Grand Palace Bangkok | Full Tour & Everything You Need to Know

[00:00:00]I'm in Bangkok, Thailand. My name is Sam. I'm currently inside of the Grand Palace. And in this video, I'm going to show you why the Grand Palace is one of the best places to visit in Thailand.

[00:00:10]Southeast Asia as a region is one of the most exciting places on the planet to travel to right now. And I say that having been to a lot of places. You've got Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, all incredible places. But Thailand, and specifically Bangkok, sits at this interesting crossroads where you can get everything at once. Amazing food, incredible infrastructure, and a wild mix of ancient and ultramodern [music] where you can have rooftop cocktails overlooking the skyline. And then five minutes away, there's a 200-year-old temple where monks are chanting at dawn.

[00:00:42]That contrast, that's Bangkok. Some people come here for the food, the weather, the nightife, the beaches. But if there's one single thing that you need to come here and explore, it's the history. And that right there, the Grand Palace, is part of it. I'm going to show you exactly [music] why.

[00:01:02]Now, the Grand Palace is one of those places where the reputation is actually underelling it. And that's rare. That is honestly rare. This isn't just a pretty building. This is the living, beating heart of Thai history and culture all in one place. The Thai royal family still uses parts of the complex for official ceremonies. And the most sacred Buddhist relic in the entire country is housed right here. Kings were crowned here.

[00:01:26]state funerals have in here. This isn't a museum. It's still active. It was built in 1782 by King Rama the foundation king of the current Shakri dynasty. And to put that in perspective, 1782 is the same year George Washington was [music] being urged to make himself king of America and politely declined.

[00:01:46]And over here on the other side of the planet, King Ram the first is founding a new capital city. He literally moved the capital from one side of the river to the other and built this 218,000 square m of palace complex from scratch and it's been added to renovated and expanded by every [music] king since. So what you're actually looking at when you walk around in there is almost 250 years of Thai royal history layered on top of itself.

[00:02:17]Okay, the practical bit. How do you get here and [music] how do you not get ripped off along the way? Option one, Grab. And that is the Southeast Asian equivalent of Uber. It works great in Bangkok. You can open the app, punch in the Grand Palace, and you get a fixed price before you even get in the car. No haggling, no funny business. And depending on where you're staying, you're looking at somewhere between 80 to 200 BAT to get to the Grand Palace.

[00:02:41]An option two, the Cha Pria Express boat. And this one, this is the one I'd actually recommend if you've got a bit more time and you want the experience to start even before you arrive. You hop on at Saton Pier, which is Central Pier, right next to BTS Saffan Taxin. The boat cost anywhere between 15 to 40 BAT, depending on which line you get, and you're on the river watching Bangkok slide past you. It's a proper [music] intro into the city.

[00:03:07]I'm putting this one in the video because honestly, it catches a lot of people out. There'll be people outside the Grand Palace around here and they'll tell you that the palace is closed today. There's a ceremony or there's cleaning going on. And just know that is 100% a lie. Don't fall for it. The Grand Palace is open every day from 8:30 a.m.

[00:03:27]to 4:30 p.m. with tickets being sold between 8:30 to 3:30. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are about to take you somewhere you don't want to go. So, just walk to the gate and check for yourself.

[00:03:39]So tickets here you can get right behind me which cost £500 BAT per person to get in which works out as around $15 or £11 to get inside the Grand Palace. All right, so this is what the ticket looks like. And is 500 B expensive? Well, by Bangkok standards, yes. But by global attraction standards, what you're about to walk into is honestly one of the better value tickets you'll buy. Let's have a look inside, then.

[00:04:10]Now, just look at that beauty. I don't care how many times you've seen the photos. The first time you step through these gates and see the whole complex open up in front of you, it's a full stop moment. You literally stop walking.

[00:04:23]It's that kind of thing. The colors are rich. The gold is the obvious one. It's absolutely everywhere. The spires, the detailing on the buildings, but it's also the deep orange, the blood red, and the green of the roof tiles.

[00:04:37]This place is huge. Roughly the size of 30 football pitches. You kind of had to just walk around to understand it. And it is busy. By the way, I won't lie to you. On a normal day, you're here with thousands of other people here at any time. Okay, first stop and the most important stop on the whole site. This is called Wakra, which is called the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

[00:05:02]Now, you're not allowed to take photos or pictures inside of this one, but the murals on this reads almost like a graphic [music] novel, just on a very grand scale. They were originally painted in the late 1700s and have been restored multiple times since. [music] You can sometimes spot where the older, more faded sections meet the brighter restored ones if you look carefully.

[00:05:23]Now, guard entrances to each of the inner compounds are these guys right behind me. These are called the Yaksha and these are basically giant demon warrior statues. Each one about 5 m tall, [music] covered head to toe in colored mosaics and they also make excellent photos.

[00:05:41]Right, so past the temple complex and into the palace compound itself. This is where things get really interesting is a whole collection of throne halls and royal residences built across different reigns. and each king basically left their own fingerprint on the palace.

[00:05:58]Now, these [music] are some of the most beautiful pieces of architecture in the country. We're not just talking the buildings. We're talking the small details, [music] the greenery, and this is what makes the Grand Palace such an iconic landmark in this country.

[00:06:17]Okay, let's talk dress code. And the official rules here are shoulders covered, knees covered, and no flip-flops. And they are strict about this because they do check at the entrance. If you show up in shorts and a vest, they'll hand you a wrap at the gate. But here's my honest advice. Just dress for it. Not just because they'll turn you away, but because you'll be more comfortable. It can get hot, like really hot, especially around midday.

[00:06:42]Bring a bottle of water. There are water stations inside where you can fill up.

[00:06:45]And there are a few drink stalls, but they're limited and pricier than outside. You can also hire a proper guide at the entrance for around 200 B.

[00:06:53]And honestly, if you're into history and context is your thing, it could be worth it. The signage inside the compound is decent but patchy. But the audio guide fills in a lot of those gaps.

[00:07:07]Should you visit the Grand Palace?

[00:07:08]Absolutely yes. You shouldn't skip this one. And if you're planning your trip to Thailand very soon, you can click this video right here for a first timer's guide to Thailand. Or if you want to know where to go, I made a three-day Bangkok itinerary, which you can click on right here. Make sure you hit the subscribe button and comment down below where should I go to next. Right, I'm off to find some mango sticky rice in a place with very good air conditioning.

[00:07:31]See you in the next one.