Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo

Location - Main entrance off Na Phra Lan Road. The easiest access is by River Express boat at Tha Chang pier. Google Map location.

This is the premiere tourist attraction in Bangkok. It is one of the grandest and most beautiful structures in the world. The Grand Palace was once the home of the Thai monarchy and was a self-contained city, although it is now only used for official ceremonial purposes. Wat Phra Kaeo is the temple next to the Grand Palace, containing some of the most ornately decorated buildings in Thailand. The general route is to enter through the temple and then cross over to the Grand Palace. Once you step through the entrance gate into the temple grounds you are immediately struck by the scale and colour of this site not to mention the smell of incense. For these reasons, this is the most popular site to visit for tourists and Thais and is always busy, although less so first thing the morning. It is therefore quite difficult to get a clear photo without someone wandering in front of you. This is the most sacred place for Thai people so please behave respectfully and dress appropriately for a place of worship - trousers and covered shoulders are fine, otherwise you won't be allowed in, although sarongs and wrap-around skirts are available to hire at the main entrance. Beware of the touts that hang around outside. They will try to tell you that the Grand Palace is closed for a public holiday or religious ceremony. It's not true, they are trying to get you to take a ride in their tuk-tuk. Please read the linked article by clicking here. This site also contains great advice on other Bangkok scams to be avoided! Click here for the official website of the Palaces of the King which contains interesting and useful information about the Grand Palace.