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Top 10 facts about the Grand Palace, Bangkok

The Grand Palace is a multifaceted building at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. It has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam, today known as Thailand since 1782.

It was until 1925 that the king, his court, and his royal government moved from the grounds of the palace.

King Rama IX lived in the Chitralada Royal Villa while his successor King Rama X lived in the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall. The Grand Palace is still used for official events.

These halls have hosted several royal ceremonies and state functions every year. This palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand.

When you visit the Grand Palace, will usher you to the royal residences, throne halls, administrative, and the sacred Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

The palace covers an area of 218,000 square metres and is surrounded by four walls, standing at 1,900 metres in length.

Let us now look at the top 10 facts about the grand Palace.

1. Construction of the Grand Palace began in the 18^th century

In 1782, King Phutthayotfa Chulalok also referred to as Rama I commissioned the construction of the Grand Palace.

King Rama, I had seized power from King Taksin of Thonburi. He wanted to build a capital city for his new Chakri Dynasty.

The former seat of power was in Thonburi City but King Rama moved it to the east side of Bangkok. This was due to a lack of space for the expansion of the palace. The old palace was in between two temples.

He made the new city an artificial island after he ordered canals to be dug on the east side. The royal residence was also moved from the Derm Palace.

2. The Grand Palace was initially built of wood

Photo by Diego Delso – Wikimedia

While constructing the Grand Palace, the King ran short of funds and lacked building material.

This made them resort to building the palace using wood. The palace was also fenced using a simple wooden fence.

The first royal ceremony held at this palace was in 1782 when the king ceremonially crossed the river from Thonburi to take permanent residence in the new palace.

Years later after the new king had settled, he started replacing the wooden structures with blocks of stones.

King Rama I ordered his soldiers to go to Ayutthaya, the old capital, and dismantle abandoned structures. The men had strict instructions not to destroy temples.

These materials were used to rebuild the walls, forts, gates, throne halls and royal residences. The royal chapel was also rebuilt and became the house of the Emerald Buddha.

3. The layout of the Grand Palace is similar to that of the Royal Palace

Although built on separate locations, the layout of the Grand Palace and that of the Royal Palace at Ayutthaya were similar.

The organization of the separate courts, walls, gates and forts are duplicates of each other. Both palaces were built close to a river.

These two palaces also featured a large field that was used for royal ceremonies as a parade ground.   

Each of the palaces had four main courts that were separated by several walls and gates. There were defined laws and traditions on who enters the courts.

For example, the inner Court at the south end of the complex was reserved only for females, as it housed the king’s harem.

4. The Grand Palace is the most sacred Buddhist temple in Bangkok

Photo by Ramey Logan – Wikimedia

The Grand Palace did not start as a Buddhist temple.

In fact, between 1782 to 1925 the Grand Palace was used for different roles such as a royal residence, the war ministry, the Thai mint, the Royal Court, as well as the administrative and government seat.

There were other courts around it such as the outer court, central court, and an inner court. Each court was used for a different purpose by the King.

Today, the Grand Palace is regarded as the spiritual heart of the Kingdom of Thailand.

It is regarded as one of the most important Buddhist temples in Thailand as it hosts the famous and widely revered Emerald Buddha. The Buddha dates back to the 14^th century.

As a sacred site, visitors are expected to follow a strict dress code. Long-sleeved shirts and pants for men. Women should cover their shoulders, and no see-through clothing is allowed.

5. There is a chapel at the Grand Palace

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is a royal chapel located within the confines of the palace, it dates back to 1783 when it was constructed.

It is usually referred to as a Buddhist temple but it is not, it is a chapel. This chapel was used as living quarters for monks.

It was a tradition to have a chapel within the grounds of the royal palace. The celebrated Emerald Buddha is kept in the temple.

This chapel is surrounded on four sides by a chain of walled cloisters, with seven different gates.

6. The inner court at the Grand Palace was like a small city

The Inner Court is where the King’s royal partners and daughters lived. It was like a small city entirely occupied by women and boys under the age of puberty.

Commoners were not allowed inside, to date, the inner court is completely closed off to the public even though no royalty currently resides in it.

It was the largest and most important court traditionally known as the Khet Phra Racha Than Chan Klang. The court was further divided into three groups of Throne halls and one Siwalai Garden quarter.

7. The Grand Palace features European Architecture

Photo by Sodacan – Wikimedia

The great Chakri dynasty’s Grand Palace commissioned by King Rama I features European architecture.

He had an English architect who built it in the typical Italian style Renaissance buildings.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha has Thai architecture compared to the Grand Palace.  

But when King Rama V took over, he renovated it incorporating Siamese roofing style and mondhops.

8. The inner court of the Grand Palace was governed by the Palace Law

Photo sourced from Wikimedia

The Inner Court was governed by a series of laws known as the Palace Laws. These laws date back to the times of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya.

It mostly dealt with the status of the women, their behaviour and conduct. Order and discipline were enforced by all-female guards.

They were led by a directress who commanded several other officials. The officials had specific responsibilities in the inner court.

Some of their responsibilities included maintaining Buddhist images, guarding the gates, and the inner treasury.

These female guards also accompanied men that were allowed inside the inner court. They were by their side until they left the court.

9. Royal children lived with their mothers in the inner court

Only the children of the king were born inside the Inner Court. Every detail of their birth was recorded, such as the time of birth.

This information was used later by court astrologers to cast his or her horoscope.

Their birthdays and other rites of passage ceremonies were celebrated within the walls of the Inner Court.

When a royal child was born, its birth was first announced by a group of women who announced the news along the Inner Court’s streets.

There were two waiting orchestras, one on the inside made of women and one on the outside of men.

The men would then carry out the official proclamation with conch shell fanfares. If the child was a boy the Gong of Victory was to be struck three times.

The children would live with their mothers and go to special schools within the court.

10. Life was easier for women in the inner court of the Grand Palace

Although the women that lived in the inner court never had the same level of freedom as those on the outside, life inside was not harsh or were there very strict laws.

Compared to those living outside, their life was easier and they had everything they needed.

The women would enter the inner court as young girls and remain there for the rest of their lives. When they grew older, they became wives and mothers.

During the reign of King Rama IV, the women were allowed to go outside the inner court. This was only after they were given permission and had a chaperon.