Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [44]
Outside the main bòht is a stone statue of the Chinese goddess of mercy, Kuan Im, and nearby are two cow figures, representing the year of Rama I’s birth. In the 2km-long cloister that defines the perimeter of the complex are 178 murals depicting the Ramakian in its entirety, beginning at the north gate and moving clockwise around the compound. If the temple grounds seem overrun by tourists, the mural area is usually mercifully quiet and shady.
Adjoining Wat Phra Kaew is the Grand Palace (Phra Borom Maharatchawang), a former royal residence that is today only used on ceremonial occasions; the current monarch lives in Chitralada Palace. Visitors are allowed to survey the Grand Palace grounds and four of the remaining palace buildings, which are interesting for their royal bombast.
At the eastern end, Borombhiman Hall is a French-inspired structure that served as a residence for Rama VI (King Vajiravudh; r 1910–25). Today it can only be viewed through its iron gates. But in April 1981 General San Chitpatima used it as the headquarters for an attempted coup. Amarindra Hall, to the west, was originally a hall of justice but is used (very rarely indeed) for coronation ceremonies; the golden, boat-shaped throne looks considerably more ornate than comfortable.
The largest of the palace buildings is the triple-winged Chakri Mahaprasat (Grand Palace Hall). Completed in 1882 following a plan by British architects, the exterior shows a peculiar blend of Italian Renaissance and traditional Thai architecture, a style often referred to as fà·ràng sài chá-dah (Westerner wearing a Thai classical dancer’s headdress), because each wing is topped by a mondòp (a layered, heavily ornamented spire). It is believed the original plan called for the palace to be topped with a dome, but Rama V (King Chulalongkorn; r 1868–1910) was persuaded to go for a Thai-style roof instead. The tallest of the mondòp, in the centre, contains the ashes of Chakri kings; the flanking mondòp enshrine the ashes of the many Chakri princes who failed to inherit the throne.
The last building to the west is the Ratanakosin-style Dusit Hall, which initially served as a venue for royal audiences and later as a royal funerary hall.
Until Rama VI decided one wife was enough for any man, even a king (see Click here), Thai kings housed their huge harems in the inner palace area (not open to the public), which was guarded by combat-trained female sentries. The intrigue and rituals that occurred within the walls of this cloistered community live on in the fictionalised epic Four Reigns, by Kukrit Pramoj, which follows a young girl named Ploi growing up within the Royal City.
Remember to hang on to your ticket as it also allows entry to Dusit Park.
WAT PHO
Map
0 2622 3533; www.watpho.com; Th Sanam Chai; admission 50B; 8am-6pm; air-con 503 & 508, ordinary 12, 47, 53 & 82; Tha Tien (N8)
Of all Bangkok’s temples, Wat Pho is arguably the one most worth visiting for both its remarkable Reclining Buddha image and its sprawling, stupa-studded grounds. The temple boasts a long list of credits: the oldest and largest wát in Bangkok; the longest Reclining Buddha and the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand; and the country’s first public education institution. For all that, it sees fewer visitors than neighbouring Wat Phra Kaew and feels less commercial.
A temple has stood on this site since the 16th century, but in 1781 Rama I ordered the original Wat Photharam to be completely rebuilt as part of his new capital. Under Rama III (King Phranangklao; r 1824–51), the massive Reclining Buddha was built and Wat Pho became Thailand’s first university. Today it maintains that tradition as the national headquarters for the teaching and preservation