For just about 150 years, Bangkok's Grand Palace was not only the home of the King and his court, but also the entire administrative seat of government. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace full time around the turn of the twentieth century, and it is now used for ceremonial occasions only. Most of the buildings are closed to public. The exteriors are worth a view because of their royal bombast. Only the Amarindra hall and Dusit hall can be see from inside.
The first builing you will see is the Boromphiman Hall, a French inspired building that served as a residence for King Rama VI. It's now used to house visiting foreign dignitaries.
Amarindra hall is the second builing you will encounter. It was used first as private quarters of King Rama I and later as a hall of justice. Inside you will find very nice wallpaintings and a beautiful trone in the shape of a boat.
Next is the largest builing on the palace ground; the Chakri Maha Prasat or Grand Palace Hall. The hall was built by King Rama V and completed in 1882. It has a rather peculiar design; a combination of western style base with a Thai styled roof. It therefore has the nickname 'westerner with a Thai hat'. At the base of this building you can find a collection of ancient weapons on display. This display is open to the public the rest of the Palace hall is not.
And last but not least you'll find the Dusit Maha Prasat throne hall which was built by Rama I in 1790. Originaly this builing was used as a venue for royal audiences and later as a royal funerary hall. It's one of the most beautiful and elegant buildings of central court. The north face has a porch with a type of throne known as a busabok used by the king when giving public audiences. You can visit the throne hall inside. There you can see a large mother-of-pearl throne in the center of the hall. The walls have beautifull decorations and the doors are covered with decorative laquerwork.
Entrance fee: 200 baht
Opening times: every day from 8:30 to 15:30
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Phone: 02 222 2208 or 02 255 0968
Address: Na Phra Lan Road, Bangkok
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on May 14, 2007
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