Visiting The Grand Palace in Bangkok Thailand

If you’re visiting Thailand and are spending any time in Bangkok, if you only see one thing, make sure it's the Grand Palace

This glittery, gleaming mini city was built in 1782 and was the home of the royal family and their court for 150 years. The stunning architecture is unbelievably ornate and detailed and is especially spectacular on bright sunny days (which luckily are plentiful in Thailand!) when the sun flashes on the gold stupas and the mirrored mosaics.

Grand Palace at Night

Grand Palace Bangkok

So What is in The Grand Palace?

Within the palace compound is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) which, as the name suggests is home to the revered Emerald Buddha. This small but very significant Buddha statue dates all the way back to the 14th century and his robes are changed seasonally by His Majesty the King. The royal family stopped living in the palace around the beginning of the twentieth century, but this important ritual is one of many that still take place within the palace's walls.

Temple Of The Emerald Budah

Emerald Budah

No Bikini Sign

No Bikinis

Dress Code

A small word to the wise: as with any temple, make sure you're appropriately dressed. Wat Phra Kaew is an extremely sacred site in Thailand and as former home to the royal family the Grand Palace should be approached with respect both in dress and manner. This means:

Men - No shorts please wear long trousers, No t-shirts please wear shirts with sleeves at all times.

Women - nothing see-through, no bare shoulders or midriffs and no short shorts.

You will be stopped at the entrance if not dressed correctly, however there is a counter that provides cover up clothing (if you dare wear it) for a refundable deposit.

Getting There

Getting there is easy, although it is not on a BTS Skytrain or metro route so you’ll need to take a taxi if you’re not staying in the Rattanakosin or Banglamphu (Khao San road) areas.

Opening Times

The Grand Place is open every day from 08:30am and it closes fairly early at 3.30pm.

It may be closed on public holidays so please check before setting off.

So Whats The Address?

The actual address of the Grand Palace is Na Phra Lan Road, Rattanakosin, Bangkok but every taxi or tuktuk driver should know “Grand Palace”. If not, it’s probably best to jump out and find yourself another cab or tuktuk, they are both plentyful and very cheap.