The Grand Palace, with its popularity and prominence as a
tourist spot, often is the number one must-visit destination in Thailand. It’s
almost sacrilegious for it to be a second choice, an afterthought… but it was,
in our case, when our group of three first went out to explore temples. We
decided to first go to Wat Ratchanatdaram simply because it’s the nearest “wat”
to a khlong pier. Although, due to our need to find cover ups, our first temple
adventure was halted until we found ourselves skirts while walking towards the
Grand Palace.
How to Get There
The Grand Palace can be found at Na Phra Lan Rd, Khet Phra
Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand. If you find yourself exploring
the tourist spots along Chao Phraya River, you may be able to visit The Grand
Palace thru piers Maharaj and Tha Chang (N9). We came from Huai Kwang hence our
fastest way was through Khlong Saen Saep from Asok Pier directly towards the
last pier, Panfa Leelard. From there, the Grand Palace is 11 minutes away, 2.2
kilometers, by car.
The Grand Palace Schedule and Fees
When visiting the Grand Palace, expect to go with a huge
crowd, locals and tourists alike. The entrance fee is 500 Baht and the tickets are
being sold from 8:30AM-3:30PM. This includes entry to Vimanmek Palace and
Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall.
What to Expect Once you Get In
This is the main entrance to the outer section of the palace. Once you enter this gate, you will see a huge crowd, both tourists and locals, queuing to get inside the inner gates.
This is the main entrance to the outer section of the palace. Once you enter this gate, you will see a huge crowd, both tourists and locals, queuing to get inside the inner gates.
There are guards left and right sides of the main entrance. This is aside from the other uniformed personnel dealing directly with visitors who are not following rules and regulations, for example, violating the dress code. All visitors are expected to dress modestly; females are expected to be covered down to at least below the knee and no sleeveless tops, males are also to wear trousers and no shorts allowed. My
brother-in-law was one of those not granted entry due to him not wearing a long-enough
trousers (he’s wearing long shorts), thus we decided to just see and take some
photos inside the first gate and not to go through the whole tour. This is me posing for a photo despite of the crowd... :)
The outer part of the Grand Palace grounds... when visiting especially during the summer, make sure to bring your water and umbrella.
Here is a group of guards marching synchronously around the outer palace grounds...
I was told that this symbol was created by the citizens to show their love to their recently deceased royalty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. During this time, we saw a lot of women in black walking towards a venue where they pray for their beloved leader. We found this while walking just outside the palace walls on our way back to Wat Ratchanatdaram.
Travel Date: July 10, 2017
