Bangkok Trip 2014 - Grand Palace Tour

Grand Palace is a must-see attraction in Bangkok. It is filled with religion, history and beautiful architectures.

I continued my tour from Tha Thien Pier to the Grand Palace. I missed my boat and gotten information that I could take a 10-15mins walk to Grand Palace. I walked for almost 25mins before reaching the entrance of Grand Palace.

The ticket cost 400 Baht. Do take note that you have to be proper dressed; No slippers, shorts, singlets. Do sign up for the free tour so that you can learn the history and story of Grand Palace. The guide goes on and talked about the tale of Ramakien.
If you're interested in the tale click here »

Giant Yakshas

Grand Palace has 3 courts. The Outer Court, Middle Court and Inner Court. I forgot which part of the court that I did not visit due to it being the weekends or is not open to public except special days.

Next, the guide explained that the demon face creatures are Giant Yaksha. They are guardians of the temple and they keep away evil spirits. Giant Yakshas are iconic figures in Thailand. You can catch a pair at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Phra Siratana Chedi

King Rama IV constructed Phra Siratana Chedi in 1855. The interior of the stupas contains sacred buddha relics. King Rama V had the exterior covered with golden mosaic tiles imported from Italy.

24 Carat Gold Tiles

I was told the tiles are made from real 24 Carat Gold. When the tiles get damaged, they need to order them from Italy. I was wondering how much one piece of tile cost?

Phra Mondop

King Rama I built Phra Mondop (The Library). The library houses an elegantly carved Ayutthaya-style mother-of-pearl doors, bookcases with the Tripitaka (sacred Buddhist manuscripts). The library is guarded by twos pair of demons on each side.

Prasat Phra Thep Bidon

The Royal Pantheon was constructed during the reign of King Rama IV in 1855. He intended to place the Emerald Buddha here but the building was not completed until after his death. His successor, King Rama V, considered the building too small to accommodate the congregation at royal ceremonies so the Emerald Buddha was not placed in this building. A small gilt stupa belonging to King Rama IV was placed there instead.
Extracted from: bangkokmag.infothai

Chinese Style Temple

Cambodia Style Temple

The building inside Grand Palace contains a few styles. They have Chinese style, Cambodia style and of course Thai style buildings. One of the Thai style building is the Phra Mondop.

Mythical Creatures

Next off, there are a number of mythical creatures in Thailand. In the Grand Palace alone, I've seen quite a few of them. Usually they take on parts of animal and human. They are also those that take on two different kinds of animals.

More Mythical Creatures

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The Story: The central character of the Ramakien is Rama, heir to the throne of Ayodhaya. Through the schemes of his stepmother, he is sent into exile for 14 years. His wife Sita and brother Lakshman go with him. They find shelter deep in the forest. Tosakan, the demon king of Longka, develops a passion for Sita and kidnaps her. The brothers go in search of Sita, and enlist the white monkey god Hanuman to help. Working together, they form an alliance with two monkey kings, Sukrip and Chompupan, each of whom command huge armies. They march south to the coast and lay siege to the island of Longka. You can take it with you. Wish you could have this information with you when you visit the Grand Palace? Now you can. Check out our Bangkok Essentials ebook. The armies of Rama are victorious over each of Tosakan's champions. Finally, Rama fights Tosakan and kills him. Rama crowns Tosakan's exiled brother king of Longka and returns to Ayodhaya with Sita to assume the crown.

Extracted from: bangkokforvisitors