Wat Phra Kaeo: Included in a complex of buildings known as the Grand Palace is Wat Phra Kaeo, the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The main building houses the Emerald Buddha, which is why the temple is known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The Emerald Buddha is a 17.5" high statue made of solid jade (not emerald) and is clothed in gold. It is thought to have been created in India, but worked its way through Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos before ending up where it is today.
Chakri Mahaprasad Hall: Also included in the Grand Palace complex is Chakri Mahaprased Hall. This hall was used for many official functions when the complex served as the official residence of the king. Entry to the hall was barred but we did see a museum displaying firearms used by the Thai.
We were in Bangkok during the celebration of the king's 80th birthday and the Grand Palace was in the process of being decorated for activities occurring there during the celebration.
Vimanmek Palace: The palace is the largest golden teakwood mansion in the world and was once used as the royal residence. It contains 81 rooms (31 of which are open for tours) and each is painted a color signifying it purpose. Those working at the palace were restricted to certain colored rooms based on their function. It is surrounded by expansive gardens.
Pictures of the palace are not allowed, but I was able to find one on the internet used for advertising purposes, so I included it on this web page.
Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall: Completed in 1915, the hall was originally used for greeting foreign dignitaries by the king. In 1932, it was used as the headquarters of the People's Party during their four day revolution changing the government from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one. It was then used as the Parliament House until 1974, when the New Parliament House was built. Today it is a museum but is still used for ceremonial functions. The hall is constructed of Italian marble.
The Royal Barges Museum: The next stop on our agenda was the Royal Barges Museum. Our taxi driver had trouble finding the museum, having to ask for directions and turn around before finally dropping us off at the right place, but he discounted our fare for the wrong turn and inconvenience. The museum is nestled in a densely populated area without direct road access. We had to wind our way through back alleys before arriving at our destination.
On display at the museum are the barges constructed for the kings of Thailand. The barges were constructed for highly ceremonial processions and are only used at very significant cultural and religious events. The last time they were used was during the ceremony celebrating the current king's 60th year on the throne, only the 16th time they have been used during his reign.
We successfully navigated our way back through the narrow alleyways and caught another cab on the main street to transport us to our next destination.
Wat Arun: Wat Arun is referred to as the Temple of the Dawn. At the center of the temple is a single prang, surrounded by four smaller prangs. There are a couple very steep staircases leading to two terraces where you can get a good viewpoint of the river and of Wat Po, which lies directly across the river.
After visiting the temple, we caught another taxi back to the hotel for a breather before heading out for dinner.
Chao Praya River Dinner Cruise: For dinner we decided to go on a river cruise. Included with the meal was a show depicting scenes from Thai legend. The cruise was very pleasant and we enjoyed seeing riverside Bangkok by night.