Grand Palace Bangkok, Thailand – A Photo Essay

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Ornate borders on the walls of Grand Palace Bangkok
Ornate borders on the walls

Grand Palace Bangkok is a complex of beautiful and royal buildings that can leave you mesmerized with their embellishments. They carry the rich colors and textures on their walls. Almost as if silk has been woven on them and gems used to crown it. They give an insight into the culture through the various motifs that occupy the complex. Sharing with you some images from the grand palace that stayed as long in my memory as in my cameras.

Grand Palace Bangkok

Entrance
Entrance

There is the temple of Emerald Buddha – a small green statue of Buddha that had a long journey before it found a home here and became a revered place for the Buddhist. I had earlier written about Wat Pho – The temple of Reclining Buddha which is not too far from the complex.

A collage of different architectural styles at Grand Palace Bangkok
A collage of different architectural styles

Heritage Monuments

The imprint of time can be seen on buildings as the Grand Palace complex grew organically from late 18th CE to 20th CE. When I entered the complex, lush green lawns greeted us. Along with some rather western looking buildings that soon gave way to typical Thai architecture with golden spirals on top trying to touch the sky.

Open Structures
Open Structures

The golden pagodas had people circumambulating them. The Garudas in all kinds of sizes and shaped stood like guards. The parapets ended like the hoods of a multi-faced snake. The dwarfs carried the buildings on their able shoulders.

Mythical figures
Mythical figures

The walls just reminded me of rich silk saris from Varanasi. While you can admire so much in these heritage structures of this royal palace complex, to me its ornate exteriors and the nuances that they have were the most imposing. There is ample use of Gold on walls and for paintings like the Scenes of Ramayana on walls.

Ornate Sari like borders
Ornate Sari like borders

Well Maintained

I also wondered how they kept the place to clean and maintained it so well. When all that is free standing in the air looks so delicate and fragile.

Architectural Styles
Architectural Styles

You can spend a day looking at these buildings. You are allowed to go inside some of them, though photography is only allowed outside and not inside any of the buildings. A museum shop has a nice collection of Curios that you can buy – I say this because of their collection quite unlike what we usually see on the streets of Bangkok.

Curious displays
Curious displays

These images from the Palace in Bangkok that continue to flash in my mind after many months.

Recommend you to read following Thailand Tourist attractions on my travel blog.

Hua Hin – An elitist beach town

Bangkok Nightlife – 8 Things to Explore

Pranburi Forest Park

Ratchaprasong Walk – Hindu Deities in the Heart of Bangkok

Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi

4 COMMENTS

  1. Stay away from Scammers…

    They might fake as the royal staff or police. Go where the crowd is going. You will discover quite a few of them loitering around the Grand Palace Bangkok troubling you about the Grand Palace Thailand dress code. Just don’t focus on them and keep walking.

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