Grand Palace in Bangkok - Candid tips by Howard Hillman

Grand Palace
in Bangkok

Travel tips you can trust

Why the
Grand Palace in Bangkok
is special

The architecture of this two-century-old royal building complex is elaborately detailed. The Grand Palace's Temple of the Emerald Buddha is the star attraction.

Grand Palace
tips and insights

Temple of the Emerald Buddha

This is Thailand's top wonder and a Hillman Gold Medal winner. I cover this architectural masterpiece on its own webpage. Click:

Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Other Grand Palace
architectural gems

They include the photogenic Dusit Palace and the Thai-European hybrid Chakri Maha Prasat Hall.

Note: You won't see it all. Much of the Grand Palace is closed to tourism because the site serves as Thailand's governmental seat.

When to come

Time of day

Mid-day Bangkok temperatures are scorching the year-round. So arrive at the Grand Palace in Bangkok at 8:30 am when it opens (and as a bonus, your photos won't be tourist-infested). Arriving late in the afternoon won't help because the venue closes at 3:30 pm.

Best season

December and January are the driest months. And temperatures are slightly lower then.

Worst season

March to May is the hottest season and May to October (andparticularly in the last two months of that period) is the rainy season.

Location in Thailand