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| Bangkok was established as Thailand’s capital in 1782 Over the next two centuries it developes in many ways reflecting the modern dynamism however,its ancient glories were well maintained,especially, in the old areas around the Grand Palace,Today, Bangkok has become the principal gateway and primetourist attraction for both domestic and international travellers. |
| Bangkok occupies a total area of 1,568 square kilometres on a flatalluvial plain divided by the Cho Phaya River.Composed of about 50 districts (khets),it is home to one-tenth of the country’s populaion.Thon Buri, a former capital,is now a district under the administration of the Bangkok Metropolis. |
| Interesting Place |
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| Wat Phra Kaeo(The Temple of the Emerald Buddha) |
| The Chapel Royal or Temple of the Emerald Buddha, usually called Wat Phra Kaeo and offically named Sri Ratana Sasadaram Temple, is the most interesting and famous of Bangkok’s temples. Since its foundation in 1785 A.D., it has never been allowed to f all into decay. This collection of chapels, halls, towers, etc., can be divided into two groups: The Bot or Chapel of the Emerald Buddha proper, and the small edifices which stand around, viz., three small chambers on the west, twelve salas, the belfry on the south, and a small chapel in the southeastern corner. The central chapel was erected by King Rama I, according to the usual plan of Thai temples, for the purpose of keeping the famous Emerald Buddha, which is placed upon a magnificent altar. The uppe r part of this altar, which is as old as the chapel itself, is raised on a base added by King Rama III. On either side is a standing image of the Buddha, and these are said to personify the first two Kings of the present Dynasty. |
| The building on the platform to the north of the Bot include the Library in the northeastern corner and a small chapel in the northwestern corner. The nucleus of this second or northern group of buildings is the Mahamandapa, a square pavilion erected by King Rama I on the site of the ancient Library which was destroyed by fire as soon as it was completed. This pavilion was built for the purpose of keeping the sacred Scriptures and was restored by King Mongkut (Rama IV). One should not fail to see in this library the magnificent bookcase in lacquered teak inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which was made by order of King Rama I and is considered to be the best specimen of this kind of work. The covered gallery which runs round the temple courtyard is intere sting on account of the wall paintings which represent episodes from the Ramakien (the Thai version of the Indian epic Ramayana). They were made during the reign of King Rama I, renewed under King Rama III, and again under King Mongkut. Besides the buildi ngs just mentioned, the precincts of at Phra Kaeo contain several objects of interest: giants, bronze images the lions, elephants, oxen, and monkeys of good modern workmanship. Eight towers stand in a row on the eastern side of the main temple. The colo urs of the glazed tiles with which they are covered are different for each tower. |
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| Wat Arun(The Temple of Dawn) |
| whose high tower is one of the most prominent monuments of Bangkok, was formerly an old temple called Wat Chaeng, and this old name is still in use among the people. The chief attraction of Wat Arun is the tower of the Phra Prang, 74 metres high, from which the visitor enjoys a beautiful view of Bangkok, the Palace and Royal Temples, the river, and the harbour. This tower rises in the center or a square whose corners are marked by four smaller towers, the plan being so mewhat similar to that of Angkor Wat’s upper terrace. The central tower is supported by a series of bases resting on caryatids of various kinds (angels, giants, monkeys, etc.) The God Phra Indra on his white elephant can be seen in each of the four niches . The lower terrace includes four small pavilion: each of these contains an image of the Buddha represented in four different episodes of his life: birth, Enlightenment, victory over the Evil One, and Death. This group of building is entirely covered with fragments of porcelain. |
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| Wat Phra Jetuphon or Wat Po (The Temple of the Reclining Buddha), The oldest and largest temple in Bangkok |
| On the site where Wat Phra Jetuphon now stands there was formerly an old temple called Wat Bhodharam (Temple of the Sacred Fig Tree), and Wat Po (or Bo) is still its popular name. The modern temple was begun in 1793 by King Rama I, who installed in t he various chapels several old statues from Ayutthaya. Restorations and additions were made by king Rama III and King Rama V. The plan of the buildings in Wat Phra Jetphon may seen somewhat intricate to the visitor who sees them for the first time, but it is in fact very simple. The central chapel or bot is in the middle of a courtyard enclosed in a square gallery sheltering endless rows of images of the Buddha in a sitting posture. Each side of the gallery is interrupted by small chapels containing imag es of the Buddha outside this kind of cloister, and on the west side are four high stupas and a huge building containing a colossal image of the Reclining Buddha, an enormous image of brick and concrete, finished with gold, 150 feet long and 40 feet high. The images of the Buddha placed in these temples are well worth seeing. The central one comes from Wat Sala Seena in Ayutthaya, and among those kept in the small chapels the big standing statue comes from Wat Sisarabejr (Ayutthaya) and the Buddha sittin g on the naga comes from Lopburi. The four western stupas or Phra Chedis are good specimens of modern Thai architecture. |
