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demonstrators who were killed on 14 October 1973 (remembered in Thai as sìp·sèe ù·lah, the date of the event) by the military during a prodemocracy rally. More than 200,000 people assembled at the Democracy Monument and along Th Ratchadamnoen to protest the arrest of political campaigners and to express their discontent over the continued military dictatorship; more than 70 demonstrators were killed when the tanks met the crowd. The complex is an interesting adaptation of Thai temple architecture for a secular and political purpose. A central chedi (stupa) is dedicated to the fallen, and a gallery of historic photographs lines the interior walls.

THONBURI

It’s calm enough on the right bank of the Mae Nam Chao Phraya to seem like another province – because it is! The attractions here are relatively few, but Fàng ton is a great area for aimless wandering among leafy streets.

Wat Arun

Striking Wat Arun (Map; 0 2891 1149; Th Arun Amarin; admission 50B; 9am-5pm; river ferry Tha Thai Wang) commands a martial pose as the third point in the holy trinity (along with Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho) of Bangkok’s early history. After the fall of Ayuthaya, King Taksin ceremoniously clinched control here on the site of a local shrine (formerly known as Wat Jaeng) and established a royal palace and a temple to house the Emerald Buddha. The temple was renamed after the Indian god of dawn (Aruna) and in honour of the literal and symbolic founding of a new Ayuthaya.

It wasn’t until the capital and the Emerald Buddha were moved to Bangkok that Wat Arun received its most prominent characteristic: the 82m-high prang (Khmer-style tower). The tower’s construction was started during the first half of the 19th century by Rama II and later completed by Rama III. Not apparent from a distance are the ornate floral mosaics made from broken, multihued Chinese porcelain, a common temple ornamentation in the early Ratanakosin period, when Chinese ships calling at the port of Bangkok used tonnes of old porcelain as ballast.

Also worth an inspection is the interior of the bòht. The main Buddha image is said to have been designed by Rama II himself. The murals date from the reign of Rama V; particularly impressive is one that depicts Prince Siddhartha encountering examples of birth, old age, sickness and death outside his palace walls, an experience that led him to abandon the worldly life. The ashes of Rama II are interred in the base of the presiding Buddha image.

Cross-river ferries run over to Wat Arun every few minutes (3B per person) from Tha Tien to Tha Thai Wang.

Sunset views of the temple compound can be caught from across the river at Tha Maharat or from the riverfront warehouses that line the street of the same name. Another great viewpoint is from the elevated patio restaurant at the Deck (Click here).

Royal Barges National Museum

The royal barges are slender, fantastically ornamented vessels used in ceremonial processions along the river. The tradition dates back to the Ayuthaya era, when most travel (for commoners and royalty) was by boat. Today the royal barge procession is an infrequent occurrence, most recently performed in 2006 in honour of the 60th anniversary of the king’s ascension to the throne. When not in use, the barges are on display at this Thonburi museum (Map; 0 2424 0004; Khlong Bangkok Noi; admission 100B, photo permit 100B; 9am-5pm; river ferry Tha Saphan Phra Pin Klao).

Suphannahong, the king’s personal barge, is the most important of the boats. Made from a single piece of timber, it’s the largest dugout in the world. The name means ‘Golden Swan’, and a huge swan head has been carved into the bow. Lesser barges feature bows that are carved into other Hindu-Buddhist mythological shapes such as naga (mythical sea serpent) and garuda (Vishnu’s bird mount). Historic photos help envision the grand processions in which the largest of the barges would require a rowing crew of 50 men, plus seven umbrella bearers, two helmsmen and two navigators, as well as a flagman, rhythm-keeper and chanter.

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