Bangkok Grand Palace

The Royal Grand Palace and The Temple of Emeral Buddha is The one of must see-sight that tourism must go when visit Bangkok.
The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand , located on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River.

The plan of the Grand Palace followed closely that of the old palace in Ayutthaya. The Palace is rectangular shaped, with the western side next to a river and the royal temple situated to the east side. The palace itself is divided into three quarters, the outer quarters, the middle quarters and the inner quarters.

King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (The king Rama 1 ) wanted to construct a wonderful palace that would be his residence as well as the centre of government. Initially the palace was constructed of wood, with numerous wooden buildings enclosed with a 1,900 meter high defensive wall. The iconic Temple of the Emerald Buddha was soon ordered to be constructed after the establishment of the palace.

For much of the early Chakri Dynasty the palace was the centre government, until King Rama V decided to reside at the Dusit Palace. This practise was pursued later by his sons King Rama VI and King Rama VII. But Rama VIIII moved to the palace in 1945. But subsequent to the mysterious death of King Rama VIII, a year later inside the palace, his brother, present king and successor King Rama IX moved permanently to Chitralada Palace.

The Palace is however still very much in use; as many royal rituals are performed here by the King every year. Other royal ceremonies celebrated here are coronations; royal funerals, marriages and state banquets. The Palace grounds also contain the offices and buildings of the Bureau of the Royal Household, the Office of the Private Secretary to the King and Royal Institute of Thailand.

Presently the palace is only used for official occasions and events. The palace is a popular tourist destination by a record of 8,995,000 visitors arriving in 2006, making it the 16th most visited tourist destination in the world.