Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Except for an anteroom here and there, the buildings of the
Grand Palace
Offline map
Google map
(Phra Borom Maharatchawong) are now put to use by the
king only for certain ceremonial occasions, such as Coronation Day.
The largest of the palace buildings is the
Chakri Mahaprasat
, the Grand Palace Hall.
Built in 1882 by British architects using Thai labour, the exterior is a peculiar blend of Itali-
an Renaissance and traditional Thai architecture. It's a style often referred to as
fa·ràng
sài chá·dah
(Westerner in a Thai crown) because each wing is topped by a
mon·dòp
- a
heavily ornamented spire representing a Thai adaptation of the Hindu
mandapa
(shrine).
The admission fee for the complex includes entrance to Dusit Palace Park (
Click here
), which includes Vimanmaek Teak Mansion and Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Click here
;
admission 350B;
8.30am-3.30pm;
503, 508, river ferry Tha
Chang
Sleeping
Ko Ratanakosin, Banglamphu & Thonburi
Ko Ratanakosin, the most touristed area of Bangkok, was until relatively recently ut-
terly devoid of lodging options. But with the advent of the boutique-hotel craze, a
few riverside shophouses are being transformed into charming tourists' nests.
Banglamphu, in particular the neighbourhood that includes the backpacker street
of Th Khao San, is ground zero for budget accommodation in Bangkok.
In recent years many longstanding Banglamphu guest house owners have con-
verted their former hovels into small hotels, leading to an abundance of new, good-
value midrangers and posh backpacker hostels.
Travels of the Emerald Buddha
The Emerald Buddha (Phra Kaew Morakot) holds a prominent position in Thai Buddhism
in spite of its size (a mere 66cm) and original material (probably jasper quartz or nephrite
