Wat Phra Kaew

Regarded as the most important of the Buddhist temples in Thailand, Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (officially known as Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram) is 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 emerald. 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.

Wat Phra Kaew also has a model of Angkor Wat, which was built under the order of King Rama IV when Cambodia was under Siamese control. The model was later recreated in plaster at the behest of King Rama V to celebrate the first centenary of the Royal City. The Balcony, which can be compared to the temple wall, has murals that tell the Ramayana epic in its entirety. On the columns of the balcony are stone inscriptions of the verses describing the murals. Each gate of the Balcony is guarded by the five-metre tall 'Yaksa Tavarnbal' (Gate-keeping Giants), the characters taken from the same epic.

The temple construction started in 1785 when King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok. The temple does not contain living quarters for monks, but has has decorated holy buildings, statues, and pagodas. The main building is the central ordination hall which houses the Emerald Buddha. Even though it is small in size, it is the most important icon for Thai people.

A guide is on duty from 10:00 to 14:00 and Personal Audio Guides (PAG) are available in English, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin Russian, and Spanish.

Wats (temples) are sacred places and you must dress appropriately. No shorts, slippers, sandals, or revealing tops are allowed. Trousers are available on rent, should the need arise.

Location: Na Phralan, Phra Nakorn (Inside the Grand Palace complex)

Admission to the temple is 125 baht.

Open: 08:30 - 12:00 and 13:00 - 15:30