Day 328: Bangkok

Feb 25 - Head straight west on Bamrung Mueang Road for the 1.5 km walk to the Grand Palace.

On the way, pass the Giant Swing. This monument sits to the north of the Wat Suthat Thepwararam Ratchaworamahawihan.

Cannons in front of the Ministry of Defense.

A bit on the Grand Palace. The complex is synonymous with the Chakri Dynasty, who brought us Rama I to Rama X (the current king). The first structures here were built in 1782, at the initiation of of the dynasty, when Rama I seized power from King Taksin. At the time, the kingdom’s capital was Thonburi (to the west of the Chao Phraya River). To make a clean break, Rama I decided to create a new capital, using the Grand Palace grounds as the center. This area was already populated with ethnic Chinese, who were summarily moved further east into what now comprises Bangkok Chinatown.

Siam didn’t have a great deal of money for massive construction projects in 1782, so the original buildings were made of wood. Over an extended period, the wood was replaced by masonry. Many bricks used were taken from the former royal palace at Ayutthaya to the north, which was the old capital before the war with Burma in 1767. They were carted en masse by barge down the Chao Phraya River, until they had basically completely dismantled the old palace. What is left in Ayutthaya today to see are only the temples.

The Grand Palace can seem confusing to walk around because it is not one coherent plan, but bits and pieces that popped up over time. The main focus of interest, and the only part that is fully open to visitors, is the walled grounds of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

One of the most interesting parts of this walled area is the depiction of the epic Ramayana, which stretches completely around the outer wall, starting and ending on either side of an entrance door. The story is complicated and the depiction does not compartmentalize the scenes, letting them sort of run together. In a single drawing of a palace, there can be three different scenes going on and you just have to figure out where each one starts and ends.

So, an extremely brief accounting of the epic Ramayana, thought to have been written sometime between 500 and 100 BCE:

There is a kingdom in the north of India, led by a good king with four sons. In the south, on the island of Sri Lanka, lives Ravena, an evil king (with demonic powers). The evil king sometimes encroaches on India, causing trouble, so that sets the stage to know that conflict will eventually consume the two kingdoms.

The oldest son of the good king, Prince Ram, is being groomed to be king. However, the mother of his third son (who is a different wife than the first and second son) allows herself to fall under the spell of her own mother, who wants the third son to be king. They take advantage of a vow made by the king long ago to make him put is first and second son into exile for 14 years, thus facilitating the rise of the third son to power (which happens soon enough when the king dies).

While Ram, his brother, and Sita, are in the forest, they have some unfortunate encounters with Ravena’s sister, then Ravena, and the end result is that Sita gets carted away to Sri Lanka due to her beauty.

Ram doesn’t know where the demon king lives, and in the process of looking, runs across Hanuman, a heroic monkey. From here the story sort of shifts for a time from Ram’s life to that of Hanuman, who takes over the quest for Sita. In the process, he gains the powers of a god from his father, and eventually figures out that Sita is on Sri Lanka, across the ocean.

Ram, his brother, and Hanuman raise an army of monkeys and elephants. In order to get to Sri Lanka they construct a bridge of rocks across the channel and attack Ravena and his army of demons. Much complication ensues, during which several battles between the more important individuals are laid out in great detail. In the end, Ravena gets his head chopped off and the Sri Lankan army is defeated. All the slaves of Sri Lanka are set free.

There is an epilogue of sorts with more conflict, detailing Ram and Sita’s life after this, when the 14 years have passed and they are back in the northern Indian kingdom.

The story plays out in great artistic detail, with gold paint used selectively to make certain points jump out at the viewer.

Hanuman makes himself huge with his godly powers so that Ram’s army can pass over a river and attack Ravena’s palace.

One of the battles between Ram (left) and Ravena (right).

Hanuman fights one of Ravena’s cronies.

Sita (?) floating across a river.

Phra Si Rattana Chedi.

The Emerald Buddha on his throne, in winter dress. It is actually made out of jadeite. This photo was taken from outside the building, as photography is not permitted inside.

A row of garudas lining the outer wall of the Ubusot, where the Emerald Buddha is housed. Garuda is the mount of Vishnu, and is the royal symbol of Thailand.

The Chao Mae Kuan Im. The spires in the background are two of the Eight Prang.

Offerings to Princess Bajrakitiyabha (first daughter of Rama X), who, in 2022 at age 44, apparently suffered a brain aneurysm and has been in a coma ever since. That is, if she is alive at all. This can only be speculated, as the royal family is secretive on the matter.

The Prasat Phra Thep Bidon (Royal Pantheon), completed by Rama VI in the early 20th century (after a fire destroyed it previously).

Maiyararp, one of the guardians of the gates to the Wat Phra Kaew.

Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat (seat of the Chakris), completed in 1882.

The Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat, or throne hall.

The Phra Thinang Aphorn Phimok Prasat, an open pavilion built by King Rama IV as a place for him to change his regalia when entering the Maha Prasat premises (building two photos above).

After this, get some expensive drinks and visit the Emerald Buddha Museum, where a number of old wooden decorations show the original pieces of the walls and temples before reconstruction was done with masonry.

Many small gardens decorate the palace grounds, all with some arrangement of flowering orchids.

From here, leave the Grand Palace, look out over the Chao Phraya River, then go south to another large temple complex called Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn, or Wat Pho for short. This complex was constructed on the site of an older temple by Rama I, and extensively expanded under Rama III. It is considered to be the earliest center of public education in Siam and houses a school of Thai medicine, which includes a center for learning the methods of Thai massage.

The most famous item here is the Reclining Buddha, 46 meters in length. It was built by Rama III in 1832. The core is brick with plaster molding to make the shape, then gold gilded.

It took 10 minutes standing in line to get this mediocre shot.

The Buddha’s feet are covered in auspicious symbols, and the chakras (energy points) on the feet are noted with circles.

Another little garden feature with a pool outside the Reclining Buddha building.

Looking toward the library (Phra Mondop) and the Rama IV Chedi behind it.

A few of the many, many Buddha statues along the Phra Rabiang (gallery).

One of the groups of five chedis built on a single base.

The Buddha in Phra Ubosot. This is an impressively decorated room, and the most important building here besides the one housing the Reclining Buddha.

One of the smaller buildings on site houses this Buddha. Interesting in that it shows a less-commonly seen depiction. The Buddha himself is in the ‘subduing Mara*’ pose, and also shown with the seven protecting Nagas around his head.

*Mara refers to Vasavati Mara, King of Evil and Temptation, who tried to distract Buddha when he was in the final stages of his meditations, in order to break his achievement of enlightenment. The subduing involved Buddha touching his right hand to the ground to call as witness Dharani, Earth Goddess, to the state of affairs. She chose to aid him by destroying the troops of Mara and allowing him peace to finish his work.

From Wat Pho we head back to the hotel, stopping at a Chinese restaurant for dinner.

Thailand I