From Seattle To Thailand, To Malaysia, And Back To Thailand, A Photo Journey Part 7

Finally, we are going to the Grand Palace, after killing off some times at the flower market, which turn out to be quite an interesting place to visit, it was worth a trip.

The Grand Palace, in the heart of Bangkok, a historical temple, a landmark, also a checkpoint type of a place that’s been visited to dire by tourist from all over the world.

From what I have read, the place is going to be busy, crowded, hot, humid and chaotic. Some writers actually suggested that it is not worth a trip. But hey, you know what? I haven’t been there, and you can’t judge a place before you actually visit it and see it for your self. Crowded and busy it may be, it is still one of the most historical and significant architectural locations in Thailand, I have to see it for my self.

We went to the Grand Palace by ferry through the Chao Phraya River. Be warned, if you do this like us, it’s quite a walk from the pier to the entrance. Well, it’s not that long, not more than half an hour walk, but remember, Thailand is very hot and humid, and if it is a good day like the day we went, there’s no shade anywhere. So, be prepare.

The walk was hard for us, the heat and humidity must have caught up with us, or we actually burn too much energy at the flower market earlier. But we made it, and we spent a good half hour resting under shade of a tree before going for the ticket.

The ticket itself is actually quite fancy and cool looking, totally worth the 500 Baht admission fee. That’s the fee for the non-local, it is free for the Thai.

At the time, the cheap-nest in me came out and question the worth of the entrance fees, but let me tell you now, it’s worth every penny! In my opinion, the Grand Palace is a must see! I mean for about $15 USD, it shouldn’t be the reason for not going.

This has got to be one of the most interesting signs I have ever seen in attraction sites, it got things from staying quiet to guidance on routes depending on how fast you want to see the place, lol~

But don’t take them lightly, they are serious about their rules, if you don’t follow them, you will be warned by security pretty quickly, and if you refuse to comply, they would not hesitate to kick you out, or worst, slap you with some hefty fines. I have heard jail time is possible too. So don’t be stupid, respect the rules, respect the culture.

One thing I see they get people on often is attire. The palace has a very strict dress code, basically, you can’t show any flesh. So tanks and shots and short skirts are not allowed, don’t test them, they will catch you, even if you manage to sneak through at the entrance, they will surely get you later.

When you get caught, you will be asked to leave the premises and come back with proper attire. They do have a gift shop where you can buy proper wear to cover your self with, at a premium price of course. And since the entrance is actually really far from everything, most people choose to buy it at the gift shop. There’s always a long line, I suspect the gift shop makes a lot more for the temple than the entrance fees.

So, read the rules and dress code carefully and go prepare. You can easily get something to cover yourself anywhere in Bangkok on the cheap, don’t let big brother get you, haha~

There’s a lot to see in the Grand Palace, the traditional yet elegant architectures are impressive, to say the least, and the place is filled with endless artifacts, wall arts, carvings, statues, and artworks big and small. Everything on display is diverse and every single one of them will surely earn your ooo and ahhh. It is impossible to see all in one day, in fact, to truly see everything, it may take a lifetime. No, I am not exaggerating, there are simply too many things to see here.

The Grand Palace has a couple of these giant statues that are very lifely with realistic expression. They are the Yaks, which are demon gods that guard the temple in Thai legends. The artwork and detail of the Yaks sure are impressive, they come alive here. And on a super nice day like this, with blue sky and white cloud in the background, it makes the view that much more spectacular, it was awesome.

The temple also has a lot of these spikes or spire that reach high up into the deep blue sky which makes for interesting composition and unique viewing.

Every corner of the Grand Palace is amazing, there’s no dull part. You want views on the grand scale? They got it. You want breathtaking architectural display? They got it. No wonder they are called the Grand Palace, for it is truly grand.

We have got architectures and statues in the grandest of scale, but mesmerizing beauty can also be found in its smaller counterparts.

Just look at these Buddha statues and the wall they are sitting against, such incredible details, such unbelievable artisanship. The photo only captures a very small area of the vast temple, but masterpieces like this filled the entire palace, imagine that! Everywhere you turn and look, you will be greeted with dazzling creation of art, every inch of space been utilized, nothing is wasted.

One of the many many amazing artifacts in the Grand Palace. Each and every one of them is fantastically unique and wonderful, I am beyond impressed, I am beyond breathless, I am mesmerized. It really is too bad that I don’t have enough time to admire each and every one of them. I would love to return one day and focus on these artifacts and photograph as many of them as I can.

There are many prongs, or spires, or towers like structure in the Grand Palace. They reach high up into the sky, as a way to get close to heaven I assume. They are grand, tall and enormous, they are amazing, making for some fantastic panoramic view.

The palace is as expected, busy, crowded and chaotic. What do you expect? Can’t blame them for being famous, they have got tourist coming from all over the world every single day and every single hour. I mean, it is only one of the must-see historical site in Thailand right? What’s the big deal right? haha~ So, busy and crowded are expected.

But at least you don’t have to worry about your view being blocked by people. To see the grandest of view, you simply need to look up, and you will be swallow by the magnificent of it.

Gold is used everywhere in the palace, I mean like, really really everywhere, even the pillars are decorated in gold. Gold signify the sun and fire in Thai Buddhism, it also bear the meaning of pureness, it’s a major color in the religion.

Normally, gold is not my thing, it always feels too much and too exaggerated, I prefer something more subtle and elegant like the nephrite jade and agate. But at the temple, I actually felt gentleness in the gold, and I was able to find peace and serenity in them. I also feel that the aura they emit is holy and spiritual. It’s a very unique feeling.

Ah, a pot of lotus … After browsing the temple for a while, my eye is a bit blinded by its splendid, the refreshing green of the lotus and its blush colored flower are definitely a welcome sight, it’s very soothing, giving some needed rest to the tiring eye.

There’s not a lot of plants in the compound of the Grand Palace, some trees here and there and that’s it. This lotus sits among the grandest of structure but it didn’t feel out of place at all, it’s quite nice having it here.

More gold, pure gold, more gold structure, and standing under this huge golden tower, there’s a strange serenity washing over me.

Obviously, minimalist has no place here, in the design of the Grand Palace, no space was wasted, every inch is used for decoration and creation, the result is some of the most detail and most astonishing craftsmanship you can ever find on a building, just look at this rooftop, isn’t it stunning?

There is a lot of carving of mythical being in the Grand Palace, they are all excellent art pieces, very lifelike, very realistic, very believable, all are there to protect the temple and the people who practice their religion there.

After about two-three hours in the palace, there’s still a lot more to admire, but we are done. The one bad thing about an amazingly bright and sunny day in Southeast Asia is, you guessed it, the heat. It was a super nice day, and a super nice day is also super hot and humid, it saps away our spirit and energy in lightning quickness, even though we have made sure to drink a lot of water, and constantly taking breaks here and there, we were still beat.

Getting out, we walk past the offices and administrative buildings of the Grand Palace, and I am like, this is where people work? Seriously? I mean, who doesn’t want to work here? Look at how cool these buildings are! they are so lucky! Well, I guess it is only exotic because we don’t live and work there, I am sure people who work there do not feel how I feel at all because they are so used to it.

Well, this concludes our tour of the Grand Palace. So was it worth a visit? Definitely. And I would say, this is a must see and no one should miss it. Yes, it is super crowded and busy, there are people everywhere and every corner. But for an incredible landmark like this, it worth every pain and sweat. You must visit the Grand Palace.

-Lumaca-

Previous: The Flower Market – Pak Khlong Talat By Chao Phraya River In Bangkok Thailand