Vacation Thailand - BANGKOK  ... by ash-hotel.com
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Wat Phra Kaeo
Wat Phra Kaeo is the holiest of all Thai temples, and the small green-jade statue of the Buddha, high on its golden altar in the Chapel Royal, is the most sacred image in Thailand. When the statue was first found in 1434 it was covered in stucco.
Years later, the stucco started to crumble away and several miracles occurred, giving the Buddha a reputation for bringing good fortune. Today, thousands of worshippers pay their respects is front of the statue. The late Ayutthaya-style on the surrounding walls depict the lives of Buddha, and the superb door panels with  mother-of-pearl inlay illustarte scenes from the Rurnnkian, the Thai version of the Indian Ramayana. The golden outer walls and gilded angles reflect the sun, while bells along the roof-line give voice to wind.
On the upper terrace, next to the Chapel Royal, are three other very sacred buildings: the Royal Pantheon, surrounded by gilded male and female kinaree, half-human figures, which holds the Tripitaka, the sacred Buddhist scriptures; and the impressive golden Phra Si Rattana Chedi which houses ashes of Buddha. The nearby model of Cambodia's Angkor Wat is a reminder that Cambodia was once under Thai rule. The whole ground is enclosed by galleries decorated with superb murals depicting the Ramakien.

 Wat Pho
Wat Pho is the national headquarters for the teaching and preservation of traditional Thai medicine, including Thai massage. A massage school convenes in the afternoons at the eastern end of the compound; a massage costs 180 baht per hour and 100 babt for a half-hour. You can also study massage in seven to 10-day courses.
The tremendous reclining Buddha, 46 metres long and 15 metres high, illustrates the passing of the Buddha into parinibbana (post death nirvana) The figure is modelled out of plaster around a brick core and finished in gold leaf. Mother-of-pearl inlay ornaments the eyes and feet of the colossal image, the feet displaying 108 different auspicious characteristics of a Buddha. The images on display in the four Wihans surrounding the main Bot in the eastern part of the compound are interesting. Particularly beautiful are the Phra Buddha,Jinnarat and Phra Buddha Jinnasri, in the west and south chapels, both from Sukhothai.The galleries extending between the four chapels feature no less than 394 gilded Buddha images.

Wat Benchamabophit - Marble Temple
This Wat is made of white Carrana marble so hence its tourist name, Marble Temple; this most recent of royal Wats was built at the turn of the century under King Rama V. The largest Bot is a prime example of modern Thai architecture. The courtyard behind the Bot exhibits 53 Buddha images (33 originals and 20 copies), representating famous images and styles from all over Asia, Thailand and other Buddhist countries. It is an excellent place to watch religious festivals and moonlit processions. Unlike most other temples, monks don't go out seeking alms but are instead visited by merit-makers between 06:00 and 07:00 hours

Wat Saket & Golden Mountain
Wat Saket is an undistinguished temple except for the Golden mountain of Phu KhaoThong, on the West side of the grounds. The steep climb up the Golden Mountain puts eveything back in perspective and offers views over Rattanakosin Island that are simply stunning. The artificial hill was created when a large Chedi under construction by King Rama III collapsed because the soft soil beneath would not support it. The resulting mud and brick hill was left to sprout weeds until King RamaIV built a small Chedi on its crest.
King Ramam V later added to the structure and housed a Bhddha relic from India in the Chedi. The concrete walls were added during World War II to prevent the hill from eroding.
Every November a large festival, held on the ground of Wat Saket, includes a candlelight procession up the Golden Mountain.

Wat Ratchanatda
Across Mahachai road from Wat Saket is Wat Ratchanatda. This temple dates from the mid 19th century. Built under King Rama III's reign, it is an unusual specimen, possibly influenced by Burmese models
The Wat has a well-known market selling Buddhist amulets or magic charms in all sizes, shapes and styles. The amulets not only feature images of the Buddha, but famous Thai monks and Indian deities. Full Buddha images are also for sale. In Thai, Buddhas or Phra Phim are never "bought" or "sold", they are "rented". The images are purported to protect the wearer from physical harm, though some act as "love charms". Amulets that are considered to be particularly powerful tend to cost thousands of baht and Wat Ratchanatda is an expensive place to purchase a charm, but a good place to look around.

Wat Mahathat
Founded in the 1700s, Wat Mahathat is a national centre for the Mahanikai monastic sect and houses one of Bangkok's two Buddhist universities, Mahathat Rajavidyalaya. On weekends, a large produce market is held on the grounds. Opposite the main entrance on the other side of Maharat road is a large religious market selling amulets, or magic charm
The temple is open to visitors from 09.00 to 17.00 hours every day and on Wan Phra Buddhist holy days (the full and new moons every fortnight). Also in the temple grounds is a is a daily open-air market that features traditional Thai herbal medicine.
The monastery's International Buddhist Meditation centre offers meditation instruction in English on the second Saturday of every month from 14:00 to 18:00 hours in the Dhamma Vicaya Hall. Those interested in more intensive instruction should contact the monks in section 5 of the temple compound

Wat Suthat
Wat Suthat is featured as Bangkok's tallest Wiharn and houses a 14th century Buddha statue from the Sukhothai period, surrounded by rather surreal depictions of the Buddha's last 24 lives. The courtyard is filled with odd statues of scholars and sailors, brought as ballast in rice boats returning from China, while the doors of the Wat have been carved by King Rama II. In an annual still observed just before World War II, men used to ride on the Giant Swing and try to grab a bag of silver coins attached to a pole; only the teak arch remains

Wat Arun
The Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun is named after the Indian god of dawn, Aruna. It appears in all the tourist brochures and is located on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River. King Taksin chose this 17th century Wat for his royal temple and Palace as it was the first place in Thonburi to catch the morning light. The Emerald Buddha was housed here after it was recaptured from Laos, before being moved to Wat Phra Kaeo in 1785. Even without the sacred statue, Wat Arun continued to be much revered, and the kings Rama II and Rama III reconstructed and enlarged it to its present height of 104 metres. Today, Wat Arun has a long, elongated, Khmer-style, prang, the tower and four minor towers symbolishing Mount Meru, the terrestrial representation of the thirty-three heavens. The Prang are recovered with pieces of porcelain, which Chinese boats coming to Bangkok used a ballast.
The main Prang, steep steps lead to the two terraces that from the base of the Prang. The different Layers, or heavens, are supported by Kinnaree, or half humans, and frightening Yaksas, or demons. Pavillion on the first platform contain statues of the Buddha at the most important stages of his life, while on the second terrace four statues of the Hindi God Indra or Erawan, his thirty-three headed elephant, stand guard.
Most tourists come for the climb and don't have time for the rest of the Wat. The main Buddha image inside the Bot is belived to have been designed by King Rama II himself, but the mural date from the reign of King Rama V.

Erawan Shrine
San Phra Phrom or Erawan Shrine was created as a spirit house connected to the Erawan Hotel, which has now made way for the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. The forces of the typical Thai spirit house didn't seem effective enough during the building of the hotel, so spiritual persons advised that it should be replaced with the four-headed image of Brahma or Phra Phrom in Thai. There have been no further hitches since then, and the shrine has become famous for bringing good fortune. The name Erawan comes from Brahma's thirty-three headed elephant.
People offer colorful flower garlands, lotus, incense and candles. Often, if a wish has been granted, people thank the spirits by donating teak elephants or commissioning the classical Thai dancers and live orchestra.

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