If you browse through Tripadvisor.com on Bangkok top attractions, you will realize that most of the recommended attractions are located in Rattanakosin, also known as Rattanakosin Island, is the historic center of Bangkok. Rattanakosin was established in 1782 when King Rama I moved the Siamese capital across the river from Thonburi, starting a period in Thai history known as the Rattanakosin-era.

Do you know that King Rama I actually gave an incredibly long name to the Bangkok city on April 21st, 1782 at 6:45am? Yeah, I’m actually quite curious why would a king wanna name a city before dawn. Anyway, I guess most people would find the name more interesting than the time that the name was given. So read it loud, the actual name of Bangkok is “Krung Thep Mahanakhon Bowon Rattanakosin Mahinthrayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udom Ratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathatiya Witsanukam Prasit”

The name carries a beautiful meaning as:

“Great city of angels, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with the nine precious gems, the happy city abounding in an enormous royal palace that resembles the heavenly abode where the reincarnated god reigns, the city that is bestowed by God Indra letting God Witsukam, the builder god, invent the city”

It’s a name that was composed of the history and the description of the city.

Back to the attractions in Rattanakosin, you can basically spend a full day in the island to visit The Grand Palace, Buddha of Emerald in Wat Phra Kaew, The City Shrine, Sleeping Buddha in Wat Pho, Vinmanmek Mansion, Bangkhunphrom Palace, The Golden Mount and many other traditional Buddhist temples and museums. This is the island that will enrich your knowledge of the culture, history and religion of the Thai people.

There are too much to write about Rattanokosin so I’ll start from The Temple of Emerald Buddha and The Grand Palace. The Grand Palace in Bangkok is just like The Forbidden City in Beijing, a palace that no one wanna miss when visiting the country.

Grand Palace was constructed at the time that Bangkok announced as the capital city in 1782. During the first period, it was used for the royal resident of the King Rama I till King Rama IV and being as the governing center of the country.

The Grand Palace and The Temple of Emarald Buddha (also called Wat Phra Kaew) are located in the same area, so the ticket that you purchase allows you to access to both of them. Admission fee is pretty expensive though, 350 baht per ticket, the ticket includes Vimanmek mansion fee as well, so I guess it’s still more worth than Madame Tussauds, the wax museum in Bangkok that costs a whopping 800 baht per ticket for foreigners!

There are very tight outfit rules in Thailand to access to any temples or palaces. It’s to show respect to their religion and culture. Refer to the signboard above to understand what to wear. However, if you still prefer wearing shorts due to the hot climate in Bangkok, you may rent a pair of pants from the ticket office. Rental is free, you’re only required to pay the deposit of 200 baht. You can get back the money when you return the clothes. I think the officer there was being too strict to my outfit, I actually wore a 3 quarter paints that covered at least 6 inches below my knees and yet the officer told me I should still wear a longer pants so she gave me a long skirt. Which was quite ridiculous as I saw so many women were allowed to access the temples with the dress / skirts / pants that just merely covered their knees.

It’s the message that was literally pasted on the door of the ticket office. You can imagine how serious the tourist scams are in Bangkok. Never believe in anyone that offer you the trip to tour around Bangkok or Rattanakosin. Or just ignore anyone that approaches you, we encountered several cases like that and I was really sick of them. I can understand they were just trying to make their living, but I do not like it when they actually played the trick to waste our time. Anyway, I’ll talk about it later.

It was Sunday morning and the crowds were already filling up the place. The Grand Palace compound is so huge that you have to plan your route carefully to ensure you cover every corner of the place, if you’re the type that don’t like to miss any single attraction. Refer to the jaw-dropping map below. We actually lost track of what we have visited and what we have not.

You’ll also receive a brochure of the Guide to The Grand Palace with a map in it the moment you enter the Gate of Glorious Victory (the entrance).

I was dazzled by the numerous humongous statues and the resplendent buildings in The Grand Palace. Everything looks just newly built yesterday, there wasn’t a single trace that revealed its actual age.

The entrance of The Grand Palace

The entrance of The Grand Palace is guarded by a pair of gigantic yakshis (mythical giants – 5 metres (16 ft) high statues. The yakshis are called Thotkhirithon, giant demon (or ogre, colossus, monster, titan) from the Ramakian (the Thai version of the Hindu Ramayana epic mythology). In India, ayaksha male can sometimes be a fearsome warrior; a yakshi/yashini female is usually a benevolent nature spirit.

Wat Phra Kaew – Temple of the Emerald Buddha

A Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) Inner Compound Structure.

Wat Phra Kaew – Ubosoth of the Emerald Buddha. In Thai, ubosoth means the building in the Buddist wat which is the holiest prayer room.

Temple of the Emerald Buddha is one of the most venerated sites in Thailand where people convene to pay respect to the Lord Buddha and His Teachings. It was established in 1782. King Rama I appointed it as a royal temple in the Grand Palace. The chapel is the place where “Phra Buddha Maha Patimakorn” or “The Emerald Buddha” locates in on the golden movable throne. We’re not allowed to photo shoot inside the temple though.

External decorations of the Ubosoth, main building of Wat Phra Kaew – these statues are Garuda holding the tail of Naga

Ubosoth is a large structure resting on a curved base, in the traditional Thai style known as thong samphao, characteristic of the late Ayutthaya Period. Its wooden, carved and gilded pediments support Phra Narai mounted on a Garuda, the latter holding in firm grip the tail of a serpent-demon, known as Naga.

Phra Keow, made from jade in Chiang Sean style, was brought from Vientianne in 1779.

Kinnara – mythological creature, half bird, half man were found just outside ubosoth

In Buddhist mythology and Hindu mythology, a kinnara is a paradigmatic lover, a celestial musician, half-human and half-horse (India) or half-bird (south-east Asia). Their character is clarified in the Adi parva of the Mahabharata, where they say:

We are everlasting lover and beloved. We never separate. We are eternally husband and wife; never do we become mother and father. No offspring is seen in our lap. We are lover and beloved ever-embracing. In between us we do not permit any third creature demanding affection. Our life is a life of perpetual pleasure.

The Upper Terrace

Four main monuments are found on this terrace: a reliquary in the shape of a golden chedi; the Mondop, a repository for Buddhist sacred scriptures inscribed on palm leaves, a miniature Angkor Wat; and the Royal Pantheon.

Scattered around the terrace are statues of elephants and mythical beings. The models of elephants are a record of the famous white elephants acquired during the reigns of the various kings of Thailand.

Golden Phra Sri Rattana Chedi

Golden Phra Sri Rattana Chedi in Sri Lankan style

This chedi glitters as the sunshine strikes at its golden surface

Phra Mondop – the Library

This is Phra Mondop, the library built by Rama I in Thai style, in the middle of the complex. The library houses an elegantly carved Ayutthaya-style mother-of-pearl doors, bookcases with the Tripitaka (sacred Buddhist manuscripts), human-and dragon-headed nagas (snakes), and images of Chakri kings.

Look at how elaborate the design and the structure of the buildings

The buildings were so beautiful that I just couldn’t help to post a lot of photos here. One can actually spend whole day here to slowly observe the details of the design of architecture.

Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn – The Royal Pantheon

Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn – The Royal Pantheon

Replica of Angkor Wat

Model of Angkor Wat

The temple complex also contains a model of Angkor Wat (the most sacred of all Cambodian shrines), that was started by King Mongkut and completed by King Rama III, as the memorial of Angkor Wat and Kingdom of Cambodia that have been occupied by Siam for many hundred years until the colonization of Kingdom of Cambodia by France .

The Wall of the Buildings

The entire complex, including the temples, is bounded by a compound wall which is one of the most prominent part of the wat is about 2 kilometres (6,600 ft) length. The compound walls are decorated with typically Thai murals, based on the Indian epic Ramayana.

These paintings are refurbished regularly. The murals, in 178 scenes, starting with the north gate of the temple illustrates the complete epic story of Ramayana sequentially, in a clockwise direction covering the entire compound wall. The murals serve to emphasise human values of honesty, faith, and devotion.

It will really take you a very long time to observe each piece of image in detail.

And you might be surprised of your discovery of some funny scenes. See anything in this painting?

More Photos

Phra Wiharn Yod, a beautifully gabled wiharn which contains a number of Buddha images

Carvings of Phra Wiharn Yod

Two kids were drawing the structure of the building

Purple lily was beautifully blended into the splendid surrounding

More Information

Opening Hours: 8:30 am – 3:30 pm (daily, except during royal ceremonies)

Admission: 350 Baht (ticket including Vimanmek mansion fee and the ticket is valid for 7 days after the purchase day)

Transport: Buses No. 1, 3, 25, 32, 59, 60, 70, 82, 91, 201, 203, air-conditioned buses No. 2, 3, 6, 25, 32, 59, 60, 70, 82, 201, 203, 512; Chao Phraya express boat and ferry at No. 9 Chang Pier.

Clothing: Dress politely, wear long sleeve, trousers or skirt covering knees, shirt without sleeves is not allowed, slipper without strap is not allowed.