Exploring Bangkok’s Most Famous Sites

My first morning in Bangkok I awoke excited to get out the door. But where to start? I wanted to break myself in easy as I was still travel weary. I decided a trip to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun would do nicely. The river ferry was a 10 minute walk from my hotel and surely those major tourist attractions couldn’t be too hard to navigate. Well, I turned right when I should have turned left just about every time, but eventually managed to get it all done. My first day was a moderate success!

I started to the ferry. I figured it had to be marked, as it was also a major skytrain stop. Nope. I walked past it, around it, then finally stumbled onto it. Bangkok 1, Leslie 0. I had no idea what I was doing once I found the terminal, so I stood by the water trying to look hopeful. After some time, the BTS must have arrived, as I was joined by a lot more people. A good sign. A tourist ferry arrived– 40 baht instead of 15, but as I had no idea where the other ferry was, I decided the extra 80 cents was worth it. They also offer a day pass for 150 baht, but unless you’re riding the ferry a lot, it’s not worth it.

The ferry was wonderful. The wind whipped through the open boat as we moved up the river. I took in the sites, trying to ignore the loud, choppy English commentary that I couldn’t make out. Mental note to figure out how to take the local ferry for a quieter ride. I got off at Tha Chang, pier N9 and headed away from the river, passing some cute street art.

The walls of the Grand Palace are hard to miss. The place is huge and imposing. I knew there was only one entrance, but didn’t know which way it was. I stood and watched for a while, but couldn’t ascertain a pattern. People were moving in two main directions. I took the wrong one. Bangkok 2, Leslie 0. Dang it, I’m usually better at this!

WAT PHO,
TEMPLE OF THE RECLINING BUDDHA

I walked along the palace wall, peering at the amulet hawkers lined up along the street. After about 10 minutes I came to what was clearly something important. I had walked back one ferry stop, but I had reached Wat Pho! Well, it was on the list, so crossed over and made my way inside. Wat Pho (pronounced Po), the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, is most famous for housing the 46 metre giant reclining Buddha covered in gold leaf. It is considered the finest among large reclining Buddhas, but it’s cultural and spiritual significance is far greater. Wat Pho is a depository for uncountable works of art and is a storehouse of wisdom and knowledge.

The temple entry fee is 100 baht and it’s open from 8:30 to 5:30. Upon entering, to the left is a small area for worship. Guests can offer lotus flowers, incense and candles, obtained at the site for a donation, before moving on to explore the temple compound. Several statues covered in gold leaf are at the altar, and small pieces of gold leaf can be rubbed onto the statue of your choosing, again for a donation.

Directly across from this area of worship is the temple containing the Reclining Buddha. Visitors must remove their shoes and be dressed appropriately to enter– shoulders and knees covered, no plunging necklines or exposed bellies. The temple will be jam-packed with visitors, but everyone is pretty good about getting out of the way to snap a quick photo. It’s impossible to get the Buddha in an entire frame, so you’ll have to take several and piece them together or focus on the features. Note that in January 2016, there was restoration work going on on the statue and the feet were not visible. While inside the temple, turn around and admire the intricate murals on the walls. Each section indicates a different story, from Thai weapons, to the zodiac, to heaven, and the history of Buddhism.

Outside the entrance to the Reclining Buddha a monk was blessing the faithful by dipping a palm in water and placing it on their heads. The anointed would then sit in front of the monk for a moment. It was interesting to watch the ceremony of it all.

Outside the temple, there is a lot to see on the grounds. There are endless interesting statues to take in, four intricately adorned pagodas honouring the first four monarchs of the Chakri Dynasty, and the Buddha images gallery, containing 150 and 244 statues. These were collected from cities in the north, restored, gilded and lacquered. One was being worked on while I was there.

The North Assembly Hall houses another Buddha cast by King Rama 1. An elephant offers a water jug and a monkey holds a honeycomb over its head. It is based on a story of the Buddha separating himself from quarreling disciples and taking a retreat in the forest. An elephant and a monkey were his faithful attendants.

In the temple compound there is also a traditional Thai massage school, open to the public daily from 8-6.

I was visiting Wat Pho on December 30 and there seemed to be much going on in the way of setting up for a celebration. I asked several people, but I’m not entirely clear on what was going to be happening and if it had anything to do with the New Year. One display I found fascinating were the hundreds of stings hanging down, bundled into bunches at the end and tied into a knot. One of these knots had come undone and a man rushed over to tie it up again. I would love to know the significance of this. I asked a few people, but no one knew. I also Googled it but came up empty.

After taking in Wat Pho, I retraced my steps to the Grand Palace. The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam since 1782, but the current king does not reside there. The entry fee is a steep 500 baht and it’s open from 8:30 to 4:00.

THE GRAND PALACE

The Grand Palace was significantly busier than Wat Pho, which was pretty crowded in its own right. The dress code was exceptionally strict, so much so that the to-the-knees dress and tights underneath outfit I had on required a sarong to be tied around my waist so that my legs didn’t show. It was very fashionable. Hope I made it into a lot of tourist photos.

There were large numbers of tour groups, which made it a hassle to get around. People were pushy and I got elbowed a few times. I did walk around and look in the various buildings– the weapons’ museum and various galleries. The Upper Terrace was certainly beautiful with its golden chedi and statues of elephants and mythical beings. These were among some of my favourite statues of the day.

The Emerald Buddha is housed in the Royal Monastery here. I imagine it would be a lovely place to pray if it weren’t so busy. The Emerald Buddha is made of jade, not emerald, referring to the colour, not the stone. The story goes that in the 1400s, a plaster statue was found in a chedi that had burned. A monk notice a green underneath where the plaster had chipped of the statue’s nose. He removed the plaster to uncover the Emerald Buddha. It is the most holy of all Buddha statues and only the king is allowed to touch it, changing its dress three times a year according to the season.

While I found the Royal Palace beautiful, the crowds ruined it for me. I imagine that’s why it’s suggested to go in the early morning. Note there is no photo taking in most of the buildings.

WAT ARUN, TEMPLE OF THE DAWN

After visiting the Grand Palace, I walked to the ferry stop Tha Tien, N8, and found the small ferry that crossed the river to bring me to Wat Arun on the west bank. It only cost 3 baht and took a few minutes. I loved Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn. The temple entry fee is 50 baht and it’s open from 8:30 to 5:30.

Wat Arun is beautiful. It is made of what looks like white plaster, into which millions of Chinese porcelain is laid out in to various mosaics. The ceramic tiles and fragments of multi colored porcelain had previously been used as ballast by boats coming to Bangkok from China. Tourists are allowed to climb the central prang (tower) and are rewarded with a lovely view at the top. Wat Arun is lit up at night, creating a gorgeous spectacle on the Chao Phraya River. Even though it was busy, there was still a feeling of peace and space here. I loved sitting on the steps near the top of the central prang and watching the river.

As I made my way back to the hotel, I realized I’d left in such excitement that I didn’t leave myself any landmarks. I spent more weary steps than I needed to finding my way back. I may have gotten turned around a few times that day, clearly giving Bangkok the final win, but ending my day at the gorgeous Wat Arun made me feel like I was the victor. Bangkok’s charms are many and it was definitely worth the frustration to see such beautiful antiquities.