The Grand Palace

Construction began on 6 May 1782 under King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty. The walled complex covers about 218,400 square metres on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River. The grounds include Wat Phra Kaew, the royal chapel that houses the Emerald Buddha. Foreign visitors pay 500 baht. The ticket also covers Wat Phra Kaew and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles. A strict dress code applies: no sleeveless, see-through or cropped tops, and no shorts, mini skirts or torn trousers.

The Grand Palace is a large walled complex of throne halls, pavilions, courtyards and temple buildings in the historic Rattanakosin area of Bangkok. It was founded in 1782 when the Chakri dynasty made Bangkok its capital. For well over a century it was where the Thai king lived, where the court met and where the kingdom was governed. Today it is one of the most visited sights in Thailand.

The complex is split into an Outer, a Middle and an Inner Court. Each once had a separate role, from government offices to the private quarters of the royal household. In the northeastern part of the grounds is Wat Phra Kaew, the royal chapel. It holds the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred Buddha image in the country. The gilded chedis, mirrored mosaics and guardian figures here are among the best-known images of Thailand.

The palace is still a working royal site. It hosts state ceremonies and official functions, and the Bureau of the Royal Household has its offices in the Outer Court. Only certain areas are open to visitors. The buildings you can see show how traditional Thai royal architecture developed alongside European influence in the 19th century.

When to go: The palace is open every day. Arriving soon after the 8:30 AM opening is the easiest way to avoid the hottest part of the day and the biggest tour-group crowds. Tickets are only sold until 3:30 PM, so a late-afternoon visit leaves little time. Opening hours can change because the site is still used for official royal functions, so check the official Royal Grand Palace website a few days before you go.

Getting there: The palace is on Na Phra Lan Road in Bangkok's old Rattanakosin quarter. The official visitor guide suggests three main routes. By MRT, go to Sanam Chai Station (Exit 1) and take bus 3, 9, 44, 47, 53 or 82. By BTS, go to Saphan Taksin Station (Exit 2), walk to the river and take the orange-flag Chao Phraya Express Boat to Tha Chang pier (N9). From Tha Tien pier (N8) the palace is about a 10-minute walk. Many city bus routes also stop nearby. If you take a tuk-tuk, agree the fare before you set off.

In 1782 King Phutthayotfa Chulalok, later known as Rama I, founded the Chakri dynasty. He moved the royal capital from Thonburi across the Chao Phraya River to Bangkok. Work on a new royal residence began on 6 May 1782, on land beside the river. The first walls and buildings were partly timber and were rebuilt in masonry over the next few years. Some of the bricks were salvaged from the ruins of Ayutthaya, the former capital. When finished, the walled complex covered about 218,400 square metres.

Rama I also wanted a royal temple inside the palace walls. Building of Wat Phra Kaew, formally Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, began in 1783. Unlike most Thai temples it has no resident monks, so it works as a royal chapel. Its main treasure is the Emerald Buddha, a small meditating figure carved from green stone and about 66 centimetres tall. Rama I's forces had brought it from Vientiane in 1779. It was first kept at Wat Arun in Thonburi and was moved to its current place in the palace in 1785. To mark the change of season, the king leads a ceremony three times a year in which the image's gold garments are changed.

Later kings rebuilt and added to the palace. After lightning destroyed an early throne hall in 1789, Rama I had a new hall built to a different design. Under Rama IV, a detailed model of Angkor Wat was placed in the temple grounds, and the gold-tiled Phra Si Rattana Chedi was built in 1855 to hold relics of the Buddha. The best-known later addition is the Chakri Maha Prasat throne hall. Work started in 1876 and it was finished in 1882, the year the Chakri dynasty and the palace turned one hundred. It was designed by the English architect John Clunich with his assistant Henry C. Rose. The hall has a European-style body under a traditional Thai roof, which reflects the period when Siam was modernising and dealing more with Western powers.

The king, the court and the government were all based at the Grand Palace until the early 20th century. By 1925 they had moved to other residences, such as Dusit Palace. Even so, the Grand Palace kept its ceremonial role. Every coronation since Rama II has taken place in the Phra Maha Monthien group of buildings, most recently for King Rama X on 4 May 2019. The palace is still used for state ceremonies, while parts of it are open to the public as a museum. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has reported gate counts of around eight million visitors a year.

1. The Royal Grand Palace (Bureau of the Royal Household) · Practical Information | The Grand Palace ↗
2. Wikipedia · Grand Palace ↗
3. Wikipedia · Wat Phra Kaew ↗
4. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT News) · Bangkok's iconic Grand Palace makes world's 50 most-visited tourist attractions list ↗