Sawadee
krup! (Greetings!) There's no better place to begin our tour than the
incomparable Grand Palace, a fantasy of gold and glitter that
absolutely knocks your socks off. It's a square mile complex of
buildings begun in 1782 as a royal residence and home to the Emerald
Buddha, Thailand's' most sacred image. That was the year King Rama I,
the first of the Chakri dynasty, moved the capital of Siam to
Bangkok. (Old Siam is modern Thailand.)
Please follow me onto the
Palace grounds. [let's go This is the centerpiece of the Grand
Palace complex: the reception and throne hall, commissioned by King
Rama V in 1882 on the centenary of the Chakri dynasty. Although
originally designed with a domed roof (King Rama V admired all things
English) his advisers insisted on a traditional Thai roof, under
which lie the ashes of the eight Chakri kings. King Rama V was
probably the greatest of the Chakri kings. Only 15 when he ascended
the throne, he revolutionized his country. He ended the ancient
custom of prostration and allowed officials to sit on chairs during
royal audiences. He abolished slavery, founded schools and hospitals,
built railroads, introduced electric lighting, encouraged the use of
the automobile and modernized the army and navy. And while the
Western powers were colonizing southeast Asia, he kept Siam free and
independent. He would have democratized his country but his relatives
didn't want to lose their social position, so he passed the idea to
his son, King Rama VI, and it was fully realized with King Rama
VII.
find a hotel room in
Bangkok.
