Spend a day in Grand Palace, a walk with Thailand’s royalty
Built in 1972 by the King Rama I of Siam (now known as Thailand), the Grand Palace is a notable cluster of palatial buildings nestled at the edge of the Chao Phraya River on the Rattanakosin Island of Bangkok. When there, visitors can opt to lodge at one of the many Luxury Hotels Bangkok. A good choice being the Anantara Bangkok Sathorn, which is an urban sanctuary that offers well-appointed interiors, panoramic views, and easy access to the city’s vibrant life.
Embodying rich Thai tapestry along with a hint of European splendor, the palace is made up of a significant number of ornate throne halls, golden pagodas, forts, pavilions and royal residencies placed around well kempt gardens and courtyards. Once home to over 200 years of royalty, it is now the official site for many annual royal and state functions. This vast expanse of breathtaking architecture is divided into several quarters, namely; the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Outer Court, the Middle Court, the Inner Court and the Siwalai Gardens quarter.
A must-see however is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaeo, which is considered as the most important Buddhist temple in Thailand. With gigantic figures of mythical creatures standing guard at either side of its entrance, this temple enshrines a magnificent Buddha sculpture immaculately carved from a single block of jade. Also on the list is the Grand Palace Hall or Chakri Mahaprasat, which is the largest triple-winged palace building topped with layered, heavily ornamented spires. The tallest of the wings contains the ashes of the many kings of Chakri.
Visitors are sure to be transported far back in to history, when life-changing wars, ceremonies, royal coronations, marriages, and deaths took place at this exquisite site and still echoes from within its walls today. All tourists are expected to adhere to a strict dress code in order to enter the premises. In the case of failure, they are escorted to a building near the front gate where suitable clothing is provided for a small deposit.
Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. She has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
