Corrections Museum
This used to be the location of the Bangkok Remand Prison, an old and overcrowded prison. Most of it has been torn down and turned into a public park, but three blocks, a cellblock, a side of the prison wall and two watchtowers were preserved and turned into a museum. This museum displays some of the most sadistic punishments imaginable, and these were actually carried out to offenders not that long ago. The museum can only be visited after making an appointment, but some punishment instruments can be seen from the public park outside, so you don't necessarily need to enter the museum.
Wat Arun
Wat Arun, often called the Temple of Dawn, is located on the other side of the Chao Phraya River in Thonburi, you can find more information in that district article. It can most easily be accessed using the 3 baht ferry from Tha Tien Pier at the Rattanakosin side of the river near Wat Pho. The temple is a distinctive large prang intricately inlaid with Chinese white broken porcelain. At 88 metres in height, it was also the tallest structure in Bangkok until the advent of the modern skyscraper. It is one of Bangkok's best known landmarks and a must-visit.
A trip to Bangkok is not complete without a visit to some of Rattanakosin's prime sights. Bangkok counts hundreds of Buddhist temples, known in Thai as "wats", with the most important ones in Rattanakosin. Temples are an essential part of the daily life of most Thais. Most of them have impressive architecture and much devotion has been given to the decoration. Every temple is unique â some of them are beautifully decorated with thousands of coloured glass pieces, while others portray massive Buddha statues of pure gold.
You could spend weeks visiting temples in Bangkok, but as most visitors only spend a couple of days in the city, it is important to choose the ones that are especially beautiful, sacred and culturally significant. The Grand Palace is not just a palace, but also includes Wat Phra Kaew, the most sacred temple of Thailand. It is a must-see for every visitor of the city, and the palace grounds are so large that you have to spend at least a full morning walking through the complex. Beside the Grand Palace, most travellers visit Wat Pho, probably the largest reclining Buddha statue in the world, and Wat Arun, a large prang that is beautifully decorated with blue and white ceramics it is technically at the Thonburi side of the river, but is easily visited using the ferry from Tha Tien Pier. These top three attractions are conveniently clustered right next to each other. Other prominent temples are Wat Saket and the Golden Mount, built on an artificial hill with a nice view over the city, and Wat Suthat and the Giant Swing at the eastern side of Rattanakosin. Wat Ratchanaddaram, Wat Thep Thida Ram, Wat Intharawihan, Wat Ratchabophit and Wat Ratchapradit could be considered off the beaten path and give a more authentic experience.
Bear in mind that for all temples you must be dressed appropriately no shorts, no flipflops, no sleeveless shirts or risk being denied entry, although some places will offer rental parachute pants for a small refundable deposit. The temples play an important role in Buddhist traditions. Monks wake up early in the morning and perform the daily alms ritual between 05:00 and 07:00 called tak bat à¸à¸±à¸à¸à¸²à¸à¸£. Monks line up in front of the temple accepting donations from the people, most of them food and daily necessities such as rice, soap, candles, soda cans and even toilet paper. By giving, Buddhists believe that these good deeds will bring luck later in life or in the life beyond this one. The best temple to experience the alms ceremony is Wat Benchamabophit in Dusit. At one of the Buddhist markets, you can buy a bucket filled with products to give to the monks see Buy.
Whether you walk or take a tuk-tuk, don't listen to anyone telling you the temples are closed for a "Buddhist holiday", that they're only open in the afternoon because the monks are praying, or anything else along those lines. While it's true that opening times of temples and palaces can vary due to ceremonies and state occasions, you should always check it out yourself. These seemingly "helpful pedestrians" are in fact scammers, trying to get you into a full-day tuk-tuk ride around the city, where they'll try to trick you into buying gems, souvenirs and other junk.
It's worth giving the Grand Palace and Wat Pho together a full day since the heat and glare are very wearing and there is a lot to take in.
Bodhi Court
You might stumble across a tree on a pedestal when walking from Phra Chan Market to Thammasat University. Why would a tree be placed on a pedestal and decorated with garlands? Well, the tree has been linked with Thailand's struggle for democracy and the role Thammasat University has played here. The Bodhi Court is the birthplace of the October 8, 1973 student movement that grew into mass demonstrations for democracy and a new constitution. They protested against the military junta for the release of 13 people that had been arrested for demanding a national charter. The number of protesters swelled to the hundreds of thousands and had to move to the university's football field. This large group of people started to move onto the streets at October 13, 1973. The following day, the government violently suppressed these mass demonstrations, a key event in Thai modern history and the reason why the October 14 Memorial was erected near Khao San Road. On October 4, 1976, the Bodhi Court was the stage of an open-air stage performance that mocked the political culture of that time. When that parodies took hold of the newspapers' headlines, the military junta called them "defamatory to the royal family" and violently attacked the student groups on October 6. In 1991, a military coup d'etat followed and a constitution was drafted that basically maintained the status quo. Students again gathered at the Bodhi Court to protest against the junta. After the 1992 general elections, the opposition of the junta gathered at the Bodhi Court, starting demonstrations that would evolve into more than 200,000 participants. The junta again cracked down in an event known as the Black May Massacre, but eventually all protesters were freed and the junta stepped down in favour of democracy. An important tree, indeed.
grand palace
Bangkok's most popular tourist attraction, the Grand Palace à¸à¸£à¸°à¸à¸£à¸¡à¸¡à¸«à¸²à¸£à¸²à¸à¸§à¸±à¸ (http://www.palaces.thai.net) is the former residence of the King and is built adjacent to, and more or less integrated with Wat Phra Kaew also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The palace was originally built together with the establishment of Bangkok by King Rama I and has been expanded ever since. It covers a wide range of architectural styles, ranging from the pure Ayutthayan style of the temples to a blend of Thai and Western styles for later structures. While the King no longer lives here, a large part of the complex is used for royal residences and ceremonies and is off-limits to tourists.
Combined entry is a steep 400 baht, plus an optional 200 baht for a two-hour audio guide; Thais get in for free. Your ticket includes entry into the Dusit Palace in Dusit valid for seven days. The Grand Palace is open every day from 08:30 to 16:30, with the last tickets sold at 15:30; it cannot be said enough, do not believe any scammers who attempt to convince you otherwise. It is best to attend the Grand Palace during weekdays, as some throne halls are closed in the weekends for ceremonial purposes. Be aware that a strict dress code applies for visitors to the palace. Ladies must cover their upper arms and legs down to the thigh, while men must wear long trousers and at least a t-shirt. Ladies can borrow sarongs at the entrance for free, but must leave a 200 baht deposit. On some holidays the dressing room may be closed, in which case you can rent clothes across the street for a fee. Thais seem to follow even tighter dressing regulations, such as wearing black during royal funeral ceremonies, but they understand it when foreigners do not follow those.
It can get very crowded and hot once the tour buses start to roll in, so getting an early start might be a good idea! There are free English tours four times a day, just look for the sign after you pass the ticket gate. The palace grounds can easily be explored on your own though. Visitors are corralled along a set route. First you'll walk through Wat Phra Kaew with the palace buildings coming right after.