Rattanakosin is the man-made island that forms the royal centre of the original Old City, called Phra Nakorn. It was designed in 1782 when Bangkok was installed as the new capital of Thailand. For more than a century, Rattanakosin, just a boat ride across from the earlier capital at Thonburi, was the pulse of the city, and was where the seeds of the modern kingdom were planted.
The striking Phra Si Rattana Chedi at Wat Phra Kaew.
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The foundations of Bangkok’s new strategic powerhouse were based on the former capital of Ayutthaya, which was abandoned after being ransacked by the Burmese army in 1767. The area was located at the edge of the Chao Phraya river with the majestic Grand Palace as its epicentre. As the palace took shape, to mirror the island layout of Ayutthaya, defensive moats were dug by extending canals. Walls formed a protective stronghold around Phra Nakorn, and more canals were created to transport people across marsh and swampland.
Outside the high walls of the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew.
Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications
Rattanakosin brims with architectural grandeur, its series of palaces and temples filled with important religious artefacts installed to indicate the strength of the re-unified nation. Even today, the district contains many government offices and two of Thailand’s most respected universities (Thammasat and Silpakorn), in addition to being the religious nucleus of the nation. Ceremonies, festivals and parades are frequently held in this quarter.
Rattanakosin is best explored on foot. While most visitors attempt to cram all its sights into a day, two full days allow for greater appreciation of its more secluded treasures. The area’s proximity to the river means that it can be conveniently accessed by water transport, and the famous backpacker haven of Thanon Khao San (for more information, click here) is just a short stroll away. A project called the Krung Rattanakosin Plan that aimed to reorganise the district by relocating residents to form a historical park has largely been shelved, although there are still periodic announcements of tentative schemes for development.
Phra Mondop with its splendid exterior.
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Wat Phra Kaew and Grand Palace complex
Jostling among throngs of snap-happy tourists may not be the best context for viewing exotic Thailand, but the dignified splendour of two of Bangkok’s principal attractions – the Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace – is breathtaking nevertheless. The structures in this complex are an arresting spectacle of form and colour, with glistening golden chedi, glass mosaic-studded pillars, towering mythological gods, and fabulously ornate temple and palace structures piercing the sky.
Construction on the site, which originally spread over 160 hectares (65 acres), was begun in 1782 at the command of King Rama I. He wanted not only a palace befitting the new capital, but somewhere to house the Emerald Buddha, the country’s most revered religious image. The entire compound is surrounded by high crenellated walls, securing a once self-sufficient city within a city.
Wat Phra Kaew and Grand Palace complex 1 [map]
Address: Thanon Na Phra Lan, www.palaces.thai.net
Tel: 0-222 8181
Opening Hrs: daily 8.30am–3.30pm
Entrance Fee: charge (includes entry to Vimanmek and several other sights in Dusit)
Transport: Tha Chang pier
The only entrance (and exit) to the complex is along Thanon Na Phra Lan to the north. An early morning visit is recommended, preferably when bright sunlight illuminates the buildings to their dazzling best. Make sure you are dressed appropriately (see margin tip) and disregard touts who linger outside the complex telling you that it is closed.
Tip
The dress code for Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace is strict. Visitors must be dressed smartly – no shorts, short skirts or revealing tops, sandals or flip-flops. Suitable clothing may be borrowed from an office near the Gate of Victory, but unless you want to don stale rubber slip-ons and a gaudy sarong, dress conservatively.
The complex is loosely divided, with Wat Phra Kaew encountered first to the left and the Grand Palace and its peripheral buildings to the right. At least two hours are needed for a full appreciation, with most people lingering within Wat Phra Kaew. The interiors of the Grand Palace buildings – but not Wat Phra Kaew – are closed to the public on Saturday and Sunday. It’s worthwhile hiring the informative audio guide. If you prefer, official guides are also available near the ticket office.
Prasap Phra Thep Bidom, the Royal Pantheon.
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Wat Phra Kaew
Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) serves as the royal chapel of the Grand Palace. The compound is modelled after palace chapels in the former capitals of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, and contains many typical monastic structures, although, because of its royal function, it does not have living quarters for monks.
At the main entrance is the statue of Shivaka Kumar Baccha, who was reputed to be the Buddha’s private physician, and on the upper terrace to the left are the gleaming gold mosaic tiles encrusting the Sri Lankan-style circular Phra Si Rattana Chedi A [map] . Erected by King Mongkut (Rama V), the chedi is said to enshrine a piece of the Buddha’s breastbone.
Tip
For an explanation of the architectural features of Thai temples, see Temple Art and Architecture, click here.
Worshipper outside the Bot of the Emerald Buddha.
Francis Dorai/Apa Publications
In the centre is Phra Mondop B [map] (Library of Buddhist Scriptures), surrounded by statues of sacred white elephants (the white elephant is the symbol of royal power). The library was erected to hold the holy Buddhist scriptures called Tripitaka. The original library was destroyed by fire, ignited by fireworks during festivities to celebrate its completion. Phra Mondop is a delicate building, studded with blue and green glass mosaic, and topped by a multi-tiered roof fashioned like the crown of a Thai king.
Adjacent to it is the Prasat Phra Thep Bidom C [map] (Royal Pantheon), This contains life-sized statues of the Chakri kings and is open to the public only on Chakri Day, 6 April. Around the building stand marvellous gilded statues of mythological creatures, including the half-female, half-lion aponsi. The original pantheon was built in 1855, but was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1903. Flanking the entrance of the Prasat Phra Thep Bidom are two towering gilded chedi.
Gilded garuda images encircle the exterior of the Bot of the Emerald Buddha.
Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications
Behind Phra Mondop is a large, sandstone model of the famous Khmer temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The model was built during King Rama IV’s reign when Cambodia was a vassal Thai state. Just behind, along the northern edge of the compound, is the Viharn Yot (Prayer Hall), flanked by the Ho Phra Nak (Royal Mausoleum) on the left and Ho Phra Montien Tham (Auxillary Library) on the right.
The walls of the cloister enclosing the temple courtyard are painted with a picture book of 178 murals telling the Ramakien epic, the Thai version of the Indian Ramayana. Originally painted during the reign of King Rama III (1824–50), they have been meticulously restored.
Around the cloisters, six pairs of towering stone yaksha (demons), again characters from the Ramakien, stand guard, armed with clubs, protecting the Emerald Buddha. At the complex’s eastern edge are eight prang structures, which represent Buddhism’s Eightfold Path.
The Emerald Buddha
Finally you come to Wat Phra Kaew’s most sacred structure, the Bot of the Emerald Buddha D [map] . Outside this main hall, at the open-air shrine, the air is always alive with the supplicants’ murmured prayers and heavy with the scent of floral offerings and joss sticks. Remove your shoes before entering the hall.
Night-time traffic outside the Grand Palace walls.
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At the top of the elaborate golden altar, in a glass case and protected by a nine-tiered umbrella, sits the country’s most celebrated image, the diminutive 75cm (30ins) tall Emerald Buddha, which, surprisingly, is not made of emerald but carved from a solid block of green jade. Many non-Buddhists may be disappointed by the size of the Emerald Buddha statue, but the belief in its power and importance are apparent from the demeanour of the pilgrims inside the hall. This gets particularly busy on weekends and holidays when worshippers fill the main sanctuary, prostrating themselves on the marble floor before the temple’s 11-metre (36ft) -tall altar. Photography is forbidden and it’s hard to get a clear view of the statue from ground level.
Three times a year, at the beginning of each new season, the Thai king presides over the changing of the Emerald Buddha’s robes: a golden, diamond-studded tunic is used for the hot season, a gilded robe flecked with blue for the rainy season, and a robe of enamel-coated solid gold for the cool season.
According to legend, the Emerald Buddha was carved in India, but stylistically its design is 13th- or 14th-century Thai. It was discovered in 1434 in Chiang Rai, where, for unknown reasons, it had been hidden in a chedi in a temple also known as Wat Phra Kaew, until the chedi was struck by lightning during a storm. In the mid-16th century, the invading Lao army took the figure to Vientiane, Laos. It was seized back by the Thais in 1779. King Rama I eventually brought the statue to Bangkok from Thonburi in 1784 after the city was established as the new capital. The Emerald Buddha is claimed to bestow good fortune on the kingdom that possesses it.
A Mythical Zoo
All around Bangkok are images of strange creatures that have migrated from the tales of Hindu mythology to the stuff of everyday life. These are the most common:
Garuda: Considered the most powerful creature of the Himaphan Forest, this half-eagle, half-man demigod is the mount of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is the sworn enemy of the magical water serpent naga. Garuda is often depicted with naga caught in his talons. Since Ayutthayan times the garuda has been a symbol for the Royal Seal, and today, brightly coloured representations are emblazoned across official documents as well as the facades of royally approved banks and corporations.
Naga: Brother and nemesis of garuda, the naga is a semi-divine creature with multiple human heads and serpent tails. The snake has special symbolism to most of the world’s faiths and cultures, and in Buddhism a great naga is said to have provided shelter to the meditating Buddha. A resident of the watery underworld, the naga is associated with water’s life-giving force, as well as acting as a bridge between the earthly and divine realms. Naga are typically represented along steps leading into temples.
Erawan: The magical elephant erawan was the steed for Indra, the Hindu king of the gods. The gigantic pachyderm has 33 heads, each with seven tusks so long that thousands of angels live inside them. Obviously, with such a gargantuan beast, a more modest three-headed version is usually represented. For proof of erawan’s importance to Thais, head to Erawan Shrine (for more information, click here) at one of Bangkok’s busiest intersections, where wooden elephants are presented as offerings.
Kinnaree and Aponsi: This exotic looking belle has the head and body of a woman with the tail and legs of a swan. Known for her talent in song and dance, beautifully crafted kinnaree sculptures can be seen at Wat Phra Kaew. Perhaps a distant relative, aponsi is similarly portrayed as half-female, half-lion. The Golden Kinnaree is the Thai film industry equivalent of the Oscar.
Hongsa: This bird-like creature has similarities to the swan and goose, and is a prevalent motif in traditional arts and crafts. In Hindu mythology, the hongsa is the mount of Brahma, the god of creation. Take a drive along Utthayan Avenue in Bangkok’s southern suburb of Puttha Monthon, and you will see some 1,000 golden hongsa birds decorating the tops of lampposts.
Yaksha: These giant half-demon, half-god creatures, which appear so forbidding as they guard the entrances to the temple structures at Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Arun, are actually protectors of earthbound wealth. Led by Kuvera, they are worshipped as symbols of fertility and are also believed to protect newborn infants.
A five-headed naga at the Prasat Phra Thep Bidom.
Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications
The Grand Palace
Adjoining Wat Phra Kaew is the Grand Palace. Embodying Thailand’s characteristic blend of temporal and spiritual elements, the Grand Palace has been added to or modified by every Thai king, so that today the complex is a mélange of architectural styles, from traditional Thai, Khmer and Chinese to British, French and Italian Renaissance. In the early 20th century, the royal abode shifted to the more private Chitralada Palace in Dusit district (for more information, click here), with the Grand Palace now reserved for special ceremonies and state visits.
Palace buildings
Exit from Wat Phra Kaew. On your left and tucked behind a closed gate guarded by sentry is the French-inspired Borombhiman Hall E [map] . It was built in 1903 as a residence for King Rama VI but is now reserved as a state guesthouse for dignitaries.
Chakri Maha Prasat Hall, Grand Palace.
Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications
To the right lies the Amarin Vinitchai Throne Hall F [map] , part of the three-building Phra Maha Montien complex. Originally a royal residence, it contained the bedchamber of Rama I, with the main audience hall beyond. Today, the audience hall is used for coronations and special ceremonies. By tradition, each new king also spends the first night after his coronation here.
Sentry guard on duty outside the Chakri Maha Prasat.
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Next to it in a large courtyard stands the triple-spired royal residence – and the grandest building in the complex – the Chakri Maha Prasat G [map] (Grand Palace Hall). This two-storey hall set on an elevated base was constructed during King Chulalongkorn’s reign (1868–1910) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Chakri dynasty in 1882. An impressive mixture of Thai and Western architecture, the building was designed by British architects. The Thai spires, however, were added at the last moment, following protests that it was improper for a hallowed Thai site to be dominated by a European-style building.
Chinese-style statue outside the Dusit Maha Prasat.
Jason Lang/Apa Publications
The top floor contains golden urns with ashes of the Chakri kings; the first floor still functions as an audience chamber for royal banquets and state visits, while the ground floor is now a Weapons Museum.
The central hall contains the magnificent Chakri Throne Room, where the king receives foreign ambassadors on a niello throne under a nine-tiered white umbrella, originally made for King Chulalongkorn. Outside, the courtyard is dotted with ornamental ebony trees pruned in Chinese bonsai style. Beside the hall, a closed-off door leads to the Inner Palace, where the king’s many wives once lived. The king himself was the only male above the age of 12 allowed to enter the area, which was guarded by armed women.
Thai national flag and coat of arms, Grand Palace complex.
Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications
The next building of interest is the Dusit Maha Prasat H [map] (Dusit Hall), built by King Chakri (Rama I) in 1789 to replace an earlier wooden structure. A splendid example of classical Thai architecture, its four-tiered roof supports an elegant nine-tiered spire. The balcony on the north wing contains a throne once used by the king for outdoor receptions. Deceased kings and queens lie in state here before their bodies are cremated on Sanam Luang.
Park Life
Contemporary accounts record that when King Rama I was cremated at Sanam Luang in 1809, the congregation included 10,000 monks and the atmosphere resembled a festival. Alongside the solemnity there were theatre performances, fireworks and boxing matches and the crowds was showered with money buried in limes. Today, one of the most important events is the Royal Ploughing Ceremony each May. This Brahman festival, which dates to the Sukhothai era nearly 1,000 years ago, sees a pair of sacred cows led to a choice of seven foodstuffs, such as rice, green beans and liquor. Whichever they consume first prophesises what kind of harvest farmers will have that year.
To its left stands the exquisite Arporn Phimok Prasat (Disrobing Pavilion). It was built to the height of the king’s palanquin, so that he could alight from his elephant and don his ceremonial hat and gown before proceeding to the audience hall.
Opposite, do not miss the superb collection of small Buddha images made of silver, ivory, crystal and other materials at the Wat Phra Kaew Museum I [map] . On the way out, next to the ticket office is the Coins and Decorations Museum J [map] . It has a collection of coins dating from the 11th century and also royal regalia, decorations and medals made of gold and precious stones.
Lak Muang 2 [map]
Address: Thanon Sanam Chai
Tel: 0-222 9876
Opening Hrs: daily 5am–7pm
Entrance Fee: free
Transport: Tha Chan pier
Every Thai city is supposed to have a foundation stone, around which the city’s guardian spirits gravitate, protecting and bringing supposed good fortune to worshippers and the municipality. Bangkok was officially born into the world in 1782, when King Rama I erected the Lak Muang (City Pillar), to mark the official centre of the capital.
Relaxing in the grounds of Sanam Luang.
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Located just across Thanon Sanam Chai from the eastern wall of the Grand Palace, this is a gilded wooden pillar sheltered by a Khmer-style prang. Resembling the Hindu Shiva lingam, which represents potency, it is accompanied by the taller Lak Muang of Thonburi, which was moved here when the district (and former capital) became part of Bangkok. The pillar is considered the city’s spiritual core, and is watched over by a pavilion containing several golden spirit-idols. Devotees thankful their prayers have been answered usually hire resident classical lakhon dancers to perform here.
Mae Toranee, or the Earth Goddess, was one of the protectors of the meditating Buddha.
Jason Lang/Apa Publications
Museum of Old Cannons 3 [map]
Clearly visible across the street from the Lak Muang is a battalion of antique armoury that menacingly protects the imposing Ministry of Defence. Of passing interest to those with a military bent is the Museum of Old Cannons (daily 24 hours; free). On the lawn in front of the 19th-century European-style former barracks are displays of battle-worn and bulky cast-iron cannons.
Sanam Luang 4 [map]
North of the Wat Phra Kaew and Grand Palace, the large oval turf of Sanam Luang (Royal Field) is where royal cremations and important ceremonies are held. It is particularly lively on royal birthdays; during the Songkran festival; the kite-flying competition season (Feb–Apr) – which attracts contestants from all around the country and abroad – and for the Ploughing Ceremony, a Brahman ritual held in May to predict the state of the coming harvest. When not in official use, the field becomes a general recreation and market stall area, also used by fortune tellers. It is also where the homeless find a place to lay their heads, but are unobtrusive and can be rather helpful if engaged in conversation – most even offering up a smattering of information about the area in broken English.
Inside the Thai National Museum.
Emilio Labrador
Previously, Sanam Luang was a racecourse, a golf course and home to a Sunday market, until it moved to Chatuchak in 1982 when the grounds were prepared for the Bangkok Bicentennial.
Northeast of Sanam Luang, opposite the Royal Hotel, is an elaborate public drinking fountain in the shape of Mae Toranee (Earth Goddess). Erected by King Chulalongkorn in the late 19th century, the ornate statue depicts the goddess wringing torrents of water out of her hair to wash away evil spirits trying to corrupt the meditating Buddha. It is an apt symbol, perhaps, in a city that is still sometimes flooded by overflowing waters from the monsoon-swollen Chao Phraya river.
National Museum exterior.
Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications
National Theatre 5 [map]
North of Sanam Luang, next to the traffic-clogged Saphan Phra Pin Klao bridge along Thanon Rachinee is the National Theatre (tel: 0-2244 1342; open only during performances). Unfortunately, this large white modern Thai edifice does not open its doors as frequently as it used to. It has weekly and monthly performances of folk and classical Thai music, dance and drama. Occasionally it showcases highbrow concerts and theatre from abroad. Call ahead for schedules.
National Gallery 6 [map]
Address: Thanon Chao Fa
Tel: 0-2281 2224
Opening Hrs: Wed–Sun 9am–4pm
Entrance Fee: charge
Transport: Phra Athit pier
On the opposite side of the Saphan Phra Pin Klao bridge is the National Gallery, which has seen better days as an exhibition space, with little renovation since the 1970s. Situated within a fine old colonial-style building that used to function as the Royal Mint, the gallery’s permanent collection of traditional and contemporary Thai art isn’t particularly outstanding. However, the annexe on both sides of the gallery holds interesting monthly exhibitions, mainly by local groups, veteran Thai artists or the odd cutting-edge youngster, and occasional international exposes.
Schoolboy studies a mural in the Thai National Museum.
Emilio Labrador
National Museum 7 [map]
Address: Thanon Na Phra That, www.finearts.go.th/museumbangkok
Tel: 0-2224 1333
Opening Hrs: Wed–Sun 9am–4pm
Entrance Fee: charge (guided tours at 9.30am Wed and Thur)
Transport: Phra Athit pier
To the west of Sanam Luang is the National Museum. Besides housing a vast collection of antiquities from all over Southeast Asia, the museum has an interesting history of its own (for more information, click here). Its grounds and some of the principal rooms were part of the former Wang Na (Front Palace) of the king’s second-in-line, the Prince Successor, a feature of the Thai monarchy until 1870.
Statue of Dr Pridi Banomyong, founder of Thammasat University.
Jason Lang/Apa Publications
The oldest buildings in the compound date from 1782, including the splendid Buddhaisawan Chapel. Built by the Prince Successor as his private place of worship within the palace, it contains some of Thailand’s most beautiful and best-preserved murals, depicting 28 scenes from the Buddha’s life and dating from the 1790s. Above the windows, five bands of angels kneel in silent respect to Thailand’s second most sacred Buddha image, the famous Phra Buddha Sihing. According to legend, the bronze image came from Ceylon, but art historians attribute it to 13th-century Sukhothai. The image is paraded through the streets of Bangkok each year on the day before Songkran.
Tip
Arts buffs should visit the Silpakorn University Gallery (Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 9am–4pm; free). It displays interesting works of art by both teachers and students as well as those by visiting artists.
To the left of the entrance is the Sivamokhaphiman Hall, originally an open-sided audience hall that now houses a prehistoric art collection. It displays bronzes and some of the painted earthenware jars found in northeast Thailand. The front of the building is devoted to the Thai History Gallery, documenting the country’s history from the Sukhothai period (13th century) to the present Rattanakosin period (1782 onwards). Most of the exhibits are weak on contextual information, so buy a copy of the museum guidebook.
Also on site is the Red House (Tamnak Daeng), an old golden teak dwelling that once belonged to King Rama I’s elder sister. Built in the Ayutthaya style, the house has an ornate wood finish and elegant early Bangkok-style furnishings.
The central audience hall of the Wang Na is divided into rooms containing various ethnological exhibits of elephant howdah, wood carvings, ceramics, palanquins, royal furnishings, weapons, khon masks, musical instruments and other artefacts. Temporary exhibits are displayed in the Throne Hall.
Shop
Amulets are associated with fortune, both good and bad, so in the lanes around the Wat Mahathat amulet market you’ll also find astrologers working in palmistry, Thai astrology and tarot. There are several more at Pra Chan pier.
Adding to the museum’s ambience are the inner courtyards, embellished with ponds and shady trees, providing spots for reflection. Mingling among armies of curious young local students, the museum feels more inviting than more austere museums elsewhere.
Thammasat University 8 [map]
Adjoining the National Museum at Thanon Phra Chan is Thammasat University, Thailand’s second most prestigious educational establishment (after Chulalongkorn University). The university was founded in 1934 to educate people in the new political constitution, which had been introduced two years earlier. Thammasat scholars have a reputation for being vocal in their strong political beliefs and in the past have been labelled as radicals.
Monk at Wat Mahathat’s amulet market.
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The university’s darkest days came in October 1973 and 1976, when students peacefully protesting for greater democracy were brutally suppressed by the military, police and rightist thugs. Hundreds of innocent students were slain. Inside the university gates are a number of small but pertinent memorials to these bloody crackdowns and other major events in Thailand’s modern political struggles, hidden reminders of Thailand’s chequered past and the continuing might of the Thai military.
Silpakorn University 9 [map]
North of the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew complex is Silpakorn University. The oldest and most prestigious art institution in Thailand, Silpakorn was originally the site of Tha Phra Palace, once occupied by the royal grandchildren. A few of the old buildings still stand, now part of the university campus.
Wat Mahathat detail.
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The art school is attributed to the vision of Italian sculptor Corrado Feroci, known as Silpa Bhirasri to locals and dubbed “the father of Thai modern art”. During the 1920s, Feroci was invited to work as a sculptor in Thailand, where he executed key public commissions like the design for the Democracy Monument.
The university’s Fine Arts Department operates a Hall Of Sculpture (Mon–Fri 8.30am–4.30pm; free). It displays a collection of original plaster casts of statuesque monuments to royal, religious and other important dignitaries, whose originals stand tall throughout the kingdom. The university galleries also hold decent monthly exhibitions by students, teachers, alumni and visiting artists.
Wat Mahathat Buddha statues.
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Wat Mahathat ) [map]
Address: Sanam Luang
Opening Hrs: daily 7am–8pm
Entrance Fee: free
Transport: Tha Chang pier
Nestled between Silpakorn and Thammasat universities is Wat Mahathat. You will enter through the gates of the earth-toned Thawornwatthu building, a former royal funerary hall donated to the temple as a library for monks. Compared to other sites in the vicinity, Wat Mahathat, although an important temple, has little visual appeal to capture tourist attention. Founded in the 1700s, the temple houses the Maha Chulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya University, one of the two highest seats of Buddhist learning in the country, and where King Rama IV spent almost 25 years studying as a monk before taking the throne in 1851.
Amulets come in myriad forms and serve a variety of purposes, from religious or spiritual to the more practical, such as ensuring sexual potency.
Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications
Wat Mahathat exudes a more genuine, working-temple atmosphere compared to the more ceremonial temples in the area, with locals swarming here to receive spiritual tutelage. Apart from an outdoor herbal medicine market, an amulet market has stalls along Trok Silpakorn, an alley between the temple and Silpakorn University, all the way to the riverside Thanon Mahathat.
You might also be able to get in tune with your inner self at the temple’s International Buddhist Meditation Centre, which conducts regular classes in English (tel: 0-2623 5881).
Wat Pho ! [map]
Address: Thanon Thai Wang
Tel: 0-2222 5910
Opening Hrs: daily 8am–5pm
Entrance Fee: charge
Transport: Tha Tien pier
South of the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew complex is the much visited Wat Pho, Bangkok’s largest and oldest surviving temple. The site retains a more casual ambience than the younger and more dominant Wat Phra Kaew. Apart from its historic significance, visitors come to Wat Pho for two things: to pay homage to the monumental Reclining Buddha, and to unwind at the city’s best traditional massage centre.
The giant Reclining Buddha’s head.
Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications
Also known to Thais as Wat Phra Chetuphon, the temple dates back to the 16th century. However, it did not achieve real importance until the establishment of Bangkok as the capital. Wat Pho was a particular favourite of the first four Bangkok kings, all of whom added to its treasures. The four towering coloured chedi to the west of the bot (ordination hall) are memorials to the monarchs, and around the hall are 90-plus other chedi. The temple cloisters contain 394 bronze Buddha images, retrieved from ancient ruins in Sukhothai and Ayutthaya. One of the most important was the Reclining Buddha, added by King Rama III in 1832. This king also converted the temple into the country’s earliest place of public learning and instructed that the walls be inscribed with lessons on astrology, history, morality and archaeology, leading locals to fondly call it the kingdom’s first university.
The giant Reclining Buddha in its full glory.
Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications
Wat Pho’s gigantic Reclining Buddha, 46 metres (150ft) long and 15 metres (50ft) high, and made from brick, plaster and gilded in gold, depicts the resting Buddha passing into nirvana. The flat soles of the Buddha’s feet are inlaid with mother-of-pearl designs, illustrating the 108 laksana (distinctive marks of a Buddha). Also numbering 108 are the metallic bowls that span the wall; a coin dropped in each supposedly brings goodwill to the devotee. With the building’s pillars preventing full view, the head and feet are the best vantage points.
The temple’s main hall is considered to be one of Bangkok’s most beautiful. Girding its base are superbly carved sandstone panels depicting scenes from the Ramakien. The striking doors are also devoted to Ramakien scenes, brilliantly rendered in some of the finest mother-of-pearl work found in Asia. The ashes of Rama I are interred in the pedestal base of the hall’s principal Buddha image. Standing beside the inner doorways, pairs of large stone farang (foreigner) guards are striking for their Western characteristics.
The walls of Wat Ratchabophit are decorated with brightly patterned Chinese ceramic tiles called bencharong.
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Address: Thanon Thai Wang, www.watpomassage.com
Tel: 0-2221 2974
Opening Hrs: daily 10am–6pm
Entrance Fee: charge
Transport: Tha Tien pier
Wat Pho became, and still is, the place to learn about traditional medicine, particularly massage and meditation. The medicine pavilion displays stone tablets indicating beneficial body points for massage. Skirting the temple grounds are several small rock gardens which contain statues of hermits striking poses; these were used as diagnostic aids. Many of the old shophouses that fringe the temple walls today still peddle a range of traditional herbal remedies.
Wat Pho.
Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications
Traditional Thai massage is based on Indian yoga philosophy, and originated from millennia-old Indian therapies that aim to release blocked energy. In Thai massage, strong thumbs dig deep into tense muscles and the body’s energy points. The masseurs also bring their full body weight to bear as they stretch the recipients’ bodies into yoga-like poses. The Wat Pho Thai Traditional Massage School offers cheap hour-long massages, and also offers courses for those wanting to learn the art. Many masseurs around the country claim to have received tuition here, and the hands-on training has proved a staple career option for many of Thailand’s blind population.
Siam Discovery Museum @ [map]
Address: Thanon Sanam Chai
Tel: 0-2622 2599
Opening Hrs: Tue–Sun 10am–6pm
Entrance Fee: charge
Transport: Tha Tien pier
Southeast of Wat Po, the interactive multimedia displays and tableaux at the Siam Discovery Museum explain what it is to be “Thai”. Starting from the ancient ethnic groups that populated the Southeast Asian region 2,000 years ago, when it was known as Suvarnabhumi (Golden Land) – the name adopted by Bangkok’s main airport – the exhibits run through historical periods and population shifts, including the periods of Khmer, Sukhothai and Ayutthayan dominance. The museum is housed in a handsome listed building that was previously the Ministry of Commerce.
Modern exhibits in the Siam Discovery Museum.
Museum of Siam
Wat Ratchapradit £ [map]
Address: Thanon Saranrom
Tel: 0-2223 8215
Opening Hrs: daily 5am–10pm (chapel 9–9.30am, 5–7pm)
Entrance Fee: free
Transport: Tha Tien pier
Wat Ratchapradit, located next to Saranrom Park on Thanon Saranrom, is less grand than many other temples in this royal district, but it offers a more intimate appreciation of a monarch’s connection with religious buildings. King Mongkut ordered its construction on a reclaimed coffee plantation in 1864, and some of its unusual interior murals depict the king, an avid astronomer, observing a solar eclipse in 1868 in the fishing village of Wa Kor, south of Bangkok. On the trip, the king contracted malaria and later died. His remains are held beneath the main Buddha statue here. The quaint grey marble-clad temple is an example of his, and later King Chulalongkorn’s, interest in mixing Thai and Western architecture.
Hanging art in the Siam Discovery Museum.
Museum of Siam
Saranrom Park $ [map]
Just behind Wat Ratchapradit, the manicured landscape of Saranrom Park (daily 5am–8pm; free) is the perfect place to wind down after a full day of palace and temple tours. The park was originally a garden attached to Saranrom Palace, which was supposed to have been the retirement retreat for King Mongkut. However, he passed away before the palace was completed. Enhanced by bridges, ponds, a European-style cherub-spouting fountain and a Chinese pagoda, this green space has been open to the public since the 1960s. At the park’s centre is a memorial erected by King Chulalongkorn for his wife Queen Sunanda, who tragically drowned in a boating accident in 1880. At the park’s main gates, drink vendors sell freshly-squeezed juice to the legion of joggers – so grab a seat on a park bench and cool off with a drink.
Wat Ratchabophit.
Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications
Wat Ratchabophit % [map]
Address: Thanon Fuang Nakhon
Tel: 0-2222 3930
Opening Hrs: daily 5am–8pm (chapel 9–9.30am, 5.30–6pm)
Entrance Fee: free
Transport: buses 1, 508
Although it is located on the opposite bank of Khlong Lord canal and Rattanakosin, Wat Ratchabophit is easily accessed from Saranrom Park. This infrequently visited sanctuary is recognisable for its characteristic amalgamation of local temple architecture and period European style. It has an unusual design that places the main circular chedi and its circular cloister in the centre. Started in 1869 by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), the complex took well over two decades to complete.
The bot (ordination hall), built into the northern side of the yellow tile-clad cloister, is covered in brightly patterned Chinese ceramic tiles, known as bencharong. The windows and entrance doors to the hall are exquisite works of art, with tiny pieces of mother-of-pearl inlaid in lacquer, in an intricate rendition of the insignias of the five royal ranks. The doors open into one of the most surprising temple interiors in Thailand, with a Gothic-inspired chapel of solid columns that looks more like a medieval cathedral than a Thai temple. The courtyard doors are carved in relief with jaunty-looking soldiers wearing European-type uniforms. Wat Ratchabophit was built before King Chulalongkorn made his first trip to Europe, so its design is all the more remarkable.