai ceramics,
precious china, European porcelain, splendid gift items from abroad
and many other invaluable memorabilia.
There are several other buildings in the compound that are worth visiting.
Most of them display a variety of artefacts and precious art objects.
Some interesting ones are:
Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall
Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall Built in a harmonious Euro-Thai
style, this throne hall is a one-storey building decorated with intricate
fretwork known as the floral design, coloured glass and stucco motifs
on the gable. It is now used as a museum exhibiting art works and
handicrafts of great value, especially those of the SUPPORT Foundation
under the royal patronage of HM the Queen. Suan Farang Kangsai
Residential Hall It was originally the residence of Princess Dara
Rasmi, a royal consort of King Chulalongkorn. It now displays oil
paintings by members of the royal family and various royal paraphernalia,
such as an insignia of the king, royal sedan chairs and the Grand
Butsabok or movable throne.
Suan Hong Residential Hall
Suan Hong Residential Hall This two-storey building was the
residence of Queen Sawang Wattana from 1902-1910. Now it houses collections
of pictures of royal ceremonies. Moreover, it also houses photographs
of activities of HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Suan Bua Residential Hall
Suan Bua Residential Hall This building was formerly
the residence of HH Princess Saisavali Bhiromya, the royal consort
of King Rama V. Today, it exhibits the precious art objects which
were presented to His Majesty the King on his birthday and other occasions.
Suan Si Rue-du Residential Hall
Suan Si Rue-du Residential Hall This building was
originally the residence of HM Queen Saovabha, and HRH Princess Valaya
Alongkorn, HM King Bhumibol's aunt. Presently it displays gifts and
art objects presented to His Majesty King Bhumibol on the auspicious
occasion of the 50th anniversary of his accession to the throne in
1996.
The Royal Carriage Museum contains 23 royal horse-drawn
carriages mostly imported from Europe in the reign of King Rama
V.
Besides, cultural shows are presented in the mansion compound every
day at 10.30 and 14.00 hrs. A tram service is also available at
a fee of 50 baht per person. For more details, contact Tel. 0 2628
6300.
Note : Proper dress is required. Women visitors must wear long skirts
or long pants. Men in short pants are not allowed to enter.
Established in 1926 in the reign of
King Rama VII, it is located within walking distance of the Grand
Palace next to Thammasat University, this is the largest and most
comprehensive museum in Southeast Asia. It contains an 18th century
palace and a group of well-designed buildings, housing Thailand's
artistic treasures from prehistoric to contemporary.
The National Museum houses three permanent exhibition galleries as
follows:
1. The Thai History Gallery
2. The Archaeological & Art History Collections
3. The Decorative Arts & Ethnological Collections
Head of Buddha,
Ayutthaya Style
(15th - 17th centuries AD)
Entrance to the National Museum
Tours conducted at 9.30 hrs. daily
-- in English (on Wed and Thur), French (Wed and Thur), German (Thur)
and Japanese (Wed).
Open
Daily, 09.00 - 16.00 hrs.
except Mon, Tue and public holidays
Wat
Pho (Wat Phra Chetuphon or Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
Chetuphon Road
Located next to the Grand Palace on the south side, this is the oldest
(built in 1688) and biggest temple with the largest number of pagodas
(total 95) and largest collection of Buddha images (total 394) in
the city. Wat Pho is well known for its huge Reclining Buddha,
46 m long and 15 m high. The most striking part of the statue is its
soles, which are decorated with 108 auspicious patterns inlaid with
mother-of-pearl. Besides, it was the first open university of Thailand
which used to offer courses in several branches of knowledge like
literature, archaeology, astrology and medicine.
Reclining Buddha
Wat Pho
Nowadays Wat Pho is famous among foreign
visitors for its Thai Traditional Massage School, which offers
three kinds of massage services namely, body massage, body massage
with herbs, and foot massage. The massage service opens daily from
8 a.m. till 5 p.m. For learning courses, there are three courses,
i.e. general Thai massage, therapeutic and healing massage and foot
massage.
For more information about the massage services and courses, please
call 0 2211 2974
Located
on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River with Arun Amarin Road at
its back, it can be reached by boat from Tha Chang Pier near Wat Phra
Kaeo or Tha Tian Pier near Wat Pho. Constructed in the 17th century,
it is attractive in its striking prangs (a kind of pagoda) which are
decorated with millions of pieces of Chinese porcelain. Its central
prang, at a height of 82 metres (20-storey building) is the tallest
prang of Thailand. Visitors can climb up to a high level to have a
good view of the Chao Phraya River and the nearby surroundings. Anyway,
the most beautiful view of it is from the east bank of the river at
sunset.
Si Ayutthaya Road
near Chitralada Palace
Wat Benchamabophit is one of the most modern works of Thai religious
architecture where the relics of King Rama V are enshrined.
The Marble Temple
Singh statue in front of the temple
Graceful and tranquil, it is famous
for its main chapel built in white Cararra Italian marble to house
a replica of Thailand's most beautiful Buddha image, Phra Phutthachinnarat.
The courtyard behind the chapel exhibits 53 Buddha images representing
famous images and styles from all over Thailand and Asia.
Samutprakan
Crocodile Farm & Zoo Samut Prakan, 25 km from Bangkok
Here
is the world's largest crocodile farm with over 60,000 crocs in stock.
Visitors can also view a crocodile wrestling show and elephant shows
which are presented several times daily. Besides, there is a modest
sized zoo with some rare animals such as tigers, chimpanzees, lions,
leopards, pythons, camels, etc. See
ad
Information
Tel. 0 2703 4891 to 5
Duration of visit
About half day
Open
Daily, 08.00 - 18.00 hrs.
Accessibility
By road 28 km from Bangkok by Highway No. 3 about
30 min. drive.
By bus : Take a No. 8 or 11 air-con bus to Samut Prakan and
then take a local minibus
Samphran
Elephant Ground & Zoo Km 30 of Phetkasem Highway
The
zoo boasts an elephant theme show which includes elephants training
by mahouts, elephants at work, dancing, playing football and scenes
of ancient elephant-back battle. The zoo also includes a crocodile
farm with more than 10,000 crocodiles, where daily crocodile wrestling
shows are held.
Information
Tel. 0 2429 0361 to 2
Duration of visit
About half day
Open
Daily, 08.00 - 17.00 hrs.
Accessibility
By Phetkasem Highway about 40 min.
drive. Daily coach service from the Southern Bus Terminal.
This
large and popular floating market is about 80 km southwest of Bangkok
in Ratchaburi province. Photos of this vibrant market featuring
many small boats laden with colourful fruits and vegetables and
paddled by Thai women wearing bamboo hats, are among the most often
published in travel magazines and brochures of Thailand.
The Damnoen Saduak canal was ordered to be built in 1866 by King
Rama IV of the Chakri Dynasty to facilitate waterborne travels between
Ratchaburi and Samutsakhon Provinces. It was finished and opened
to the public in 1868.
Nowadays, apart from providing transportation, Damnoen Saduak canal
also provides local farmers with adequate water for agricultural purposes.
A number of canals were dug to connect with it by local peasants to
get water to splatter their land. As the excellent quality soil along
the canal is very fertile, the area has a high potential for producing
various kinds of fruits and vegetables.
The Floating Market is routinely crowded with hundreds of vendors
and purchasers floating in their small rowing boats selling and buying
agricultural products and local food, which are mostly brought from
their own nearby orchards. Therefore, it is a very attractive place
for tourists to see this old style and traditional way of selling
and buying goods.
Around
this area, boat trip services are available for sightseeing along
smaller canals branching off from the Damnoen Saduak canal. Visitors
can observe Thai traditional houses and the way they live as well
as tasting exotic fruits, local food and refreshing drinks along
the waterway.
There are bus services to Damnoen Saduak from the Southern Bus Terminal
on Borommarat Chachonnani Road starting at 6 a.m. You'd better get
there as early in the morning as possible to escape a crowd of visitors.
If you want to visit this place
with a travel agent, please click
here.
Duration of visit
About 2-3 hrs.
Open
Early morning daily.
Most boats will be there up to about mid-morning.
Royal
Barges Museum On Bangkok Noi Canal near Arun Amarin
Bridge
The museum can be reached by boat
from Tha Chang Pier near the Grand Palace. It houses several royal
barges used in Royal ceremonial processions on the river.
The most beautiful and important barge is the Suphannahong,
the king's personal barge, which was built in 1911 in the reign of
King Rama VI. It is 44.7 metres long and 3.1 metres wide, being the
largest and most elaborate dugout in the world. The name, meaning
"golden hongsa", came from the bow of the barge carved into the shape
of the head of a mythical bird called hongsa.
Suphannahong
Royal Barges Museum
Narayana Songsuban
Another important barge is Narayana
Songsuban, the newest royal vessel constructed for King Rama IX.
Its bow was carved in the shape of the Hindu GodNarayana riding the Garuda.
Located at the corner
of Henri Dunant Road and Rama IV Road, the Snake Farm is the second
oldest in the world. A foreigner who realized the dangers of snakes’
venom established it in 1923. Since imported serum was no match
for serum produced by Thai poisonous snakes, this snake farm was
purposely built to extract serum from their venom.
At present, the farm is also used for providing knowledge about venom for
interested people and medical students, as well as raising non-poisonous
snakes, which are beneficial to our ecosystem like the Indochinese rat snake,
and the copperhead racer, which is kept for educational purposes.
After refurbishing, the Farm now features multimedia facilities that
offer exhibitions such as snakes’ life cycle and their evolution.
On weekdays, the extraction of venom is demonstrated at 11.00 hrs. To
feel a shiver of excitement, let’s watch a daily show between an
experienced handler and deadly reptiles at 14.30 hrs.
In addition, the Farm provides activities for kids such as how to do
the first-aid for a snakebite victim and a quiz on snakes’ venom.
Located
on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River with Arun Amarin Road at
its back, it can be reached by boat from Tha Chang Pier near Wat Phra
Kaeo or Tha Tian Pier near Wat Pho. Constructed in the 17th century,
it is attractive in its striking prangs (a kind of pagoda) which are
decorated with millions of pieces of Chinese porcelain. Its central
prang, at a height of 82 metres (20-storey building) is the tallest
prang of Thailand. Visitors can climb up to a high level to have a
good view of the Chao Phraya River and the nearby surroundings. Anyway,
the most beautiful view of it is from the east bank of the river at
sunset. 
Here
is the world's largest crocodile farm with over 60,000 crocs in stock.
Visitors can also view a crocodile wrestling show and elephant shows
which are presented several times daily. Besides, there is a modest
sized zoo with some rare animals such as tigers, chimpanzees, lions,
leopards, pythons, camels, etc. 
The
zoo boasts an elephant theme show which includes elephants training
by mahouts, elephants at work, dancing, playing football and scenes
of ancient elephant-back battle. The zoo also includes a crocodile
farm with more than 10,000 crocodiles, where daily crocodile wrestling
shows are held. 
Around
this area, boat trip services are available for sightseeing along
smaller canals branching off from the Damnoen Saduak canal. Visitors
can observe Thai traditional houses and the way they live as well
as tasting exotic fruits, local food and refreshing drinks along
the waterway.
