The Emerald Buddha Temple, or simply referred to as "Wat Phra Keo"
amongst us Thais, is one of Bangkok's must see attractions. The temple is
located within the grounds of the Grand Palace and houses the most sacred
Buddha statue in all the land!..that's right..you've guessed it, The Emerald
Buddha! You really can't say you've been to Thailand without visiting Wat Phra
Keo, it's just plain wrong! The place is usually packed with tourists from all
around the world, but it's still definitely worth the experience.
Buddha temple is located in the historic center of Bangkok in Phra Nakhon
District. It was built in 1785 by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I), when he
moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok. Today, the temple doesn't have any
monks living there, but contains some of the most highly decorated and surreal
looking pagodas, sacred buildings and statues. It almost feels like you're in a
dream and walking through some sort to mythical Buddhist sanctuary, well' taking
away all the tourists happily snapping pictures all around you.
When visiting Wat Phra Keo, do dress appropriately, otherwise they won't let you in. That means no cleavage ladies man!!...I never thought I would tell anyone that' anyways, if you're wearing shorts or are showing too much legs, you can borrow a Thai sarong free of charge (it's included with your admissions fee). You don't have to rent it from the guy outside, who's also trying to sell you a rip-off and over-priced boat tour of the Chao Phraya River (more about that below).
Buddha Temple Admissions Fee / Ticket:' 250 Baht/person.' Free for Thais, it's one of the few benefits we have here.
Buddha Temple Hours: ' Opens Daily (Do not believe anyone that tells you it's closed
due to repairs or some Buddhist ceremony, it may be part of the infamous Gem
scam.)' 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM Try to get there around 10:00AM-10:30 AM, so you'll
have plenty of time to leave before the place closes and avoid the mass exodus.
How to get there:
Taxi: taking the taxi is probably the most convenient and economical way
to get there, but the key is you have to make sure the driver turns on the meter
first!.
Tuk-Tuk: If you're coming from a short distant (~10 minutes drive), you
can take a tuk-tuk. It'll cost you a bit more than the taxi because driving a
tuk-tuk requires more traffic maneuvering skills, plus there's no meter and the
price will depends on the driver's secret mathematical formula, something like
(Distance + Tourist or not') +(Weight X Weather conditions).
Walking: If you're coming from Khaosan Road and can stand the heat, you
can walk there as well. It should take you about 30 minutes or less, just ask
for directions from any Thai person and they should be able to point you to the
right direction.
Submitted by:
Somkid is a Thai local and co-founder of
http://www.thaixperience.com
