Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [43]
The district’s attractions are concentrated in the area south of Sanam Luang and are ideally visited on foot (see the walking tour, Click here), preferably in the morning before it gets too hot. The pavements that circumnavigate the main sights and the temple courtyards are almost completely devoid of shade, so a hat, sunscreen and even an umbrella can be a good idea. Alternatively, túk-túks (pronounced đúk đúk) are a dime a dozen around here (offer half what they ask for).
Four river piers – Tha Phra Chan, Tha Maharat, Tha Chang and Tha Tien – service this district, making transport a scenic, convenient and relaxed experience. It’s also a popular area from which to hire longtail boats for tours into Thonburi’s canals.
South of Th Na Phra Lan is primarily a tourist zone with a few warehouses abutting the river as reminders that a measure of traditional life still exists. North of the Grand Palace is Sanam Luang, an expansive park where joggers shuffle along in the early morning hours. Alongside Sanam Luang, the National Museum and the National Theatre stand with stoic resolve and people gather to celebrate and protest the kingdom’s milestones. On the far eastern side of Wat Phra Kaew are government ministry buildings reflecting a pronounced Western architectural influence – an interesting contrast to the flamboyant Thai architecture across the street.
Rip-off artists prowl the tourist strip, using the country’s legendary hospitality to earn a dishonest day’s wages. Disregard any strangers who approach you inquiring about where you are from (usually followed by ‘oh, my son/daughter is at university there’), where you are going or (the classic opening gambit) telling you the attractions are closed (see Click here). Save the one-on-one cultural exchange for genuine people outside the tourist zone.
WAT PHRA KAEW & GRAND PALACE
Map
0 2222 6889; Th Na Phra Lan; admission to wát, palace & Dusit Park 350B, audio guide for 2hr 200B; 8.30am-3.30pm (closes 4pm); air-con 503 & 508, ordinary 25, 80 & 91; Tha Chang (N9)
Wat Phra Kaew (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha) gleams and glitters with so much colour and glory that its earthly foundations seem barely able to resist the celestial pull. Architecturally fantastic, the temple complex is also the spiritual core of Thai Buddhism and the monarchy, symbolically united in what is the country’s most holy image, the Emerald Buddha. Attached to the temple complex is the former royal residence, once a sealed city of intricate ritual and social stratification.
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TRANSPORT: KO RATANAKOSIN
Bus Air-con 503, 508 & 511; ordinary 3, 25, 39, 47, 53 & 70
Ferry Tha Rajinee (N7), Tha Tien (N8) & Tha Chang (N9)
There’s no Skytrain or Metro to Ko Ratanakosin – yet – so the easiest and most enjoyable ways to get here are by river ferry or on foot. From Banglamphu just walk through Thammasat University or Sanam Luang; from almost anywhere else take either a ferry direct or the Skytrain to Saphan Taksin and a ferry from there. Less fun but faster (unless it’s peak hour) are the cheap taxis and expensive túk-túks.
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Enter Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace complex through the clearly marked third gate from the river pier. Tickets are purchased inside the complex; anyone telling you it’s closed before 3.30pm is a gem tout or con artist.
Past the ticket counters you’ll meet the yaksha, brawny guardian giants from the Ramakian (the Thai version of the Indian Ramayana epic). Beyond them is a courtyard where the central bòht (chapel) houses the Emerald Buddha (see the boxed text, Click here). The spectacular ornamentation inside and out does an excellent job