The Grand Palace

For just about 150 years, Bangkok's Grand Palace was not only the home of the King and his court, but also the entire administrative seat of government. Within the crenelated walls were the country's war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace full time around the turn of the twentieth century, but the complex remains the seat of power and spiritual heart of the Thai kingdom.
 

Map of the Grand Palace

The palace complex, like the rest of Ratanakosin Island, is laid out following the general outline of Ayutthaya palaces. The Outer Court, near where you enter the complex today, housed the government departments in which the king was directly involved, such as civil administration, including the army, and the treasury. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha takes up one corner of the complex next to the outer court.

In the middle is the Central Court, where the residence of the king and the halls for conducting state business were located. You are allowed to look at the fronts of the buildings in the central court, but only two of the throne halls are open to the public, and only on weekdays.

Behind the central court was the inner court. This was where the king's royal consorts and daughters lived. The inner court was like a small city entirely populated by women and boys under the age of puberty. Even though no royalty currently reside in the inner court, it is still completely closed off to the public.

Admission Fee

Admission to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Central Court of the Grand Palace is 300 Baht (8.97 USD). Note that the admission fee also includes an admission ticket to Vimanmek Mansion that can be used within seven days of your Grand Palace visit.

NOTE: There is a strict dress code for visiting the Grand Palace. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand's most sacred site. Visitors must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temple. Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves -- no tank tops. If you're wearing sandals or flip-flops you must wear socks (in other words, no bare feet.) Women must be similarly modestly dressed. No see-through clothes, bare shoulders, etc. If you show up at the front gate improperly dressed, there is a booth near the entry that can provide clothes to cover you up properly. You must leave your passport or credit card as security.

Hours: The Grand Palace is open every day from 8:30 to 3:30, unless its being used for a state function. Be careful of touts working outside the palace area who tell you its closed, and suggest their own guided tour instead. Their 'tour' will be to several shops where they get commissions on your purchases. Free guided tours in English are available at 10:00, 10:30, 1:30 and 2:00. You can also rent an audio guide for 100 Baht (2.99 USD) plus passport or credit card to secure return.

While the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and Grand Palace grounds are open every day when not being used for state functions, the audience halls in the Grand Palace are closed on weekends. You can only gain entrance to see the magnificent thrones on weekdays. The Royal Pantheon in Temple of the Emerald Buddha is only open one day a year, on 6 April.

Getting There

Getting to the Grand Palace is quite easy by boat. Take the Chaophraya Express Boat to the Chang Pier (Tha Chang). Walk through the market around the pier and out onto the plaza flanked by old shophouses. The long white wall of the Grand Palace is across the street on your right. You can't really miss it. The entrance is the second gate in the wall.

If you'd rather leave the hassle of getting there to someone else, then you can book a half or full day tour to the Grand Palace in advance through our partner Viator. Currently available tours are listed below.
 

	Bangkok Canals Cruise including Grand Palace and Wat Arun
	4 hours. Departs from Bangkok, Thailand	Starting from USD $53.55 per person
	On this sightseeing tour of Bangkok's canals (or khlongs, as they are know locally) you will travel by a motorized boat on the Chao Phraya River to see the serene family homes and temples dotted along the waterways which inspired Bangkok's reference as the "Venice of the East". The canals around Bangkok serve as a natural highway for many local Thai people going about their everyday business, such as transporting their merchandise, in particular rice, to and from the rice fields. Your cruising tour will stop at the Temple of Dawn, or Wat Arun, which is one of the Bangkok's most iconic landmarks and the most famous of the more than 400 Buddhist temples and monasteries in the city. It is then onto the Grand Palace complex. This Grand Palace complex includes the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Keow) which is unquestionably one of the wonders of the world today. Within its enormous grounds is the most exotic Buddhist temple and at the heart of the temple itself is a fabulous Buddha image, carved from one piece of Jade, which is the holiest and most revered of religious objects in Thailand today. More information & booking »
	Bangkok's Grand Palace Complex and Wat Phra Kaew
	3 hours. Departs from Bangkok, Thailand	Starting from USD $35.70 per person
	Ask anyone who has been to Bangkok what their 'must see' list is and without fail they will always include The Grand Palace complex. This half-day sightseeing tour in Bangkok will allow you the opportunity to explore the complex, which houses a number of attractions including Wat Phra Keow (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) in the company of a local Thai guide. Built in traditional Thai architecture mixed with European designs, The Grand Palace complex, once the official home for the Kings of Siam, is unquestionably one of the Thailand's major tourist highlights. The King still uses the Grand Palace for certain ceremonial occasions and the regal flavor within its enormous royal grounds is still evident. During the tour you will visit the Royal Funeral Hall and the Royal Coronation Hall. The main centerpiece of the complex however is the 45 centimeter Emerald Buddha. Carved from just one piece of Jade it is the holiest and most revered religious object in Thailand. The Emerald Buddha is housed within Wat Phra Keow, which is a very ornately decorated building whose roof tiles reach up into the sky. Don't wait any longer - book your tour now! Group of 2 travellers or more? Upgrade to a private tour for a small additional cost. Search for Product Code: 3685BKK11P More information & booking »
	Private Grand Palace Complex and Wat Phra Kaew Tour
	3 hours. Departs from Bangkok, Thailand	Starting from USD $39.27 per person
	This half-day private sightseeing tour in Bangkok is a must for anyone visiting Thailand's capital city. On this private tour you will have the opportunity to explore the complex, which houses a number of attractions including Wat Phra Keow (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) in the company of a local Thai guide. Built in traditional Thai architecture mixed with European designs, The Grand Palace complex, once the official home for the Kings of Siam, is unquestionably one of the Thailand's major tourist highlights. The King still uses the Grand Palace for certain ceremonial occasions and the regal flavor within its enormous royal grounds is still evident. During the tour you will visit the Royal Funeral Hall and the Royal Coronation Hall. The main centerpiece of the complex however is the 45 centimeter Emerald Buddha. Carved from just one piece of Jade it is the holiest and most revered religious object in Thailand. The Emerald Buddha is housed within Wat Phra Keow, which is a very ornately decorated building whose roof tiles reach up into the sky. Don't wait any longer, book your tour now! More information & booking »

More Information

In compiling this guide, we made extensive use of the book Palaces of Bangkok by Naengnoi Suksri and Michael Freeman. This 'coffee table' picture book has nearly 100 pages of photographs of the Grand Palace alone, including many buildings of the inner court that the public never sees. In addition there are pictures and text of 28 other palaces, many of which are generally closed to the public.

You may also wish to visit the Virtual Thai Palaces web site. This site, sponsored by the Royal Thai Household, is one of the most interesting Thai web sites. It requires some common plug-ins to view the 360-degree images, but they're easy to obtain and well worth it.