BlogTours

Wat Mahan is a royal temple built by Prince Annop, a son of King Rama III. The prince began construction on the temple in 1850. Wat Mahan happens to be the location of Siam’s first public school for commoners which was established by King Rama V in an attempt to set up a system of [...]

Chinese immigrants have lived in Bangkok for over three centuries. Most settled near the river where they traded goods with foreign ships passing north to the former capital city of Ayutthaya. These immigrants have played a key role in shaping the city. A perfect example is the Chao Pho Seua Shrine. Chao Pho Seua is dedicated to [...]

Phraeng Sanphasat used to be the main entrance to one of the three royal palaces that stood in this area. The palace entrance is marked by an arching brick gate in European style. At the top of the gate is a statuette of a torch-bearing Greek goddess. This gate was restored by the Fine Arts [...]

The 3-story yellow building you see here is the only palace left standing in Samphraeng. The palace was built in wood and masonry by Prince Nara, a younger brother of King Rama V. The interior is decorated in finely carved Golden Teak. On the second floor of the palace there is a spiral iron staircase that [...]

Thanks to the efforts of the local community, this is probably the best preserved heritage neighborhood in Bangkok. Recently, the residents within Phraeng Phuton decided to restore their community and improve their landscape. With some government support and donated paint, they brought the community back to life. They have created an open public space in the center [...]

Bangkok may be full of shopping centers today, but 100 years ago this street was all there was. Bamrung Muang Road is the location of Bangkok’s first western-style shopping mall, and it was at one point the most diverse shopping and commercial zone in Bangkok. Bamrung Muang, which in Thai means “the road embellishing the city,” is [...]

King Rama I intended to make his new capital of Rattanakosin as grand as Ayutthaya; he started by calling on architects from the former capital to build a temple as grand as Wat Phanon Choeng which was Ayutthaya’s largest temple. Precise planning from the beginning earned it praise as “the most finely proportioned temple.” Wat Suthat [...]

The Vishnu Shrine is a 25 year old temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, one of the members of the Hindu trinity. The predominant feature of this shrine is a brightly colored statue of Vishnu above which a cobra protectively spreads her hood. The atmosphere around the shrine is especially fascinating in the evening around 7 o’ [...]

According to ancient Thai law, giant swings were to be built in every major city in the kingdom. Although there is no physical evidence of them, some scholars guess that there were giant swings in all important cities throughout Siam including Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, and Nakorn Si Thammarat. So naturally, when Rama I built a new [...]

There used to be a royal mansion located here. But it was pulled down during the reign of King Rama V and this area was converted into one of Bangkok’s biggest markets of the period. Just in front of the square you can see a giant granite plaque with the proper name of Bangkok inscribed in Thai [...]

King Rama I wished his new city to be as pure as the city of the great Hindu god Brahma. So after consulting with a Brahmin priest, he built the Bot Phram, or Brahmin Chapels. These three holy halls were completed in 1784 making them the oldest buildings in the center of the old city. [...]

After the Saochingcha Market was demolished in 1941, Bangkok’s first city hall was built here. The original city hall was a plain 2-story wooden building that was far too small to accommodate the rapid growth of Bangkok. It was later replaced in 1962 by the huge white building you see here now. On the front of the [...]

The Democracy Monument is perhaps the most visible symbol in Bangkok. The monument marks the country’s peaceful transition from absolute monarchy to democracy which took place on June 24th, 1932. Ironically, the monument wasn’t used in a democratic function until October 14, 1973 when some 500,000 pro-democracy demonstrators massed on Rajadamnoen. The pictures of the waves of [...]

No place plays a more important role in the modern history of Thailand than Rajadamnoen Avenue. Rajadamnoen Avenue was built by King Rama V to link his old residence, the Grand Palace, with his new royal palace in nearby Dusit. Anxious to build on Rama V’s dream of creating a Siamese version of Paris’ Champs-Elysees, [...]

Of all the key dates in Thailand’s history, October 14th, 1973 stands out like none other. On that day, nearly 500,000 people marched along Rajadamnoen Avenue to protest the arrests of 13 students who had demanded a constitution from Field Marshall Thanom Kittikachorn. October 14, 1973 was a revolution in Thai politics. The pro-democracy students [...]