Photo: Ninara from Helsinki, Finland (edit: TSP) (CC BY 4.0)
Culture and heritage · Thailand
The Grand Palace and Wat Pho
A morning in royal Bangkok, between the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and Wat Pho. A private guide explains the kingdom's history and craft.
Bangkok · Thailand
The experience
The Grand Palace was founded in 1782, when the capital moved to Bangkok, and remained the seat of the Chakri kings. The compound holds throne halls, state buildings and Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, with gilded spires and walls set with porcelain and coloured glass.
A few minutes' walk away is Wat Pho, one of Bangkok's oldest and largest temples, known for its 46-metre reclining Buddha. It is also the historic school of traditional Thai massage, which UNESCO added to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2019.
We plan the visit early in the morning, before the heat and the crowds, with a private guide who speaks English, or Arabic when available. If you wish, a short boat ride then takes you across the river to Wat Arun.
The palace has a strict dress code: covered shoulders and long trousers or skirts, no open sandals. Light, loose clothing and water are wise, as the visit takes about 3 hours on foot.
Thailand
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