Temple of the Reclining Buddha and other Bangkok, Thailand Things to Do Tips

Here's an excellent write-up, from Into Asia:

Wat Pho is mainly famous for the huge Reclining Buddha statue it houses. At 20 acres large, it is the largest Wat in Bangkok, and is technically the oldest too, as it was built around 200 years before Bangkok became Thailand's capital. However, today the Wat today bears virtually no resemblance to that originally constructed, as it was almost entirely rebuilt by Rama I when the capital was moved to Bangkok. It holds the dual honors of having both Thailand's largest reclining Buddha image and the most number of Buddha images in Thailand.

The highly impressive gold plated reclining Buddha is 46 meters long and 15 meters high, and is designed to illustrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana. The feet and the eyes are engraved with mother-of-pearl decoration, and the feet also show the 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha.

The vast grounds at the temple were always well-manicured when I visited it. The main hall, where the statue of the Reclining Buddha was housed, had an air of serenity which I loved.

But really for me, the most important thing to do when visiting Wat Pho is to have a really good traditional Thai massage at its Thai Traditional Medical & Message School.

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Phone: +66 2 225-9595
Address: Tha Tien Pier, Chao Phraya River, Bangkok
Directions: Entry to the temple is 50 baht, and it is open from 0800-1700 daily. Beware of scams where con man will try to trick you into believing that the temple is "closed" and get you to go to other places with them. Do dress appropriately.
Website: http://www.watpho.com

One of the main attractions of going to Thailand is their affordable and therapeutic Traditional Massages. I have various kind of massages (of the non-sexual kind) and my feelings about them are as follow:

1. On my first evening in Bangkok, I tried the "Foot Reflexology Massage" at one of the most recommended orthordox palours in Bangkok, Marble House, and it was good. It melted away most of the fatigue felt in my feet after a full day of shopping. The 1 hour session cost 300 Baht (not including tips of 100 Baht).

2. On my second day, my friends and I visited Wat Po, and so tried out the massages at their very famous "Wat Po Thai Traditional Medical School", where a lot of Traditional Thai Masseuse and Masseurs learnt their craft from. It was really fantastic!

After enjoying an 1 hour session of the Traditional Thai Massage with Ayurvedic Herbs, I felt very relaxed and calm. They also do "outside visits", but its more expensive at 980 baht, despite the slightly longer 1.5 hours session. The 480 Baht paid for the 1 hour session is a steal in my opinion.

The steamed Ayurvedic Herbs are quite hot though and after compressing your skin with it, it leaves a liquid residue that turns cold really fast due to the air-con blowing on it. If you think you will be uncomfortable with this, then just try their Traditional Thai Massage (without the Ayurvedic Herbs) at 350 baht..

Do note that the school has 2 massage centres, one within Wat Po itself, and another air-conditioned one a short walk away in Sanamchai Road.

3. On my third evening, I went for a 2 hour Thai Oil Massage at Marble House again and experienced the worst massage ever!!! I have another tip under the section of "Tourist Traps" which provides the details of this torture session I received and paid 1000 Baht for.

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Address: Wat Po & Marble House
Directions: Wat Po Thai Traditional Medical School's Address:

2 Sanamchai Road,
Pranakorn,
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
+66 2-221-2974

Marble House's Address:

3rd Floor, Ruamchitt Plaza,
199 Sukhumvit Road, Near Soi 15
Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Tel: +66 2-651-0905

Jim Thompson House was the home of James H.W. Thompson, a self-made American entrepreneur and the founder of the world renowned Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company.

The house consists of a complex of six traditional Thai-style houses, teak structures that were purchased from several owners and brought to the present location from various parts of Thailand. Construction of the Thai house was completed in 1959.

With his natural flair for design and color, and driven by his single-minded dedication to reviving the craft, Thompson soon gained worldwide recognition for his success in rebuilding the industry, for generating international demand for Thai silk.

For his invaluable contribution to the growth and development of the Thai Silk industry, Jim Thompson was awarded the Order of the White Elephant, a decoration bestowed upon foreigners for having rendered exceptional service to Thailand. Thompson's success story in Thailand has become one of the most popular postwar legends of Asia.

During the Easter weekend in 1967, Thompson disappeared while on holiday with friends in Cameron Highlands, a northern Malaysian resort. There he set out for a walk in the surrounding jungle but never returned. An extensive and extended search failed to reveal any clues about his disappearance. Thus began the Jim Thompson legend.

The current Jim Thompson House serves as a showcase of how he had lived while in Thailand. Originally trained as an architect, Thompson fell in love with the rustic design of the Thai House and built his own quarters in a similar style, although there is a distinct fusion of traditional American living as well.

The museum is open from 0900-1700 (last guided tour starts at 1630 though) daily. The admission fee is 100 baht and you will need to join the guided tour as you are not allowed to freely wander within the house. They have some of the best guides around and the tour was a very pleasant as well as being enlightening.

Do note that indoor photography is not allowed, as with shoes.

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Phone: +66 2 216 7368
Address: Rama I Road, Pathumwan District
Directions: National Stadium or Siam Skytrain station
Website: http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com

Vimanmek Palace, the world's largest golden teakwood mansion, was constructed by the royal command of King Rama V (1868-1910) upon his return from Europe in 1897. Thus, the interior decor and furnishing of the palace have a very strong European motif.

The building itself was originally his Summer Palace, the Munthaturaltanaroj Residence of the Chuthathujrachathan at Koh Sri Chang, Chonburi. It was dismantled and rebuilt in the Dusit Garden under the supervision of Prince Narissaranuwaddhiwongse. The massive reconstruction project was completed on 27th March 1901.

Since then, the mansion has been renovated several times but subsequently, it fell into disuse and was practically forgotten until in 1982, when Queen Sirikit learnt about it and asked for the permission of King Rama IX to renovate the mansion into a museum that reflects the Thai heritage from the dramatic reign of King Rama V.

The museum is open from 0830-1630 daily (ticketing stops at 1530 though), including weekends and public holidays. The admission rate is 100 baht and proper attiring must be observed. Thus, do refrain from wearing sandals, sleeveless shirts and shorts (bottoms must at least extend to knee). Suitable attires (sarongs, shirts and pants) are available for rental if required.

You will need to join their complimentary guided tour as you are not allowed to wander within the mansion freely. No indoor photography is allowed as well and you will be required to store your photographic equipments into lockers first (20 baht per locker). Before stepping into the mansion, you will also be requested to take off your shoes and store them at the provided racks just before the commencement of the tour.

Overall, the tour was quite enlightening. However, I do find the Ananta Samakorn Throne Hall more interesting even though there's less to see there. I guess I like the majesty of the latter more.

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Phone: +66 628-6300-9
Address: Rajavithi Road, Dusit
Directions: Behind Bangkok's National Assembly.
Website: http://www.palaces.thai.net/index_vm.htm

The Dusit Palace complex actually consist of the famous Vimanmek Palace, Ananta Samakorn Throne Hall and Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall. So, if you are visiting the Vimanmek Palace, do make a stop here.

Do note that many visitors confuse this with the much smaller Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall that is located right behind it. This is not entirely their fault, since many maps actually made that mistake as well, since they had probably expected this larger building to be the Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall.

The interior of the incredibly ornate building can only be described as "spectacular". The throne hall is vast and everything from the stair case leading into the chamber and the intricately designed ceilings exude a majestic aura. It is basically an empty building, but is definitely worth going to for a look.

I cannot recall if there was an admission fee (I think it was included in the 100 baht admission rate for Vimanmek Palace), but you do have to pay 20 baht to use their locker since indoor photography, as with the case with Vimanmek Palace, is not allowed. You will also have to store your shoes aside on the provided rack before entry as well.

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This is a very well written description of the statue from Discovery Thailand:

Being so centrally located, the equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) is well worth a visit. A forward thinking monarch, King Chulalongkorn is revered as the man who elevated Thailand’s status in the world by abolishing slavery and forming strong allegiances with the world’s then ‘superpowers’ - Britain, France, America and Russia. During his 42-year reign he travelled widely, forging strong ties with neighbouring countries and the royalty of Europe. Modern Thailand would probably look very different without his efforts on the world stage. However, the historical significance of this great man is only part of the reason for a visit to his statue. Another reason is his followers.

Over the years, many Thai’s respect for their former monarch has grown to a point where he is now the object of worship. There is a firm belief in the former king’s ability to bring good fortune, especially to those in business. Devotees place candles and incense sticks at the foot of the statue and leave gifts of flowers and brandy – the monarch’s favourite drink – in the hope their prayers will be answered. Tuesday (the day Chulalongkorn was born) sees most activity with countless people lost in prayer around the statue.

I visited the statue on 24th October 2006, which was a day after "Chulalongkorn Day". Thus, it explains why in the photos, there were so many offerings surrounding the statue.

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Address: At the edge of Lumphini Park, near Silom Metro
Directions: The statue is actually in front of Ananta Samakorn Throne Hall's usually locked front gate, and very near Vimanmek Palace.