Login

The Grand Palace

Splendid Thai Royal Palace Complex

The Grand Palace in Bangkok was built in 1782 on the orders of King Rama I. The Thai royal family lived in the Grand Palace for over a hundred years. The Grand Palace in Bangkok houses buildings such as the Chakri Maha Prasat Hall and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

In 1782, King Rama I founded the Bangkok dynasty on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River and ordered the reconstruction of the palace. For the next hundred years, the Thai royal family lived here and moved many government departments into the Grand Palace of Bangkok.

The Grand Palace can be divided into four main areas depending on space and usage: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Outer Court, the Middle Court, and the Inner Court.

Manywhere Trivia:
King Rama I through VIII lived in the Grand Palace until 1946, when King Rama IX moved out after Rama VIII was shot dead in his bedroom.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is the most important temple in Thailand, built in the same era as the Grand Palace. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is located northeast of the Grand Palace, the temple houses a statue of Emerald Buddha, the national treasure of Thailand.

Temple Of The Emerald Buddha / Wat Phra Kaew

The 14th Century National Treasure

Located in the northeast corner of the Grand Palace of Bangkok, Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is the highest-ranked Buddhist temple in Thailand. The temple houses a national treasure Emerald Buddha statue made of jadeite, and most of the buildings inside the temple, such as the Emerald Buddha Hall, the Library, and the Golden Stupa, have gorgeous and stunning exterior decorations.

The main entrance to Bangkok’s Grand Palace is located in the Outer Court, an area that also features several museums such as the Museum of the Emerald Buddha Temple and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles.

The Middle Court houses several of the main buildings of the Grand Palace of Bangkok, an area which is Heavily Guarded, guards can be seen lined up from time to time. Phra Maha Monthian Group is one of the earliest building complexes in the Grand Palace, and was once used to receive dignitaries and ambassadors, and is now used for royal ceremonies.

Chakri Maha Prasat Hall Complex was built during the reign of King Rama V, the main building was constructed in the European style with a Thai-style roof, which is very rare in the Grand Palace.

The Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat is also an early building of the Grand Palace, which suffered a fire in 1789 and was restored. It is a place where the coffins of deceased kings, queens and royal family members are kept.

The Siwalai Garden and other buildings in the Inner Court are not open to the public.

Manywhere Tips:
The Grand Palace is open 365 days a year. Don’t trust him if somebody comes over and tells you the palace is closed temporarily.

On the outskirts of Bangkok’s Grand Palace is an easily recognizable Two-Kilometer-Long White Palace Wall. However, most of the palace gates are not open, so if you are not familiar with the route, you may have to walk quite a long way along the wall to find the entrance for tourists.