Wat Suthat

Wat Suthat, adjacent to the Great Swing, is one of the oldest and most beautiful of Bangkok's Buddhist temples. Three kings had a hand in its construction: it was begun soon after his coronation in 1782 by Rama I, founder of the Chakri dynasty, continued by Rama II, and completed, ten years later by Rama III. Apart from its delightful architecture the temple boasts some exceptionally interesting wall paintings. The compound as a whole covers an area of 4.08 ha (10 acres). It is rectangular in plan (being roughly half as long again as it is wide) with a perimeter wall 949 m (3114 ft) in length. The area is divided between the temple complex itself and the monk's living quarters.

Wat Pho

Situated immediately south of the Grand Palace precinct, Wat Pho (or Wat Chetuphon), built by King Rama I, is the oldest and also the largest temple in Bangkok. In the 16th c. the site is said to have been occupied by a small residence belonging to a prince of Ayutthaya, with a wat called the "Temple of the Sacred Bhodi-Tree" (hence "pho", i.e. bhodi).

Wat Pho was renowned as a place of healing even in the olden days and famous for its pharmacy

Wat Benchama-bo-bitr

Benchama-bo-bitr, popularly called the Marble Temple, is one of the loveliest wats in Bangkok. It was erected in about 1899 by King Rama V (Chulalongkorn), the snow-white marble being shipped to Thailand from Tuscany in Italy. Thais also refer to the wat as "The Wat of the Fifth King", Rama V, crowned soon after his 20th birthday, having spent part of 1873 as a "bikkhu" (monk) in the old monastery south of the temple.
Most unusually the compound is entered neither through a gate in a wall nor a wiharn, being separated from the street only by ornamental railings and an expanse of lawn. The boundary on the south side, between the temple and the monks' quarters, is also unusual, taking the form of a moat.

Wat Benchama-bo-bitr in Bangkok

Benchama-bo-bitr, popularly called the Marble Temple, is one of the loveliest wats in Bangkok. It was erected in about 1899 by King Rama V (Chulalongkorn), the snow-white marble being shipped to Thailand from Tuscany in Italy. Thais also refer to the wat as "The Wat of the Fifth King", Rama V, crowned soon after his 20th birthday, having spent part of 1873 as a "bikkhu" (monk) in the old monastery south of the temple.

Wat Arun in Bangkok

When, having fallen to the Burmese, Ayutthaya was reduced to rubble and ashes, General Taksin and the remaining survivors vowed to march "until the sun rose again", and there to build a temple. Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn, stands on the spot to which they came and where later the new king built his royal palace and with it a private chapel.

The wat, with its 79-m (259-ft) high central prang surrounded by four smaller ones, has become a

Vimarnmek Palace

Open once again to visitors following major restoration, Vimarnmek Palace is located at the rear of the park which surrounds the National Assembly (west of Dusit Zoo).

The four-story teak building houses the extensive royal art collection of furniture, paintings, jewelry, much of it acquired by King Rama V.

National Museum / Wang Na Palace

Bangkok's National Museum provides a splendidly comprehensive introduction to the history of Thailand, at least half a day being required to do it anything like justice. The extraordinary size of the collection is explained by the fact that, until the mid seventies, this was Thailand's only museum.

Since then the Thai Department of Fine Arts has established additional branches throughout the country. The Department's policy is for archaeological and art historic finds to be put on display as near as possible to their place of origin, so there are plans for even more museums in the future.

An excellent catalogue is available at the entrance. There are guided tours in English and virtually all

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exhibits are labeled in English as well as in Thai.

The old Wang Na Palace built by Rama I remains essentially as it was, as does the original nucleus of the collection made up of King Chulalongkorn's bequest and household effects from Wang Na: regalia, religious and ceremonial artifacts, ceramics, games, weaponry, musical instruments and the Viceroy's throne.

The older buildings in the museum contain some particularly interesting exhibits. They include a collection of presentation gifts to the king, a collection of curiosities, the royal barges and state coaches and hearses, etc. Principal attraction in the new wings is the fine collection of Buddha figures, arranged according to period.