RTW Trip Day #58: Bangkok: The Grand Palace and Dinner in China Town

andrewsco3
3 days ago
4 min read

25 November 2025

Steps: 10.524

The Grand Palace, Bangkok

This morning we finally got to visit the Grand Palace in Bangkok, after turning up yesterday only to find it closed because of the commemorations for the Queen Mother who passed away recently.

A bit of bad timing, but it worked out better as we got to walk around in the morning which was cooler, especially as we all had to wear trousers into the palace.

And the palace is really strict about clothing; you’ve got to wear long trousers and cover your shoulders. Everywhere else we’ve been in Asia, they’ve let men in wearing shorts, so it definitely felt more formal here.

my dad wearing trousers — My Dad had to buy these trousers to be allowed in

It’s also one of the pricier temples to visit at 500 baht each, but it’s definitely worth it as there is plenty to see and it clearly holds a deep cultural significance for Thai people.

Note: If you forget trousers you can buy some at the entrance, but it will cost you 200 baht.

The Royal Pantheon

The most impressive building in the complex is the Royal Pantheon or Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn as it’s known in Thailand. At the front of the pantheon you’ll see two large golden chedi as well as a larger golden chedi at the back beside Phra Mondop.

The columns all around the structure are covered in gold and the detail is incredible. In the centre there is a tall tower rising above the temple, that feels a little similar to some of the temples we saw at Angkor Wat.

There is even a model of Angkor Wat located just around the back of the pantheon, which was built as Cambodia was under Siamese control at one time.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew)

My personal highlight was visiting the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. From the outside the temple looks impressive, but inside there are mural paintings that wrap around the walls with so much detail, it really is fascinating.

Inside the temple, the Emerald Buddha sits on a golden pedestal. The statue is smaller than you might expect, but it is the most sacred Buddha statue for Thai Buddhists and it has a presence that’s hard to describe.

You can’t take photos inside but you are allowed from outside and many people use a long lens to capture it through the window.

Phra Mondop

Phra Mondop is a beautiful building that is located right next to the Royal Pantheon. The outside of the building is covered almost entirely in green and gold tiles that looks amazing in the sunlight.

At the entrance there are two golden guardian figures holding golden staffs with blue tiles embedded into it. Just look at those details!

Chakri Maha Prasat

The Chakri Maha Prasat is a completely different style to the rest of the complex. Apparently the Rama at the time wanted a completely Western construction, but the court complained so a Thai style roof was added instead of the planned British style roof, and is where it’s nickname, 'the westerner with a Thai hat' came from.

There was limited access around this part of the palace as hundreds of Thai people were all dressed in black and queuing to pay their respects to the Queen Mother who passed. It just shows how special the Queen Mother was to the Thai people that so many people were showing up to pay their respects.

Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles

The Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles was included in the entry fee, so we had a quick look on our way out.

I wouldn’t usually be too interested in a textile museum, but it was really interesting as it explained Thailand’s rich textile traditions that started back in the 60’s as a way to transform the national dress of Thai royalty.

There were some beautifully detailed dresses and traditional costumes - Jess would have loved to wear some of these dresses!

Dinner in Chinatown

In the evening we took a taxi to Chinatown to check out the market stalls and grab some food. The ride took longer than expected (Bangkok traffic is brutal), so we didn’t have long to explore before we found a small side-street restaurant.

The food was a mix of Thai and Chinese, and it was a bit hit and miss. Susie had a chicken and cashew nut stir-fry that was fantastic, while Nanna tried a Panang curry which was also really good, though a little too spicy for her!

I’m not sure the restaurant would have passed many safety inspections though! When I went to the bathroom I had to climb over bags of rubbish and squeeze past a boiling hot pan of oil frying on the floor. Hopefully we avoid Bangkok belly!

For dessert Jess had ice cream covered in roasted marshmallow, almost like a mini baked Alaska on a stick!

As it was getting late, we found two tuk tuks to take us back to the hotel. The drivers were pretty crazy, and Nanna’s hair was flying everywhere - we laughed all the way back to the hotel.