Observations from Bangkok: Grand Palace & The Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Hi dear reader,

Time passes incredibly fast if you are on a long trip. I was in a constant hustle and bustle. It is quite difficult to find time to plan for places to explore outside of the workflow that takes up most of the time during the day. But as I have mentioned in my previous blogs, unplanned exploration can often be more exciting.

Today I wanted to share some posts from a sacred place for the Buddhist community. There are some interesting details.

The Ministry of Defense building, The Royal Palace and The Temple of the Emerald Buddha are located in the same area in Bangkok. Grand Palace open from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. I don't know why, but online tickets have to be purchased 24 hours in advance. I found this out when I went to visit.

The Ministry of Defense building you see in the photo below. It stands out with its white and yellow exterior walls. Of course, it is not open to tourists. I just wanted to take some photos as I passed by.

In front of the pastel-hued structure, there lies a gardenesque area adorned with artillery pieces. I want to point again that the interior remains off-limits to regular visitors, permitting only external observations. If you visit aroun aroud this building, frequent patrols by security personnel are a common sight, so exercise caution to avoid engaging in any questionable conduct.

After waiting in line for a while and buying my ticket, I started exploring the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.It is pronounced as Wat Phra Kaew according to the Royal Thai General Transcription System. There are 36 different sections inside. If you are not familiar with Buddhism, it will be quite confusing for you. In each section there are important artifacts made for holy names. Honestly, I was not familiar with it and I learned many concepts in the temple.

You can see statues of Buddha in all the temples. I think the most important feature of the Buddha sitting among the statues is that it is completely made of gold. The temple's architecture, characterized by its stunning symmetry and ornate motifs, showcases the exquisite craftsmanship of the time. The prang, in my opinion, rises to an impressive height and is intricately decorated with floral and religious motifs, making it a visually captivating structure.

Overall, there are so many different, colorful and interesting architectural examples on display that one is amazed. On the other hand, the sun started to show itself towards noon. But there is plenty of shade and quiet places to rest in this temple.

Actually, I don't want to tell you the details here, which you can find on Google. While walking around the temple, I don't know if it was the holiness of the environment or the purple haze effect, but I felt a sense of calm. I was walking around like cotton.

It is not appropriate to enter the temple in short shorts. That's why most of the visitors were walking around in hippie baggy pants. I was intrigued by different devices that I couldn't understand exactly what they were.

You can rent a translation device for 200 baht at the entrance. But I didn't want to rent one as I wanted these structures to remain a mystery in my mind. I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to come back here. It is not possible to know all the details in one day. Actually, I was not prepared at all.

Look at the beauty of this grass. If there was a soccer ball, I am sure there would be 2 teams among the tourists who would like to play a match here :)

One of the most interesting sculptures is 'Suryapop' below. I got a sudden thrill when it suddenly appeared in front of me. A group of tourists were discussing something here. I had no idea what they were talking about. Probably something as complex as the complexity of the statue.

There were perhaps hundreds of examples of the so-called mural drawings on the walls. If you try to analyze them all, it will probably take you a whole day. As a Virgo, I spent at least two hours in this section :) It was very confusing for me.

And finally, after I had burned my brain enough, I decided to leave. Overall, it was a very different day for me. I wondered if it was just me or if people who were visiting this place for the first time felt the same way. At the exit gate of the temple I asked a few tourists if it was their first time. They were all first time visitors and the common word was 'complexity'.

A coconut water is good to refresh the mind after this complexity :) I think one of the things I will miss the most is coconut water. It can be found everywhere on the streets and it is very refreshing.

If you are ever in Bangkok, visit this place. But I suggest you do your research beforehand. Otherwise your mind may fight a great battle to understand many things.

I can say that this place left an indelible mark on my understanding of Thai spirituality and history. It's a place where the past and the present harmoniously coexist, making it a must-visit for anyone seeking a deeper connection with the soul of Thailand.

Thank you if you have read to the end. Please write in the comments what you are curious about. I will try to answer as much as I remember.

See you next time