Vacation Thailand - Sightseeing Bangkok ... by ash-hotel.com
    tours, grand palace, temples, wats, rose gardens, floating market, safari, river kwai, dream world

Place to Visit : 
Wat Arun - The Temple of Dawn
Royal Grand Palace 
Wat Phra Keow - The Emerald Buddha

Wat Arun - the Temple of the Dawn
The famous Wat Arun, perhaps better known as the Temple of the Dawn, is one of the best known landmarks and one of the most published images of Bangkok. The temple is an architectural reproduction of Mount Meru, the center of the world in Buddhist cosmology.  The towering prang with its four smaller siblings was started by Rama II in the early part of the 19^th century, and completed by his successor Rama III. The prang is a blend of Khmer and Thai styles, over the brick core, a layer of plaster was applied and then decorated with bits of Chinese porcelain and glazed ceramic tiles. It is possible to walk a limited way up the very steep stairs of the main prang, which gives a reasonable view of the Chao Phraya river.

The Royal Grand Palace 
The Royal Grand Palace once a royal residence is a huge compound on Na Phra Lan Road  with proud golden domes, inspirational spires, exotic wall mural and breathtaking ceramic decorations, is surrounded by high white walls and occupies an area of about a square mile. The palace, begun in 1782, consists of several buildings with highly decorated architectural details. 

The Royal Chapel or Wat Phra Kaew famously known as Temple of Emerald Buddha is situated in the same compound, it houses the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred Buddha image in Thailand.

The Grand Palace is today used by the king only for certain ceremonial occasions such as Coronation Day

Borombiman Hall : a french inspired structure that served as a residence for King Rama VI, is occasionally used to house visiting foreign dignitaries.
Amarindra Hall : was originally a hall of justice, but is used today for coronation ceremonies.
Chakri Mahaprasat : the largest triple-winged of the palace buildings, literally Great Holy Hall of Chakri, but usually translated as Grand Palace Hall. Built by King Rama V and completed in 1882, there was some controversy during the construction phase which resulted in this unusual design. Rama V had wanted an entirely western look to his new home, but others in the court felt that the king's residence and throne hall should reflect Siamese motifs. So the original domed roof in the design was replaced by a Thai-styled roof. It is interesting to note that the Thai nickname for the building is the 'westerner with a Thai hat'. The tallest of the Mondops, in the centre, contains the ashes of each Chakri King who passed away; the flanking Mondops enshrine the ashes of Chakri princes who never inherited the throne.
Dusit Hall : initially served as a venue for royal audiences and later as a royal funerary hall.

Wat Phra Keow - Emerald Buddha
Also known as  temple of The Emerald Buddha - the temple dates back to 1782 when Bangkok was founded. Regarded as the most significant of all Thai temples, the 945,000 square-meter temple compound, which occupies one corner of the Grand Palace complex, encompasses over 100 buildings that represent 200 years of royal history and architectural experimentation.
The temple was built to house a green Buddha image that King Rama I had brought from Vientiane when he captured the city in 1778. He built the temple and enshrined the 'Emerald' Buddha there as a symbol of Siam's regained nationhood. The "Emerald Buddha"  was carved from one piece of emerald green jade. The Buddha figure sits high up on an altar of gold designed to represent the traditional aerial chariot attributed to Hindu gods on the murals of this country. 

Today, thousands of worshippers pay their respects in front of the statue.

Two seasonal costumes were made for the Emerald Buddha by King Rama I,one for the summer season and one for the rainy season. King Rama III had another costume made for winter season. The ceremonial changing of costumes takes place three times a year and is done by his Majesty the King.

Despite it's national importance, Wat Phra Kaew is the only temple in Thailand that doesn't have any resident monks, therefore it is not a seat of Buddhist learning in the same way that most other Wats are in Thailand. It is basically the personal chapel for the royal family. 

This is one of the most fascinating tours of Bangkok. You will visit the main attractions of this city in one single day.  for full detail
Wat Trimitr - world's largest Golden Buddha.
Wat Arun - the Temple of Dawn
Wat Pho - the Reclining Buddha, oldest and biggest temple 
Royal Grand Palace 
Wat Phra Keow - The Emerald Buddha
Vimanmek Mansion - world's largest Teakwood Palace
Wat Benchamabopit - the white Carara Marble Temple 

The tour takes you to 
1. Jim Thomson's Thai House - King of Thai Silk, 
2. Suan Pakkard Palace -The Lacquer Pavilion
3. Vimanmek Mansion - the world's largest golden teakwood mansion

Jim Thomson, the founder of the world renowned Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company was an American who came to Thailand after World War II and revitalized the Thai silk industry. Highly gifted as a designer and textile colorist, he contributed substantially to the industry's growth and to the worldwide recognition accorded to Thai silk. He was awarded the Order of the White Elephant, a decoration bestowed upon foreigners for having rendered exceptional service to Thailand. In 1967, Jim Thompson went on holiday with friends to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. There he set out for a walk in the surrounding jungle but never returned

His beautiful Thai house is now open as a museum, containing a fabulous collection of paintings and Asian artifacts. The house consists of a complex of six traditional Thai-style houses, teak structures that were purchased from several owners and brought to the present location from various parts of Thailand. Construction of the house was completed in 1959.

The Suan Pakkard Palace - a complex of five fine traditional Thai houses overlooking a beautifully kept lush tropical garden on Sri Ayutthaya Road. Inside the houses are a fine collections of Asian art and antiques, including an extensive display of Ban Chiang pottery. A bridge connects the first to the second house, which serves as a showcase of furniture from the Ayutthaya through the Rattanakosin periods. Among the antiques on display are a bed and a mirror, mother-of-pearl inlaid items, and ivory boxes. The third house is a repository of a three-chord classical Thai musical instrument, the saw sam sai, made of ivory, collections of Bencharong porcelain and lacquer ware, a palanquin made of ivory, and tiered royal umbrellas. The centerpiece of the fourth house is a block of wood inlaid with mother of pearl. Originally, it was the main door of a temple in Ayutthaya. Here in this house, one finds a prayer room with a large collection of Buddha images from various periods. An example of the outstanding architecture during the Ayutthaya Period is the Lacquer Pavilion, which stands in all its magnificence on one side of the vast lawn and the biggest collections of Ban Chiang pottery

Vimanmek Mansion - World's Largest Golden Teakwood Mansion

In 1897 King Rama V purchased the orchards and paddy fields between Padung Krungkasem Canal and Samsen Canal for the construction of a royal garden which he naned "The Dusit Garden" The first permanent residence in the Dusit Garden was Vimanmek Mansion, built in 1900 by royal command of king Rama V. He then moved his residence from The Grand Palace to stay permanently at Vimanmek Mansion for five years until the completion of Amporn Satarn Residence in 1906 where he lived until his death in 1910. Vimanmek Mansion was then closed down and members of the royal family moved back to the Grand Palace,

King Rama VII (1925-1934) renovated the Mansion several times

In 1982, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit (the present Queen) who had discovered that Vimanmek Mansion, with its elaborate architectural style was still intact, asked permission of His Majesty King Rama IX to renovate the Mansion for use as a museum to commemorate King Rama V by displaying his photographs, personal art and handi-crafts, and to serve as a showcase of the Thai national heritage for future generation. Vimanmek Mansion is the world's largest golden teakwood mansion with its elaborate architectural style refecting a western influence. The building has two right-angled wings, each wing 60 meters long and meters high, and is three-storied except for the part where King Rama V resided, which is octagonal and four-storied. Although the ground floor is brick and cement, the upper floors are built of beautiful golden teakwood. All together there are 31 rooms, with the bedrooms, the throne room and the bathrooms maintaining the atmosphere of the Thai past. Some display rooms house exhibitions of Thai art including silverware, ceramics, crystal ware, and ivory

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