Grand Visit to the Grand Palace (Part 4): The Seat of the Chakris

My day within the walls of the Grand Palace is nearing its end now that I saw the Emerald Buddha in its royal temple. I finished viewing every part of the Ramakien murals before I proceeded to the last spot of my tour, which is the so-called “Seat of the Chakris”

Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat which means “The Seat of the Chakri”

An unfortunate event occurred before I left the ground of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. My Lumix camera accidentally hit the railings fronting the murals. The result is the lifeless low resolution photos of the Grand Palace. Aside from that, a noticeable dot appeared in the photos which may be dead pixels (which were possible by the impact).

I was so disappointed with what happened that it soured the last leg of my Grand Palace tour.

The “Seat of Chakri” was so called because it is considered the official house of the Chakri Dynasty, which is the royal house of Thailand. The founder of this dynasty is King Rama I who replaced King Taksin and ended the Thonburi Period in Thailand history. The new king then moved the capital from the Thonburi (on the west side of Chao Phraya River) to the current location of the Grand Palace on the east side.

The “Seat of Chakri” is the Throne Hall built during the reign of King Rama V (the famous Chulalongkorn) with help of two Englishmen: John Clunich and Henry Rose. Construction began in 1876 and ended in 1882, which is just in time for the centenary of the Chakri Dynasty.

I believe that the Throne Hall actually mirrors the Chulalongkorn’s way of thinking. The king is known for injecting Western ideas in governance, military, and economy to keep Thailand free from being colonized. The Throne Hall, with the lower structure in Western architectural style and the roof in Thai style, presents a Thailand that can adapt to changes without sacrificing its traditions.

Only the front halls of Throne Hall are open to tourists. They served as mini-museums of old weapons used by the Siamese armies. Sadly, taking photos inside the museum was prohibited so I had nothing to show you.

Other parts of the palace were off limits. I wished to enter those forbidden places and they placed this guard to keep pesky tourists out.

I bet that I can outrun that guard. If I did it then I will be in a sort of a Temple Run situation.

Well, at least, taking photo with the palace guard is allowed (as long as you don’t pinch or tickle him).

Chulalongkorn’s Throne Hall is just one of the throne halls in the Grand Palace complex. To its left is the Phra Thinang Amarin Winitchai. This throne hall is used by the King for official ceremonies and when receiving foreign delegates.

I didn’t enter this throne hall since it was closed to tourists.

The last throne hall I visited is the contrast of  “The Seat of Chakri” in architectural style. This throne hall is the Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat.

Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat is followed the ideal Thai architectural style. Each part of this throne hall is imbued with symbolism. The most noticeable part of the Maha Prasat is the tall spire at the center that represents Mount Meru (the center of Hindu and Buddhist universe).

Maha Prasat is amazing in its way but I just took a few shots and then left the palace grounds. I guess I already have an overload in seeing Thai architecture for the day. Aside from the unfortunate event with the camera, I also felt sad because I was touring the Grand Palace alone. I envied my fellow tourists who are with their families and friends. I really missed My Beloved and wished that she was with me.

Despite all the melodramatic emotions that I spewed here, I can still say that I enjoyed my visit to the Grand Palace. I’m glad that I didn’t miss it because missing the Grand Palace means missing the soul of Thailand.

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Read more of my posts about my great Grand Palace tour:

1. Grand Visit to the Grand Palace (Part 1): From the River to the Palace Gate
2. Grand Visit to the Grand Palace (Part 2): A Quick Peek at the Emerald Buddha

3. Grand Visit to the Grand Palace (Part 3): Ramakien on the Grand Palace Walls

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Majority of historical info in this post was sourced from these Wikipedia page: Grand Palace.
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Grand Visit to the Grand Palace (Part 3): Ramakien on the Grand Palace Walls

Many people came from far away places just to see the Emerald Buddha inside the Grand Palace. It’s true that the Emerald Buddha is the most important item in the Grand Palace but it failed to capture my sense of awe. What really caught my imagination would be the paintings on the wall surrounding the grounds of the royal temples.

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I thought that the images depict the ancient history of Thailand, which was just embellished with mythical characters. Well, I was wrong because the paintings depict the scenes in Thailand’s national epic: the Ramakien.

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The Ramakien is the Thai version of the Indian epic of Ramayana. The Thais copied the Indian epic but placed the characters in their cultural setting. Thus, the characters wear Thai clothing instead of Indian ones.
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Note the charioteers wearing the Thai national costume.

I didn’t know about Ramakien or who painted these murals during my Grand Palace tour. What I did know is that these artworks are very important to Thais. I found it weird, however, to find no image of Buddha in any of the murals.

I read that there were many versions of the Ramakien but were lost when the Burmese army destroyed Ayutthaya in 1767. The version depicted in the mural was compiled under the supervision of King Rama I (the founder of Chakri Dynasty – the dynasty ruling Thailand today). The King even wrote parts of the Ramakien epic.¹
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The Ramakien is an epic love story where the hero (Rama, who is the reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu) defied all odds so rescue his wife Sida from the demon king. It’s kind of a very ancient version of the love triangle story of Super Mario, Princess Peach, and Bowser.
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Various mythical characters assisted King Rama in his rescue mission. One of them is the monkey king Hanuman. He is an albino monkey who was amazing magical powers like enlarging himself (see above image) and producing moons and stars when yawning. He is Rama’s important ally because Hanuman is the general of the monkey army.
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Rama’s rescue mission is not a walk in the park. Bloody battles ensued between the armies of Rama and demon king Totsakan.
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The Ramakien epic is definitely rated SPG.
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There were even magical battles like this “earth bending” fight between Hanuman and Totsakan’s minion:
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The murals on the walls around the Temple of the Emerald Buddha are outstanding works of art. The characters, their actions, facial expressions, and even their shiny golden costumes made the painting alive.
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I even felt the action even though the characters were not moving.

I stayed long in front of the murals. In fact, I spent longer time looking at these paintings than visiting the Emerald Buddha. For me, the Ramakien murals are much better than the statue of the Emerald Buddha.

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Read more of my posts about my great Grand Palace tour:

1.  Grand Visit to the Grand Palace (Part 1): From the River to the Palace Gate
2. Grand Visit to the Grand Palace (Part 2): A Quick Peek at the Emerald Buddha

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Some info in this blog post were obtained from these sources:

1. Ramakien - from the Ramayana to the National Epic of Thailand in Veda
2. THAILEX Travel Encyclopedia
3. The Ramakian from Asia's World

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Grand Visit to the Grand Palace (Part 2): A Quick Peek at the Emerald Buddha

Every nation has its own national treasure. A precious item whose lost will cause grief to all citizens of the land. Thailand has one national treasure and I got a chance to take a short look at it. What am I talking about? Well, the answer is from two years ago when I visited the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

I previously posted about my little adventure en route to the Grand Palace. It was a journey that placed me in a crowded boat and even in a street crowded with vendors. That’s why it’s a big relief when I entered the palace gates. Finally, a big space of greenery!

"Keep off the grass" na lang ang kulang.

The Grand Palace of Thailand is formerly the residence of the king of Thailand. I said formerly because the king now resides in Chitralada Palace, which outside of the Grand Palace complex.This only meant that I will never ever fulfill one of my goals for my Thailand visit, which is to meet and greet the King of Thailand.

The Grand Palace is a complex composed of many buildings, the important of which are the royal temples and the royal residences. I went to the royal temples first.

Just like any tourist spot in Thailand, I had to go to the ticket office first before I could proceed to the main palace and the royal temples.

I paid a total of 500 Baht to get a ticket that entitled me to visit the Grand Palace, the temple of the Emerald Buddha, royal museum, coin museum, and the throne hall.

Tourists should be mindful of some of the rules inside the Grand Palace complex. One of such rules is about the prohibited outfits inside the Grand Palace.

The palace guards are strict when it comes to dress code so following this rule is highly recommended. Fortunately, a booth was set up near the entrance where inappropriately dressed tourist can borrow skirts and pants.  I wore my usual attire of pants and t-shirt that day so I didn’t need to go to that booth.

The way to the royal temples.

The guards at the entrance of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha checked my ticket, checked my clothes, and checked my bags. They’re quite strict, which is good because they’re guarding their national treasure.

The Hermit Doctor welcomed my entry to the temple grounds.

The hermit doctor is Shivagakomarpaj, who was the doctor of Buddha and considered as the father of Thai massage/medicine.¹

The temple grounds are filled with familiar images from Buddhist, Hindu, and Thai myths. The two demon guards in Wat Arun also made their appearance in Grand Palace.

Sahatsadecha failing big time in guarding the Grand Palace from "intruders".

The lower demons were present too and, yes, they also carry the temple on their backs.

Similar to my visit to Wat Arun, my eyes feasted on Thai artistry which is dominated with gold. Almost everything in the temple grounds are golden. Even the prangs flanking the Temple of the Emerald Buddha is golden from top to bottom.

Even the miniature version of the Angkor Wat Temple is present on the temple grounds.

This is perfect for people like me who cannot go to Cambodia.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha was built at same time as the royal residences. Its purpose is not only for housing the Emerald Buddha but also the temple where the King and the royal family can worship in private.

The origin of the Emerald Buddha is not known. One legend says that in 1434, the statue was discovered in a temple in Chiangrai province of Northern Thailand province which was struck by a lightning. The Emerald Buddha went to hands of the King Chiangmai after staying some time in Lampang.

The King of Chiangmai had no son but his daughter is married to the King of Laos. Thus his throne was inherited by the his grandson who became the new king of Laos. The new king brought the statue to Laos. Years later, Burma attacked Laos and the Emerald Buddha was taken to Vientiane (in Laos) where it stayed for 214 years.

The Emerald Buddha finally reached its resting place when it was captured by King Rama I, who is the great-great grandfather of the current King, and then brought to Bangkok. From that day on, the Emerald Buddha became Thailand’s national treasure.²

It’s good that the Thais are generous enough to allow foreigners to see their national treasure. I was fortunate enough to take a short peek. I don’t believe in Buddha but I’m amazed with the way the Thais (and even some foreigners) revere the statue.

No one knows if the Emerald Buddha will stay in Bangkok forever. What’s sure, however, is that many Thais will mourn if that statue will be taken away from them.

Travel Notes:

1. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is one of the most important places in Thailand. That’s why it is imperative for all tourists to follow the rules and respect their belief even if you’re not a Buddhist.

2. Wear modest clothing as required by the rules. A booth is located near the entrance where anyone can borrow skirts and pants. You just need to leave some money and your passport as surety.

3. Don’t believe the touts who will tell you that the Grand Palace is closed. That is their modus so as to trick would-be Grand Palace visitors in joining their “tour” to various shops around Bangkok where they have a cut from purchases made by their victims.

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Some information in this post were obtained from the following sources:

1. Thai Massage History and Context from Earth Dance Healing Arts.
2. History of the Emerald Buddha from Bangkok Magazine.
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Grand Visit to the Grand Palace (Part 1): From the River to the Palace Gate

There are two places in Bangkok that tourists should never miss. The first one is the Wat Arun, or the Temple of Dawn, and the second one is the Grand Palace. I already visited Wat Arun with my friend Foong, so, only the Grand Palace remained in my Bangkok bucket list.

The Grand Palace is just across the Chao Phraya River and just beside Wat Pho, which is another popular Buddhist temple that houses the gigantic statue of Reclining Buddha.

Cruising down the Chao Phraya River is the best way to reach the Grand Palace. Good thing that I already experienced riding the Chao Phraya River boats during my Bangkok tour with Foong. So, my trip to the Grand Palace was easy peasy.

I enjoyed the view as we went upriver. I once again saw my favorite building along Chao Phraya, which is this church.

Santa Cruz Church along the Chao Phraya River.

Too bad that I didn’t get the chance to visit that church. Maybe next time when I return to Bangkok (I hope!).

No tourist should miss cruising the Chao Phraya River because of the unique view that it provides. I saw the mix of modern Bangkok with its tall skycrapers…

…and of old Bangkok with its temples.

Riding the river boat is an adventure especially for those who came from First World countries.  Chao Phraya Express Boats (especially the one with the orange flag where I rode) seems to be overloaded with passengers. Just one wrong move and you might be sending another passenger to bottom of the river.

If you’re a tourist who is planning to cruise the Chao Phraya River, I suggest that you read my detailed post about my ride on the express boats. I assure you that it will answer important questions like, “what boats have the cheapest fare?”

I disembarked at Tha Chang Pier, which is the nearest pier to the Grand Palace.

I immediately know that I am at a very popular tourist spot because Tha Chang Pier is connected to souvenir shops. Even the street outside of pier station is filled with..money traps..err…shops.

Good thing that the place is not as crowded as Divisoria so after a short walk I finally reach the Grand Palace.

Actually, it was just the outer wall.

The Grand Palace is truly the most popular tourist spot in Bangkok. The busloads of tourists that came to this place every minute is a proof of that. I just crossed my fingers and hoped that the Grand Palace will not be overcrowded.

The vicinity of the Grand Palace is a busy place. Tourism brought in shops that sell food, souvenirs, gems, and anything that catch tourists’ fancy. Of course, the hordes of tourists also brought in the horde of tuktuk.

I confess that I didn’t ride a tuktuk during my 6-month stay in Thailand because riding it is just like riding the tricycle in my country. I already rode plenty of tricycles during my lifetime and that is enough.

The area outside of the palace walls is not for vendors and tuktuk drivers but also for the less fortunate Thais like this musician and his kid:

There is only one door open for tourists visiting the Grand Palace.
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A few steps more and I will finally see the grand in Grand Palace.

Story of my adventure inside the palace grounds will be in the next post. Abangan!
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