Grand Palace – Noble charm

No trip to Bangkok is complete without visiting the Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha (that is, in fact, made of jade). The complex has several temples and also the old palace of the highly revered king of Thais — chances of seeing the king himself are quite slim, as he nowadays resides in some other palace located in the northern parts of Bangkok.

The whole place is a real treat for amateur and professional photographers, especially on a sunny day when the light makes statues, stupas and ornamentations really gleam.

It costs 200 bahts to get in, and no guide is really necessary. There are plenty of them touting you upon arrival, but you can safely ignore them all. The complex is relatively compact, so it takes two or three hours to see everything interesting.

Grand Palace, Maharaj Pier, Chao Phraya, Bangkok, Thailand, +66 2 224 1833