Grand Palace | Bangkok, Thailand | Sights - Lonely Planet

The Grand Palace (Phra Borom Maharatchawang) is a former royal residence in Bangkok that was consecrated in 1782. Today, it's only used on ceremonial ... AsiaThailandBangkokKoRatanakosin&ThonburiAttractionsGrandPalaceTopchoicePalaceinKoRatanakosin&ThonburiShareTheGrandPalace(PhraBoromMaharatchawang)isaformerroyalresidenceinBangkokthatwasconsecratedin1782.Today,it’sonlyusedonceremonialoccasions,butitremains thecity'sbiggesttouristattractionandapilgrimagedestinationfordevoutBuddhists. AspartofthegreatercomplexthatalsoencompassesthehallowedWatPhraKaew(theTempleoftheEmeraldBuddha),the94.5-hectaregroundsencompassmorethan100buildingsthatrepresent200yearsofroyalhistoryandarchitecturalexperimentation. Mostofthearchitecture,royalorsacred,isclassifiedasRatanakosin(old-Bangkokstyle).VisitorsareallowedtosurveytheGrandPalacegroundsandfouroftheremainingpalacebuildings,whichareinterestingfortheirroyalbombast.  Giveyourselfbetweentwo-to-threehourstoexplorethesightcompletely,oranhourlongerifyoutakeaguidedtour. TheChakriMahaprasat(GrandPalaceHall)mixesThaiandEuropeaninfluences.©cowardlion/Shutterstock Highlights Thelargestpalacebuildingopentothepublicisthetriple-wingedChakriMahaprasat(GrandPalaceHall).Completedin1882followingaplanbySingapore-basedBritisharchitectJohnClunish,theexteriorshowsapeculiarblendofItalianRenaissanceandtraditionalThaiarchitecture. It'sastyleoftenreferredtoasfa·ràngsàichá-dah(WesternerwearingaThaiclassicaldancer’sheaddress),becauseeachwingistoppedbyamon·dòp(alayered,heavilyornamentedspire).Itisbelievedtheoriginalplancalledforthepalacetobetoppedwithadome,butRamaV(KingChulalongkorn;r1868–1910)waspersuadedtogoforaThai-styleroofinstead.Thatdecisionhasbeen interpretedasasubversivethumbingofthenosetotheforeigncolonialistsinAsia atthetime.Manybelieve thekingwasliterallyshowingThaidominanceoverEuropeanculturebycrowinghisWestern-inspiredpalacehallwithaThai-styleroof. Thetallestofthemon·dòp,inthecentre,containstheashesofChakridynastykings;theflankingmon·dòpenshrinetheashesofthemanyChakriprinceswhofailedtoinheritthethrone.ThelastbuildingtothewestistheRatanakosin-styleDusitHall,whichinitiallyservedasavenueforroyalaudiencesandlaterasaroyalfuneraryhall. Attheeasternendofthepalacecomplex,BorombhimanHallisaFrench-inspiredstructurethatservedasaresidenceforRamaVI(KingVajiravudh;r1910–25).Todayitcanonlybeviewedthroughitsirongates.AmarindraHall,tothewest,wasoriginallyahallofjusticebutisused(veryrarelyindeed)forcoronationceremonies. UntilRamaVIdecidedonewifewasenoughforanyman,evenaking,Thaikingshousedtheirhugeharemsintheinnerpalacearea(notopentothepublic),whichwasguardedbycombat-trainedfemalesentries.TheintrigueandritualsthatoccurredwithinthewallsofthiscloisteredcommunityliveoninthefictionalisedepicFourReigns,byKukritPramoj,whichfollowsayounggirlnamedPhloigrowingupwithintheRoyalCity. Advarapala(gateguardian)statueattheGrandPalace,whichwasfirstestablishedin1782undertheauspicesofKingRamaI.©Kayo/Shutterstock History TheGrandPalacecomplexwasestablishedin1782afterKingRamaIascendedtothethrone.ItisbelievedthathemovedtheroyalcourtfromThonburionthewestbankofChaoPhrayaRivertoBangkokontheeastforprotection.Theriverwouldthenactasamoatforthenorthern,southernandwesternperimeters,whilsteasternedgeofthecity–amuddydeltaatthetime–wouldbedifficultforattackerstocrosswithoutbeingseenorhampered. TheroyalresidencesweremovedoutoftheGrandPalaceduringthereignofKingVajiravudh,leavingChakriMahaprasat(GrandPalaceHall)tofallintodisrepair.In1932,RamaVII(KingPrajadhipok;r1925-1935)calledforamajorrenovationofthehall,buttheprojectranoutofmoney,andthebacksectionofthebuildinghadtobedemolished. TheGrandPalacewasalsowhereRamaVIII(KingAnandaMahidol;r1935–46)wasmysteriouslykilledin1946.Hewasfounddeadinhisbedwithagunshotwoundtohishead. InApril1981,thedeputycommanderoftheThaiarmy,GeneralSanChitpatima,usedthepalaceashisheadquartersforanattemptedcoupagainstthePrimeMinisterPremTinsulanond.Thecoupwasunsuccessful. InOctoberof2017,theGrandPalacecomplexandadjacentSanamLuangservedasthesettingforthefuneralofKingRamaIX–possiblyoneofthemostornatefuneralsinmodernhistory.Theceremonytookayeartoplan,sawtheconstructionofanearly50m-highgildedpyre,costatotalofUS$90million,andwasattendedbytensofthousandsofmournersdressedinblack. Thecurrentking,RamaX,hadhiscoronationheldinthelargeAmarindraHallin2019.Followingtheceremony,thekingcarriedontheBudtanThongroyalpalanquinfromthethehall’sthroneroomtotheWatPhraKaew. You'llneedtowearculturallyappropriateattirewhenvisitingtheGrandPalaceinBangkok.©LucianoMortula-LGM/Shutterstock DoestheGrandPalacehaveadresscode? AswithmanyofBangkok’ssights,youwillneedculturallyappropriateattiretoentertheGrandPalace.Thismeansbeingwellcovered.Visitorsshouldwearlongskirts/trousersandsleevedshirts—basicallyanythingthatcoversmorethanthelowerarmsandhead. Sleevelessshirts,vests,shortorsee-throughtopsareallprohibited,asareshortsandthree-quarterlengthpants/skirts.Visitorswon’tbeabletoenterifthey’rewearingtornorskinnytrousers,cyclingshortsorminiskirtseither. Thosewhoaren’tdressedappropriatelyattheentrancecanexpecttobeshownintoadressingroomandissuedwithasarongbeforebeingallowedin–thisaddstoqueuingandunnecessarydelays. Therearenorestrictionsastowhatfootwearyouwearinthepalace,butdonotethatyouwillbeaskedtoremoveyourshoestoentersomeofthebuildings. TicketsfortheGrandPalacecanbeboughtinpersonorinadvanceonline.©DnaiAmporndanai/Shutterstock Ticketsandotherpracticalities TheGrandPalaceisopendailyfrom8.30am-3.30pm.EntertheGrandPalacecomplexthroughtheclearlymarkedthirdgatefromtheriverpier.Ticketsarepurchasedinsidethecomplexandcost500B.TheyalsogiveyouaccesstoWatPhraKaewandQueenSirikitMuseum,whicharebothpartofthecomplex.Thaipeoplegetinfree. TicketscanalsobeboughtinadvanceviatheRoyalGrandPalacewebsite.Guidescanbehiredattheticketkioskandaudioguidescanberentedfor200B. Thegroundsandgardensarewheelchairaccessibleandthereareaccessibletoiletsonsitetoo. GrandPalacetips Arriveearlyinthemorningforthecoolerweatherandtoavoidthecrowds. Ignoreanystrangersclosetotheentrancewhoclaimthatanyofthesightsareshut. Carrydrinkingwater.Itgetshotonthebarecourtyardduringthedaytheonlycafeteriawithinthecomplexwasshutwhenwevisited. Nearbyhotels TravelacenturybackintimebybookingoneofthenineroomsinAsadang,abeautifulantiqueshophouselocatedinChinatown.Roomsnotparticularlyhuge,butarebigonatmosphereandcomeequippedwithbothantiquefurnishingsandmodernamenities. Locatedinaformerschool,the42roomsatFeungNakornBalconysurroundaninvitinggardencourtyardandaregenerallylarge,brightandcheery.Thecharminghotelhasaquietandsecludedlocationawayfromthemainroad. RightintheheartofthehipsterTienvillagearea,theroomsatAromDareunitedbyacutesydesignthemeandahostofinvitingcommunalareas,includingarooftopdeck,computersandaground-floorcafe. Nearbyrestaurants CapoffyourvisittotheGrandPalacewithlunchatMingLee,acharminglyold-schoolThairestaurantlocatedvirtuallyacrossthestreetfromthecomplex'smainentrance. NavyClubistherestaurantoftheRoyalNavyAssociationandithasoneofthefewcovetedriverfrontlocationsalongthisstretchoftheChaoPhrayaRiver.Localscomeforthecombinationofviewsandcheapandtastyseafood-basedeats–notforthecafeteria-likeatmosphere. Alternatively,enjoyaThai-themedcocktailandaspicydrinkingsnackatErr. SuggestanEditDetailsAddressThNaPhraLanHours8.30am-3.30pmPrice500B