The Grand Palace, Bangkok: What You’ll Actually See and How to Navigate It

Men near the Grand Palace entrance tell visitors in plain clothes or unofficial-looking uniforms that the palace is closed for a religious holiday or royal ceremony and suggest an alternative. This happens daily. The palace is almost never actually closed. Walk past these people, verify at the gate yourself, and proceed.

The Grand Palace complex occupies 218,000 square metres on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok’s historical Rattanakosin Island district. Construction began in 1782 when King Rama I moved the capital from Thonburi. The compound contains the Grand Palace proper, Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), and supporting buildings and pavilions. It remains the official royal residence though the current monarch lives primarily in Dusit Palace.

Wat Phra Kaew and the Emerald Buddha

The temple contains the Emerald Buddha, Thailand’s most sacred religious image. The statue is 66cm tall, carved from a single block of jade (the Thai word for jade translates loosely as emerald). It was discovered in Chiang Rai in 1434, was contested between Lao and Thai kingdoms for centuries, and was installed in Bangkok in 1784. The King of Thailand personally changes the golden seasonal robes three times annually.

Photography of the interior is not permitted. Remove shoes before entering. The image is elevated at the far end of the hall and viewed from some distance; the surrounding temple architecture, the mother-of-pearl inlay, the gilded gable, the guardian yaksha figures outside, is as impressive as the statue itself.

The murals in the cloister depicting the Ramakien (Thai version of the Indian Ramayana) in 178 panels running 1,300 metres are among the most extensive mural paintings in Thailand and worth slow examination.

The Palace Buildings

Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall (completed 1882): an Italian Renaissance facade with three tiered Thai spires, commissioned by King Rama V as a deliberate hybrid. It looks exactly as strange as the description suggests.

Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall: an earlier building in purely Thai style, used for royal lying-in-state ceremonies.

Practical Matters

Admission: 500 THB for foreigners, covers both the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. Open 08:30-15:30 daily, last entry 15:00.

Dress code: Strictly enforced. Both men and women must cover shoulders and knees. Arrive dressed appropriately to avoid the sarong rental queue (50-100 THB, refundable deposit).

Getting there: Chao Phraya Express Boat to Tha Chang pier (Pier 9), 5-minute walk to the entrance. Far better than fighting road traffic. Ferry from Sathorn Pier (Saphan Taksin BTS station) costs 15-40 THB depending on boat type.

Wat Pho and Wat Arun

Both are within 15 minutes of the Grand Palace and should be visited the same day.

Wat Pho (100 THB): contains the 46-metre Reclining Buddha, the largest concentration of Buddha images in Bangkok, and the Wat Pho traditional massage school, the most legitimate massage option in the area at around 420 THB per hour.

Wat Arun (100 THB): across the river by 3-THB cross-river ferry from Tha Tien pier. The 70-metre prangs covered in Chinese porcelain tile are best seen from the eastern bank at dusk. The central prang can be climbed to a mid-level terrace.

Where to Eat

Avoid the tourist-facing restaurants at the entrance gates. Err Urban Rustic Thai on Maha Rat Road (10 minutes’ walk) serves high-quality modern Thai food for 180-380 THB per main. Alternatively, cross to Tha Wang Lang market on the west bank (3-THB ferry) for street food at 40-80 THB per dish.