Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIGHTS
DUSIT PALACE PARK
See
Click here
.
MUSEUM, HISTORICAL SITE
WAT BENCHAMABOPHIT
(cnr Th Si Ayuthaya & Th Phra Ram V; admission 20B; 8am-6pm; Phaya Thai exit 3 & taxi)
Inside and out,
this temple is one of the most unusual, and most extravagant, in the kingdom. Built at the
turn of the century on the orders of Rama V, the
bòht
(ordination hall) is made of white
Carrara marble - hence its alternative name, 'Marble Temple' - imported from Italy espe-
cially for the job.
This structure is a prime example of modern Thai temple architecture, as is the interior
design, which melds Thai motifs with European influences: the red carpets, the gold-on-
white motifs painted repetitively on the walls, the walls painted like stained-glass windows
and the royal blue wall behind the central Buddha image are strongly reminiscent of a
European palace. It's not all that surprising when you consider how enamoured Rama V
(whose ashes are in the base of said Buddha image) was with Europe - just walk across the
street to Dusit Park for further evidence.
The courtyard behind the
bòht
has 53 Buddha images (33 originals and 20 copies) rep-
resenting every
mudra
(gesture) and style from Thai history, making this the ideal place to
compare Buddhist iconography. If religious details aren't for you, this temple still offers a
pleasant stroll beside landscaped canals filled with blooming lotus and Chinese-style foot-
bridges.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
ANANTA SAMAKHOM THRONE HALL
MUSEUM
(
www.artsofthekingdom.com
; Th U Thong Nai; admission 150B; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun; Phaya Thai exit 3 & taxi)
The domed neoclassical building behind the Rama V Memorial was originally built as a
royal reception hall during the reign of Rama V, but wasn't completed until 1915, five
years after his death. Today the building houses an exhibit called
Arts of the Kingdom,
which, like the nearby Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall, displays the products of Queen Sirikit's
Support foundation.
The hall was designed as a place to host - and impress - foreign dignitaries, and on oc-
casion it still serves this purpose, most notably during celebrations of King Bhumibol
Adulyadej's 60th year on the throne, when royals from around the world converged here in
