The Royal Grand Palace :The Royal Grand Palace once a royal residence is a huge compound on Na Phra Lan Road with proud golden domes, inspirational spires, exotic wall mural and breathtaking ceramic decorations, is surrounded by high white walls and occupies an area of about a square mile. The palace, begun in 1782, consists of several buildings with highly decorated architectural details. The Royal Chapel or Wat Phra Kaew famously known as Temple of Emerald Buddha is situated in the same compound, it houses the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred Buddha image in Thailand. The Grand Palace or Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang for Thai is today used by the king only for certain ceremonial occasions such as Coronation Day
Chakri Mahaprasat :the largest triple-winged of the palace buildings, literally Great Holy Hall of Chakri, but usually translated as Grand Palace Hall. Built by King Rama V and completed in 1882, there was some controversy during the construction phase which resulted in this unusual design. Rama V had wanted an entirely western look to his new home, but others in the court felt that the king's residence and throne hall should reflect Siamese motifs. So the original domed roof in the design was replaced by a Thai-styled roof. It is interesting to note that the Thai nickname for the building is the 'westerner with a Thai hat'. The tallest of the Mondops, in the centre, contains the ashes of each Chakri King who passed away; the flanking Mondops enshrine the ashes of Chakri princes who never inherited the throne.
Dusit Hall : initially served as a venue for royal audiences and later as a royal funerary hall.
Wat Phra Keow : Also known as temple of The Emerald Buddha - the temple dates back to 1782 when Bangkok was founded. Regarded as the most significant of all Thai temples, the 945,000 square-meter temple compound, which occupies one corner of the Grand Palace complex, encompasses over 100 buildings that represent 200 years of royal history and architectural experimentation. The temple was built to house a green Buddha image that King Rama I had brought from Vientiane when he captured the city in 1778. He built the temple and enshrined the 'Emerald' Buddha there as a symbol of Siam's regained nationhood. The "Emerald Buddha" was carved from one piece of emerald green jade. The Buddha figure sits high up on an altar of gold designed to represent the traditional aerial chariot attributed to Hindu gods on the murals of this country.
Today, thousands of worshippers pay their respects in front of the statue.
Two seasonal costumes were made for the Emerald Buddha by King Rama I,one for the summer season and one for the rainy season. King Rama III had another costume made for winter season. The ceremonial changing of costumes takes place three times a year and is done by his Majesty the King.
Despite it's national importance, Wat Phra Kaew is the only temple in Thailand that doesn't have any resident monks, therefore it is not a seat of Buddhist learning in the same way that most other Wats are in Thailand. It is basically the personal chapel for the royal family.
credit:thailandsightseeing
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