Third Time's a Charm

It took us three attempts before finally making it to the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Our first few were thwarted by long delays on the tuk-tuk, which consequently resulted in closing time at the palace gates. On the up side, we ate lunch twice at the restaurant across the street, Au Bon Pain, and indulged in mouth-watering sandwiches, fruit smoothies, and cheese danishes. But, this isn't about Au Bon Pain even though I would like very much to write about a sandwich shop. It's about the palace.

The Grand Palace underwent construction in 1782 during the reign of King Rama I, back when Thailand was still Siam and Bangkok was its new capital. Because I love the impossibility of Thai names and titles, I'll take 43 minutes to spell out King Rama's full title:

Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chakri Borommanat Phra Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke

It's also acceptable to add, The Great, onto the end... seriously.

Originally built as the center of government and place of residence for the royal family, the palace was completed in 1785. It contains several buildings, including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha—which obviously houses an emerald Buddha—and is divided into three quarters: the outer, middle and inner. Because the royal family does not currently reside in the palace, it is now used only for ceremonies and special occasions.

A mythical giant

Demons surround the gold stupa

Everything is gilded with gold and colorful jewels. One might say the palace is bedazzled...

The Emerald Buddha as viewed from outside the temple doors through a high-zoom lens Canon.

Two interesting facts about it:

1. The Emerald Buddha is made of jade, not emerald.

2. It has 3 gold outfits, which are changed according to season: hot, rainy, and cool. Because we came at the end of the rainy season, I assume this is the corresponding outfit.