THE GRAND PALACE - BANGKOK THAILAND

They said; "The Grand Palace and Wat Pra Kaew really are places you must visit while you are in Bangkok. Both have considerable historical significance and are extremely beautiful places to see."
I went there again the other week just to accompany a new friend who just arrived from Philippines with my newfound friends here in Bangkok.
On my first visit there with my students (as part of our Educational trip), I didn't get the opportunity to see the Grand Palace because I was just so busy going around Wat Phra Kaew marvelling the big temples and everything just around the compound of Grand Palace.






Two lovely Thai ladies with their colorful umbrellas.







The maroon color is a monk from Myanmar while the orange is from Thailand.



The guards of the place on duty.



At the gate with a vendor and a guard.
























Appreciating the flowers along the road is refreshing.



My fellow skinhead....monk from Myanmar and from Thai monk.



Grand Palace's wall.

DAILY SIGHT SEEING TOUR AROUND BANGKOK

November 3, 2010: The third day of the month, halloween was over. I've been idle for a couple of days now after the expiration of my contract in the school. Refused to renew since I have big plans that somehow would fall rightly into place. However, I feel so bored staying at my friend's place all day watching TV and sleeping.
Well, as a traveller - walking around and discovering Bangkok's pride is one of my fave leisures.
Of course, I couldn't get out leaving my camera behind without taking souvenirs for blogging and for timely mementos.
Visiting to different temples around Bangkok has been a favorite destination. It always marvel me seeing temples and their gods, with its unique structure that I couldn't find in the Philippines. Going inside the temple is also a good relaxation for a while from the hustle bustle of the city. Thai people called the temple "wat". They are grouped into two main parts - temples that carry religious functions and those which are used only for monks living quarter.
Thailand's temples has blended into exotic and spiritual because they are places for meditation. The mystical imagery attracts to tourists that leaves questions to the foreign visitors.



On top of the temple, a pagoda at the background.



Sacred monks...



Shapely colored roofs of the temple.



Yours truly being dwarf by the giant reclining buddha.



Good luck bells outside the temple.



Young worshippers...



The eight faces of buddha, worshipped by buddhist fanatics.



Inside the temple at Walom Phong temple, Bangkok.



Precious god at the Golden Mount.



A commonly buddhist god at Walom Phong Bangkok.



One of the Buddhist gods.



A rare black colored temple in Bangkok.



The head of the reclining buddha.



Reclining buddha at Wat Pho, Bangkok.



Sacred stone...

BANGKOK WAT PRA KAEW-THE EMERALD BUDDHA

I am posting another photos about my visits to an important place in Bangkok. Visiting Wat Pra Kaew-The Emerald Buddha was an inspiring one so to speak, because I've been to this place but never get the chance of going inside around the compound since foreigners or tourists has to pay for the entrace fee. The fee was truly big for a teacher like me who just receiving a meager salary.
The temple is surrounded with concrete blocks avoiding intruders and enemies to get in during the old times.
Wat Pra Kaew is only adjacent to Wat Pho temple where the reclining buddha is located. Everytime I like to hit Wat Pho for relaxing, I always hoping that I could get inside without paying the entrance fee and see those wonderful temples around Wat Pra Kaew.
For my first attempt, the Tuk-tuk(tricyle in Philippines)that I got on dropped me rightly infront of the gate for Thai visitors or worshippers, but the guard on duty held me in my arms by pointing his finger towards to the main gate where the foreigners and tourists went in. Of course, I went inside and tried to get some photos and without any question I went directly to the entrance going to the temple which another person guarding the entrance asking me to buy a ticket.
To make it short, I attempted to get in to the gate for the second time pretending to be Thai but I was failed and recognized a foreigner.
To good to be true, our school thought of visiting Wat Pra Kaew as part of the educational places that our students should see which majority of them didn't know about the importance of this beautiful temple nor get the opportunity of seeing it personally.
Herewith is a bit description of the temple:

Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (officially known as Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram) is regarded as the most important Buddhist temple in Thailand. Located in the historic centre of Bangkok, within the grounds of the Grand Palace, it enshrines Phra Kaew Morakot (the Emerald Buddha), the highly revered Buddha image meticulously carved from a single block of jade. The Emerald Buddha (Phra Putta Maha Mani Ratana Patimakorn) is a Buddha image in the meditating position in the style of the Lanna school of the north, dating from the 15th century AD.
Raised high on a series of platforms, no one is allowed near the Buddha except HM the King. A seasonal cloak, changed three times a year to correspond to the summer, winter, and rainy season covers the statue. A very important ritual, the changing of the robes is performed only by the King to bring good fortune to the country during each season. The temple is beautifully decorated and has a great sense of peace about it

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Standing in front of the Chinese inspired god.



With Thai teachers and our students..



Hallway of Wat Pra Kaew temple.



Another giant Pagoda at Wat Pra Kaew.



The biggest Pagoda at Wat Pra Kaew.



Unminding the heat..just to get a photo shot.



Mini temples at the background.



Holy temple at Wat Pra Kaew.



A temple Under renovation...

BANGKOK CITY - TEMPLE OF DAWN

As I always love to visit Bangkok, going to its landmarks is a remarkable and a relief of sort seeing some of the historical structures of Thailand. While majority of the Pinoys working in Thailand loves to visit those artificial and miniature amusement parks around Bangkok or outside of the city,my taste is totally different.
Historical sites of the country really caught my fancy and it is one way of knowing the country more. The last pride of Bangkok that I visited was the Temple of Dawn..it's pretty amazing when I saw the tower across the river of Chao Praya river.
Foreigners from other country who came to visit Thailand for relaxing loves the Temple of Dawn..and so am I too. I didn't mind the heat as I went there eleven o'clock in the morning till three in the afternoon.
What I admire most of this country was, they respect and help the foreigners to give the exact direction when one lost the way.
It happened to me once, and a kind old man as he couldn't speak English


At the foot of the Temple of Dawn.



A stairs up to the tower..


An old stairs going up to the tower.


The tower when you look up high on it.


Overlooking to the area.


Overlooking-facing to the city of Bangkok..rChao Phraya river front.


Such a very high, steep and narrow stairs way up to the peak of the tower.


I met these young novice monks while I was on top of the tower..so I asked them to get some souvenirs with me.



A self taking photo...


another self taking photo..I mean just used the self timer here.



Just standing by down on the foot of the stairs.


Took a shot of this young lad..


up on the last peak of the tower.


One of the Pagodas that you'll see in the Temple of Dawn.


Worship hall of the temple.


While roaming around the compound..I saw this nice window...took it..wasn't it cute?


The biggest tower..


I just like to thank the American couple who took this pic of me.


The facade of the area....


The Temple of Dawn itself.


The boat that I got on with..crossing to the river of Chao Phraya going to the Temple of Dawn.


A well-manicured garden.