Located at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand is a massive sprawling complex of buildings containing the famed Grand Palace as well as Wat Phra Kaew, Temple of the Emerald Buddha in it’s walls, and as it’s name suggests, is also where one can find Thailand’s most venerated & treasured deity, the Emerald Buddha.
A highly popular tourist attraction for foreigners visiting Thailand, the Grand Palace complex displays Thai architecture at it’s finest and they’ll both be covered in this edition of “Temple Stories”, although the Grand Palace isn’t technically a temple itself (it’s actually a former royal residence).
Featuring in this article will be Temple of the Emerald Buddha, it’s compound, the story and origin of the Emerald Buddha as well as the Grand Palace complex.
Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram/Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) Temple Complex. (Outer Court)
From Youtube
Housed within the walled Grand Palace complex is Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha which was established by His Majesty King Rama I in 1782 and in fact, housing a temple within royal grounds has been done in Thailand since the Sukhothai period (1238-1438 CE).
With the Grand Palace complex figured out by three courts (outer court, centre court & the inner court), one can find the Temple of the Emerald Buddha at the outer court.
But before the ordination hall featuring the Emerald Buddha, you’ll be greeted by the Hermit figure. A bronze statue commissioned by King Rama III in order to commemorate Thai medicine and where individuals would pray to for matters regarding health. And at each gate entering into the temple’s complex, there are huge demon guardian statues guarding the entrance and there are six pairs of them. Each statue was build during the reign of King Rama III and they’re characters from the epic Ramayana Hindu literature.
The area surrounding Wat Phra Kaew is impressive, containing multiple buildings such as the Royal Pantheon, a golden Phra Siratana Chedi, the Phra Mondop (or Buddhist library) and even eight prang’s standing at the east of the temple.
It however, does not contain a monastery for the temple’s monks rather is a sacred temple that includes elegant embellishments, impressive carvings, paintings and designs into it’s buildings that makes traditional Thai architecture an absolute wonder to look at and to admire.
But let’s start with the most important building of all, the Phra Ubosot or Chapel of the Emerald Buddha which houses the highly treasured & venerated deity worshipped by all Thai’s & dressed seasonally by the reigning sovereign of Thailand.
Inside the chapel contains the legendary Emerald Buddha (although it’s actually not Emerald-despite it’s name rather it’s made from a single block of jade) and it sits high from the ground and although only being 66cm tall, it’s a revered deity respected by the Thai’s.
However when you enter into the chapel, you cannot get close to the deity and touch him as only the reigning King of Thailand can do so in order to change it’s outfits at the start of every season which is summer, raining and winter.
But that isn’t the only building in the grand palace complex, as surrounding Wat Phra Kaew includes the dual Hor Phra Rajkoramanusorn & Hor Phra Rajphongsanusorn behind the Ubosot (or ordination hall-housing the Emerald Buddha). These two important buildings on the north (Hor Phra Rajkoramanusorn) and on the south (Hor Phra Rajphongsanusorn) house Buddha images dedicated to past Kings of the Thonburi & Ayudhaya period (for the building on the north) and the Bangkok period (belonging to the building on the south). These twin buildings were built by the late King Rama IV.
Next is the golden Chedi (a stupa made out of pure gold) called Phra Siratana Chedi that houses a relic of the Buddha (and that relic being a piece of his hair) that can only be seen by the reigning King of Thailand during Thai new year. And in terms of the Chedi’s design, it has a circular base and a bell shape in the Ceylonese style. Golden tile mosaics were added to the stupa during the reign of King Rama V.
And see the first image of the article? The building featured in it is known as Phra Mondop, also known as the Buddha Library built during the reign of King Rama I. The library was build to contain a large mother-of-pearl inlay book cabinet to house Buddhist scriptures. Demons and human face nagas (serpents) guard the four doors of the Phra Mondop.
And near Phra Mondop (the Buddha Library) is the Phra Bussabok, pillars thst are surrounded by elephants containing the royal emblems of the past Kings of Siam in the golden pavilions. There are auspicious white elephants at the base of the Phra Mondop and the amount depends on the number of white elephants that each Kings had during their reign.
Up next is the Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn (also known as the Royal Pantheon) which has a prang (a tower spire originally from the Khmer Empire-now adapted to Thai temples) and this is on an raised terrace within the complex known as the Phaithi Terrace. The Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn was originally built to house the sacred palladium of Thailand, the Jade Buddha but the interior in it was too small to perform the ceremonies tied to the deity so the Royal Pantheon was left vacant. And then came along King Rama V who transferred a golden stupa to the Pantheon but in 1903, a fire broke out on the building’s roof thanks to worn out electrical wires. His successor, King Rama VI then transformed the building to be the Royal Pantheon of all the Kings in Bangkok period and so far eight have been enshrined into the building with the late King, King Bhumibol Adulyadej being the most recent sovereign to have been enshrined into the Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn.
But on your way to the Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn, flanking it on both side are two golden Phra Suvarna Chedi build by King Rama I in order to commemorate his father, Thongdi and his mother, Daoreung. The base of the chedi’s are octagonal topped off with a golden based stupa.
Something surprising you can find within the Wat Phra Kaew temple area is an impressive and detailed model of Angkor Wat (the legendary sprawling temple in Cambodia built during the reign of Emperor Suryavarman II of the Khmer Empire). This model was commissioned under the orders of King Rama VI (also known as King Mongkut) so his subjects could see the grand ruins of Angkor War (as back then, parts of Cambodia were under Siam’s rule-Siam being the old name for Thailand).
On the east side of the Wat Phra Kaew temple lies eight prang’s, also known as the Phra Asadha Maha Chedi’s that were constructed by King Rama I. And just like stupa’s, prang’s are monuments worthy of veneration as well.
Other notable buildings located within the Wat Phra Kaew temple complex includes the Hor Phra Naga building originally built by the founder of the Chakri dynasty, His Majesty King Rama I originally used to house a Phra Naga statue (a Phra Naga being a Thai serpent) within the building which was a standing Buddha image taken from Ayudhaya by the very same King but when King Rama III came along, there was a need for a larger building and so the original Hor Phra Naga statue was taken down but the building’s name has continued to remain till this day. The building now serves as a royal mausoleum of sorts, with the ashes of deceased members of the Thai royal family have gone to reside whilst the Hor Phra Naga statue has been transferred to Wiharn Yod.
Next is the Wiharn Yod (located on the terrace) where the original Buddha statue from the Hor Phra Naga building is now located (after King Rama III had it pulled down during his reign). It’s now used as a chapel for many Buddha images and it’s Thai crown is topped off with colourful porcelain mosaics from China.
Following on is the auxiliary library, also known as Hor Phra Monthian Dharma originally built by the late Viceroy, the former Prince of Front Palace & brother of King Rama I, Prince Maha Sura Singhanat where you can find many mother-of-pearls inlay book cabinets housing Buddhist scriptures (similar to Phra Mondop). The door of Hor Phra Monthian Dharma are also inlaid with mother of pearls as well.
And finally we have Hor Phra Gandhararat which was originally built by King Rama IV where the Buddha image located within is associated with the Royal Ploughing Ceremony. The Hor Phra Gandhararat is topped off with a prang and it’s exterior building is intricately decorated in green, blue and yellow tiles as well.
Then there’s the belfry in which the tower was originally built by King Rama I, but as the 1882 Bangkok centenary was nearing, the-then King Rama IV had it completely rebuilt and so the current belfry & tower that still stands today is the one from King Rama IV’s reign. The belfry is never rang until a new supreme patriarch is nominated.
And what surrounds the buildings of the temple at Wat Phra Kaew is the famous Ramakien story, the Thai version of the epic Ramayana story originally from India. They surround the temple like a cloister and Ramayana tells the story of how the King of Demons, Tosakanth kidnaps the wife of King Rama and takes her back to his realm and what follows is a epic fight between the demon King & Rama and his monkey army featuring Hanuman (a monkey and human hybrid Hindu god). Eventually Tosakanth is defeated and Rama returns with his beloved wife back to Ayudhaya where he becomes King. And the poetic translation & recomposition of the story into the Thai Ramakien version was closely supervised by King Rama I and he also was the monarch responsible for the commissioning of the murals as well.
Story & Origins of the Emerald Buddha (Phra Kaew Morakot).
Housed within Wat Phra Kaew’s Ubosot (or ordination hall), lies Thailand’s palladium, the sacred and historic Emerald Buddha. The most revered icon of all Thailand who sits cladded in seasonal clothing in a beautiful hall whose walls depict Buddhist cosmology whilst the murals of Lord Buddha’s enlightenment are behind Phra Kaew Morakot.
It’s said that more than 600 years ago, a lightning strike broke open the walls of a Chedi that revealed the Emerald Buddha in Chiang Rai, Thailand. To be more specific, it was discovered at the Wat Phra Kaew temple at Chiang Rai (originally called Wat Pa Yeah or Wat Pa Yah).
And in regards to the Wat Phra Kaew Chiang Rai temple, it’s not to be confused with the more famous & more sacred Bangkok one.
But back to the Phra Kaew Morakot origin, upon it being exposed, the monks at the temple soon discovered that the stucco on it’s nose has crumbled away to expose a magnificent Emerald Buddha (carved out of a single block of jade) that had been camouflaged to protect it’s true identity.
But it wasn’t to last for a long time at Chiang Rai as it was sent out to Chiang Mai by a white elephant but instead of going all the way to Chiang Mai, it detoured to Lampang province instead. And despite having gone there, it was deemed as a heavenly sign and so the Emerald Buddha was interred there until 1468.
Eventually in 1468, Phra Kaew Morakot was taken to Chiang Mai and interred in Wat Chedi Luang in a stupa before it was moved by the King of Laos (Chairachathirat) to Luang Prabang prior to the Burmese army invasion during the 16th century, where the revered Buddha statue was taken to Vientiane.
Finally King Taksin the Great had successfully driven the Burmese out of Siam (modern-day Thailand) during the 18th century and had also retrieved the Emerald Buddha back to Siam’s hands. And when King Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty came about, Wat Phra Kaew was constructed as the permanent home of Phra Kaew Morakot where he’s continued to reverently sit to this day.
Under multiple Kings of the Chakri Dynasty starting with King Rama I, Wat Phra Kaew temple complex grew from just having a mere Ubosot to Thailand’s most impressive complex of incredibly opulent Thai buildings featuring magnificent embellishments, all the while, the Emerald Buddha continues to sit as Thailand’s palladium, it’s most sacred treasure that can only be touched by the reigning King of Thailand.
The Grand Palace Complex. (Middle Court)
Going to see Wat Phra Kaew & it’s impressive compound isn’t complete without a visit to the Grand Palace complex, once the residence of the Thai Monarch & his royal family (who now reside at Dusit Palace). Also built by King Rama I in 1782 (same year as Wat Phra Kaew), the Grand Palace was built not just for the royal family, but also for governmental offices as well.
Surrounded by four walls and covering an impressive 218,000 square metres, the Grand Palace is a sight not to miss for anybody visiting Thailand.
Established by three courts, it’s outer court of the enormous Gand Palace complex was once the area for government departments when King Rama I ruled Siam during the time that Thailand was under absolute monarchy. Now it’s home to the Bureau of the Royal Household and other royal offices, though predominantly it’s more famous as the location of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Next is the middle court-where you’l find the important residential and state buildings of the complex such as the throne hall and the other buildings that’ll be discussed further.
And then the inner court is reserved for the reigning sovereign and for his family (a private area not open to the public).
Although the kingdom’s capital was at Thonburi, King Rama I established a brand new capital on the other side of the river which lead to the construction of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha & the Grand Palace. Both now located at the heart of historic Bangkok and despite the ticket costing 500 baht for foreigners, entering into the compound and walking through it, one will be able to see the incredible architecture thanks to the late visionary Kings of Siam, particularly King Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty.
So apart from the Wat Phra Kaew complex, one can find the Phra Maha Montian Group which are the grand royal residences that consists of seven connecting buildings.
Kicking it off is the Phra Thinang Amarinda Winitchai building built by King Rama I as a formal audience hall when it came to receiving both state and foreign ambassadors. But nowadays, this very hall is now primarily used for various state and ceremonial occasions such as a coronation ceremony or the King’s birthday.
Next is the Hor Sastrakom, built by King Rama IV (to replace a former one originally build by King Rama I), it’s used as a chapel by a chapter of monks belonging to the Ramana sect for when it came to the Buddhist holy day where holy water would used in the daily ablution of the King as well as to be sprinkled over the Phra Maha Monthian compound.
Then comes the Dusit Phirom Hall, originally a wooden structure built by King Rama I, King Rama III enclosed it by a curtain wall of masonry. And this hall would normally be used for the King to change their regalia prior to stepping out onto the platform to either mount on an elephant or a palanquin.
Next comes the most famous one of them all, the Chakri Maha Prasat Hall built by King Rama V in 1877, it was originally meant to have domes but thanks to the advice of former regent, Somdej Chao Phraya Borom Haha Sri Suriyawong, the fifth King of the Chakri Dynasty changed them to Prasat spires. Therefore the building mixes European architecture with a Thai style roof. Once used as a royal residence by King Rama V, it was later used to receive the credentials of ambassadors but now it’s the place for state banquets and it’s the building consists of three parts all connected by long corridors.
With regards to this hall, it’s first floor is where you can find the ancient weapon museum, the reception room will be on the room on the second floor of the East Wing, the third floor is home to the repository of objects of worship of the Thai King. And the ashes of former Kings of Siam and their personal Queens are located within the room below the central Prasat roof of the building. Lesser Queens and members of the royal family are found on the room of the third floor of the west wing and to find the pictures of Kings and Queens are on the second floor of the east corridor.
And the fifth building in the Phra Maha Montian group is the Dusit Maha Prasat Hall, the grand spired hall that was built by King Rama I in order to replace the wooden Phra Thinang Amarintharaphisek Maha Prasat that burned down in 1789. And the newly built Dusit Maha Prasat Hall was intended to be used by the inaugural King of the Chakri Dynasty for his lying-in state due to it having the same height and dimensions as another building in Ayudhaya (the Phra Thinang Suriyamarin, which was the customary hall used for Kings for their lying-in state). Then the Dusit Maha Prasat Hall has become the main principal hall for the lying’s-in-state for members of the Thai royal family as well as the primary hall for the annual Conservation Day ceremony.
But that’s not all, as the Grand Palace complex is indeed as large and as complex as Wat Phra Kaew.
Other buildings located within the Grand Palace compound is the Phra Thinan Phalsan Thaksin, Phra Thinan Chakraphat Phiman, Phra Thinan Racharuedee, Phra Thinan Sanam Chan, Ho Suralai Phiman & Ho Phra That Mothien.
Grand Palace Complex Extra’s
Another site that I almost forgot to mention (that can be visited with the ticket) is the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles. It was a gift from her and her SUPPORT foundation to the Thai people. In 1976, the Queen created the SUPPORT foundation in order to encourage the production of traditional Thai handicrafts and with the establishment of the museum, it embodies Her Majesty’s efforts to preserve the future of Thailand’s textile arts for the next generation of Thai’s.
Also located at the Grand Palace is the Doi Kham shop where visitors can buy products from Royal Initiative projects, drinks or even snacks.
But it’s not just the Museum that’s worth holding onto your tickets for, because upon purchasing it, you can use it to go and watch a Khon performance at Sala Chalermkrung Royal which has been staged in order to follow the footsteps of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn (the current reigning Sovereign of Thailand) in regards to the preservation and the carrying forward of the country’s high art form of classical dance. And located in Ayudhaya is the Arts of the Kingdom Museum, a museum established in order to display the traditional artworks and crafts of Thai farmers that was under her patronage.
Putting their hearts and souls into the art, the Queen (who’s now a Queen Mother) was very touched, so much so that Her Majesty directly founded the Foundation for the Promotion of Supplementary Occupation and Related Techniques (SUPPORT) in order provide supplementary incomes to underprivileged families so they can continue their primary occupation as farmers whilst maintaining the art so it won’t die. And the museum was established so that visitors can view and appreciate their brilliant craftsmanship.
But the Queen didn’t stop there because in 1978, a training centre was established within the Chitralada Villa compound so that impoverished families (who’s occupation were farming) could be trained in the artworks. And since 1978, from a training centre, it grew to becoming a permanent training centre where for over 30 years, it’s successfully produced fine works of arts in many different areas whilst also adhering to both of the Queen’s wishes for the livelihoods of her people to be improved and for the traditional artworks to not die.
So when you buy your ticket, don’t forget to either attend the Khon performance or visit the Arts Kingdom Museum at Ayudhaya. Either way, they both represent the enduring influence of the Thai royal family on Thailand.
Conclusion.
Undoubtedly the most extraordinary attraction in Bangkok Thailand, the Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew complex started off as mere constructions by King Rama I, and with royal successor after successor, they eventually created a sprawling complex with buildings in Thai architecture, representing the might of the Chakri dynasty. Those Kings might’ve been long gone but their legacy undoubtedly remains within the walls of the magnificent complex.
From the ordination hall of the Emerald Buddha to the Dusit Maha Prasat Hall, one will undoubtedly leave the complex admiring the grandness of Thai architecture and the dedication brought by the early Siam Kings to transform the area into an icon that has help put Bangkok, Thailand on the map.
Though they maybe a breathtakingly beautiful sight to visit, one must adhere to the important dress code. Visitors to the complex must be properly dressed (as it’s a sacred and deeply important area for Thailand), so therefore, before being allowed into the temple grounds, one must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves and you cannot wear bare feet. Women’s mustn’t wear any clothes that are see through or bare shoulders and should you be improperly dressed, you’ll be required to get a sarong from the guards to cover up your legs and to be dressed nearby before being allowed in.
You cannot photograph the inside of most buildings in the complex but photography & making a video is allowed. You cannot also take photographs of the Emerald Buddha as well when you’re inside the ordination hall.
At certain times of the day, there’ll be free English tours as well if you’re in need of a guide.
But other than that, hopefully one day you’ll be able to visit the Grand Palace complex!
Fooey's Culture Blog 
