Erawan Shrine and other Bangkok, Thailand Things to Do Tips

San Phra Phrom or Erawan Shrine was created as a spirit house connected to the Erawan Hotel, which has now made way for the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. The forces of the typical Thai spirit house didn't seem effective enough during the building of the hotel, so spiritual persons advised that it should be replaced with the four-headed image of Brahma or Phra Phrom in Thai. There have been no further hitches since then, and the shrine has became famous for bringing good fortune. The name Erawan comes from Brahma's thirty-three headed elephant.

People offer colourful flower garlands, lotus, incense and candles. Often, if a wish has been granted, people thank the spirits by donating teak elephants or commissioning the classical Thai dancers and live orchestra.

Location
Erawan Shine is located at the junction of Ratchadamri Road and Phloenchit Road

How to get there
Skytrain to Siam Square if you are from the Silom Line or skytrain to Chit Lom Station if you are in Sukhumvit Line.

I took the Skytrain from Sala Daeng to Siam Square which cost me 15 baht for single journey.

Price for the dancer to dance for you
2 dancers = 260 Baht
4 dancers = 360 Baht
6 dancers = 610 Baht
8 dancers = 710 Baht

Offering to the god will cost you from 50 Baht and above.

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Address: Chitlom Station, Bangkok
Directions: Near the Sogo Dept. Store
Website: http://www.discoverthailand.com

Baiyoke Sky Hotel in Bangkok:
The Baiyoke Tower was opened in 1998.
This building is 309 metres tall or about the height of 182 people standing one on top of the other.

There are 1,740 windowpanes in the building. About the same number of windowpanes can be used for over 200 townhouses.

The area inside this building is about 30 football fields.

There are altogether 2,060 steps from the bottom to the top. It takes more than one hour to reach the top.

The piling runs 60 metres deep underground or about the height of a 22 storey building.

INFORMATION:
Go up the lift from the lobby to the 77th floor. There is another lift to the 83rd floor for the revolving deck on the 84th floor

Open Monday - Friday: 10.30 a.m. - 10.00 p.m. and weekend + holidays: 9.30 a.m. - 10.00 p.m.

Adults 170 baht and children (up to 120 cms.) 85 baht

Sky Buffet:
Bufffet lunch 11.00 a.m. - 2 p.m. - adult 310 baht and children 155 baht
Dinner : 5.30 p.m. - 10.00 p.m. - adult 410 baht and children 205 baht

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Address: Pratunam District, Bangkok
Directions: Near the Pratunam Market
Website: http://www.baiyoketower.com.th

Located in the Bang Khun Phrom area on Wisutkasat Road, this temple is well known for a huge standing Buddha image called Luang Pho To. The image, built in the reign of King Rama IV, is 32 meters tall (108.99 feet) and 10 meters and 24 inches wide (40.09 feet). The topknot of the Buddha image contains a relic of Lord Buddha brought from Sri Lanka

Location:
Bang Khun Phrom Sub-District,
Phra Nakorn District, near by newly open Rama VIII bridge and Bank of Thailand.

The temple is open to the public every day.

There is no admission fee.

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Phone: 66-(0)2 2817810
Address: Wat Intharawihan -Standing Buddha Image
Directions: Bang Khun Phrom Sub-District, Phra Nakorn District, near by newly open Rama VIII bridge and Bank of Thailand.

Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram (simply called Wat Benchamabophit) or "The Marble Temple" as known to foreigners is most satisfactory architecturally with its symmetry and lovely proportions.

The Ubosot Hall (Bot or Ordination Hall) was constructed from Carrara marble from Italy and showing distinct European neo-classical influence. It was designed by H.R.H. Prince Narisranuvattivongse, half brother to King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, and has been reckoned for its architectural and decorative arts of finest Thai craftsmanship, say, second to none in the world.

It attracts the interest of tourists throughout the world to come to visit in large numbers each year.

LOCATION: Wat Benchamabophit is on the corner of Si Ayutthaya Road and Rama V Road.

GETTING THERE: Bus Nos. 2 (air-con)

OPENING HOURS: Open every day until 5pm

ADMISSION: 20 baht

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Address: Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok
Directions: Near Chitralada Palace

The steep climb up the Golden Mount puts everything back in perspective and offers views over Rattanakosin Island that are simply stunning.

The artificial hill was created when a large Chedi under construction by King Rama III collapsed because the soft soil beneath would not support it. The resulting mud-and-brick hill was left to sprout weeds until King Rama IV built a small Chedi on its crest.

King Rama V later added to the structure and housed a Buddha relic from India in the Chedi. The concrete walls were added during World War II to prevent the hill from eroding.

Location: Between Boriphat Road and Lan Luang Road

Open: Daily 08:00 -5:30pm

Admission: 10 Baht

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Phone: 66-2-233 4561
Address: Bus No. 8, 15, 37, 47, 97 Air Con Bus No. 38, 49

Wat Pho (Wat Phra Chetuphon) or "The Temple of Reclining Buddha"

It is located south of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. It is one of Bangkok's oldest and largest temples. Wat Pho was built by King Rama I nearly 200 years ago and houses the 46 meters long and 15 meters height reclining Buddha image which is the second largest reclining Buddha in the country.

The most interesting feature of this image is "the inlaid mother-of-pearl design on the sole of the feet showing the 108 auspicious signs arrayed in 67 small squares around the 'chakra' or a disc at the center".

The compound of Wat Pho is divided into two sections. The southern part is for the resident monks. The northern part includes a large Wihan, a large bot (ubosot) or a ordination hall.

The inner and outer galleries are lined with 788 Buddha images of various styles. This is "the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand".

Wat Pho is the center for the teaching and preservation of traditional Thai medicine and Thai massage. King Rama III wanted this temple "to be a center of learning for the general public and had texts on various subjects inscribed on stone slabs for public study as seen today".

Wat Pho is also regarded as the first centre of public education and is sometimes called "Thailand's First University". The temple has 95 stupas of various sizes. The four large stupas were built on separate occasions to commemorate the first four kings of the Chakri Dynasty.

Location: Maharat Rd. Close to the river (about a half mile south of the Grand Palace.

Open: Daily 8am-5pm (Massage available until 6pm)

Admission fee: 20 Baht.

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Phone: 02-221-991
Address: Tha Tien Pier, Chao Phraya River, Bangkok
Directions: The entrance to Wat Pho is on Chetuphon road. Entrance is 20B. It's open every day, opening hours are from 08.00am to 5.00pm, with a break from 12.00pm to 1.00pm.
Website: http://www.discoverthailand.com/

This palace has an area of 218,400 sq. metres and is surrounded by walls built in 1783. The length of the four walls totals 1900 metres.

Within these walls are situated government offices and the Chapel Royal of the Emerald Buddha besides the royal residences.

When Siam restored law and order after the fall of Ayutthaya the monarch lived in Thonburi on the other side of the river. Rama I, immediately on ascending the throne, moved the centre of administration to this side of the Chao Phraya; and, after erecting public monuments such as fortifications and monasteries, built a palace to serve not only as his residence but also his offices.

This palace came to be known as the Grand Palace, in which the earliest edifices contemporary with the foundation of Bangkok were the two groups of residences named the Dusit-Mahaprasard and the Mahamontien

One of Thailand's most revered temples, Wat Pra Kaeo is located inside the grounds of the Grand Palace. This Royal temple contains an exquisite Emerald Buddha which dates back to around the 14th century.

No one is allowed near the Buddha which is raised high on a series of platforms, except the King. A seasonal cloak, changed three times a year to correspond to the summer, winter, and rainy season covers the statue.

A very important ritual, the changing of the robes is performed only by the King to bring good fortune to the country during each season. The temple is beautifully decorated and has a great sense of peace about it.

Location: Na Phra Lan Road

Open: 8:30-12:00 and 13:00-15:30.

Admission: 200 Baht (including tickets to The Coin Pavillion & Phra Thi Nang Vimanmek & Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall)

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Phone: 02-224-1833
Address: Maharaj Pier, Chao Phraya, Bangkok
Directions: The combined compound is open 8.30am to 3.30pm everyday. Cost is 200B (if you are Thai, it's free), and includes admission to Vimanmek Mansion and Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall, both in the Dusit area.
Website: http://www.discoverthailand.com/

Located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, this temple can be reached either by Arun Amarin Road or by boat from Tha Tien Pier, near Wat Pho.

It was restored during the brief Thonburi period to be the Royal Chapel of King Taksin. An important structure is a 79 meter-high pagoda or "Phra Phang" decorated with ceramic tiles and fragments of multicoloured porcelain.

You can no longer climb the steps to the top of the prang for those vertigo inducing views over the river but it's worth visiting.The name of this temple literary means "Temple of the Dawn" but the most beautiful view of it can be seen from the east side of the river at sunset.

LOCATION: West bank of the Chao Phraya River. Opposite Tha Thien Pier

OPENING HOURS: It's open daily from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

ADMISSION: Admission is 20 Baht

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Phone: 02-466-3167
Address: Tha Tien Pier, Chao Phraya River
Directions: From this pier take a cross river ferry to Wat Arun.

Damnoensaduak is believed to be one of a well-known and an attractive travelling sites. Historically, Damnoenssaduak was actually the name of the canal dug in the reign of King Rama IV by the military men and the people of Rajburi, Samutsakorn and Samutsongkram Province directed by Phayasrisuriyawong, the minister of Defence. In those days without rivers and canals, transportation was almost motionless; King Rama IV with his great concern over the country's future economic growth, he finally had the canal dug to connect the Taachin River in Samutsakorn Province and Maklong River in Samutsongkram Province together.

Nowadays Damnoensaduak is one of a provincial district of Rajburi Province. Most people live densely along both sides of the canal from one end of the canal to another.The majority of this people are agriculturists.

They grow several different kinds of fruit and vegetable for examples oranges, grapes, papayas, cabbages, bean, onion and etc. The land in this area is naturally fertile.

Apart from providing transportation, Damnoensaduak Canal also provides farmers with adequate water for agricultural purposes for the whole year around. More than 200 small canals were dug by local peasants to connect with it to get water to splatter their land. Moreover; these small canals also become protitiouus ways of taking their agricultural products to the markets in neighbouring provinces and Bangkok.

Day in and day out from about 8 a.m. to about 11 a.m. the Floating Market is routinely crowded with hundrreds of vendors and purchasers floating in their small rowing boats selling and buying or exchanging their goods. What they purchase are particularly food, fruit and vegetable which mostly brought from their own orchards.

Continue to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market 2

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Address: Damnernsaduak

Continue from Damnoen Saduak Floating Market 1

They usually travel on their small rowing boats. however; today the long-tailed boats pushing by engine become very popular. People tend to use them instead. Anyhow because of the shortage of fuel today long-tailed boats are quite unavailable compared to a few years ago.

Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi about 110 kilometres south of Bangkok or approximately 2 hours drive depends on trafic conditions..About 2 hours by car outside Bangkok city center

How to Get There
By Bus: There are public buses both air and non air-conditioned leaving from the Southern Bus Terminal. Pinklao-Nakhonchaisi Rd. for Damnoen Saduak every 40 minutes from 06.00 hrs. onwards. Fare is around Baht 49 (one way) for air-conditioned (tel . 435-5031) and Baht 30 for normal buses (tel. 434-5558). The most suitable time to be at the market is from 08.00-10.00 hrs.

By Car: From Bangkok you can take Highway No. 4 (Phetchakasem Rd.) and turn left at Km. 80 for another 25 kms. along Bangpae-Damnoen Saduak Rd.

Arriving at Damnoen Saduak, you can either walk on the passage along the canal on the right hand side or take a both at the pier nearby to Floating Market area at the price of Baht 100 per person.

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Address: Damnernsaduak
Directions: About 2 hours by car outside Bangkok city center