The Majestic Grand Palace

If there is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without, it’s the dazzling and spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city’s most famous landmark. Built in 1782 the Grand Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame that continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail, all of which is a proud salute to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people. Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom.

Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings that when seen as a whole make visiting this spiritual place a truly memorable experience. The sheer amount of gold makes looking directly at some of the buildings quite difficult at times, and so you can imagine how tricky it was to try to capture the scenes on camera, but after a few angle shifts and a few unusual positions I feel that I got the shots that I had hoped for.

The following are just a few of my favourite aspects of this dazzling complex:
As soon as you enter the complex you are greeted by a 5 metre tall mythical guardian statue, known locally as Yaksa Tavarnbal, standing guard by the temple entrance gates.

Walking in a clockwise direction, the next structure you will come across is the gold tiled Phra Sri Ratana Chedi which supposedly contains a piece of the Buddha’s breastbone, the gold tiles used to cover this Chedi all shimmer wildly as you approach, drawing people closer and closer to marvel at the beauty laid out in front of them. Located right next to the Phra Sri Ratana Chedi is the Phra Mondhop, which is the Repository of the Canon of Buddha (palm-leaf scriptures). This building is covered in small, colourful glass mosaics, each area of tiles having been laid out with extreme care and made into beautiful patterns which cover the entire exterior.

Outside the Royal Pantheon, known locally as Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn, are the Grand Palaces most photographed subjects, the guardian statues which support the base of a golden Chedi. Every tourist who has the opportunity to visit this remarkable complex will leave with a photograph of these mythical beings, which makes getting a photograph of them quite time consuming!

Unfortunately no cameras are permitted inside the Royal Monastery of the Emerald Buddha, known locally as Wat Phra Kaeo, and so you will have to visit for yourselves to see what is inside! However the Traditional Thai style Garuda statues surrounding the exterior of this famous temple are a sight all by themselves.

Surrounding the entire complex are intricate murals depicting scenes from the Ramakien, these murals are carefully looked after and restored by true artists which keep them looking as magnificent as they were the day they were first painted.

Hopefully the above gives you a small insight into the world famous Grand Palace, a complex where 1 day just doesn’t seem long enough to fully explore the grounds and appreciate the beauty each shrine or temple offers.