For years now, Thailand has been a major tourist destination for those seeking beautiful beaches, a vibrant nightlife and an endless variety of crowded clubs and bars.
However, if you’re looking for a more cultural experience, the country also has a lot to offer with its gorgeous shrines and historical palaces. Most of these landmarks are very well-maintained — evidence that, despite changing times, Thais still hold tight to their cultural heritage and traditions.
Since I never really liked clubs or bars, I was very excited when I was offered the opportunity to visit two of the most important cultural heritage landmarks in Thailand during a brief stay there last January.
Our first destination was Phra Narai Rajanivet or the King Narai Palace, which was built by King Narai the Great who ruled Ayutthaya from 1656 to 1688. Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767.
The palace is located in Muang district, Lopburi province, a charming small town approximately 150 kilometers northeast of Bangkok, about a 2.5 hour-long bus ride. Along the way you’ll get the chance to see many buildings built in both rustic and classical Thai architectural styles.
Lopburi was once considered perfect for trading because it was surrounded by water. King Narai chose to stay in the palace almost year round, except for during the rainy season, when he preferred to return to Ayutthaya.
“At that time, King Narai felt like Ayutthaya was no longer safe as the capital city, so he decided to build a palace here in Lopburi,” Natalie, our tour guide, told us.
Natalie said that King Narai’s kingdom had close friendships with Persia and India, which is reflected in the architecture of many of the palace’s buildings. Some of the buildings have curved, vaunted ceilings, similar to those found in many Persian palaces.
“It is said that, back in the day, this palace was exquisitely beautiful. When the night came, thousands of candles were lit and it looked marvelous,” Natalie said.
Most parts of the palace complex have been reduced to ruins, but some buildings remain intact — including the Chantara Phisan Pavilion that is now used as a museum. It contains an excellent collection of Buddhist manuscripts, palanquins and paintings in memory of King Narai.
“This building was renovated in the 1960s,” said Natalie.
After King Narai’s death in 1688, the palace was abandoned until King Rama IV restored it in 1856.
“You might remember King Rama the IV from the musical ‘The King and I’ or ‘Anna and the King’,” Natalie said.
The next day I decided to join some friends visiting the Grand Palace or Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang, located in the heart of Bangkok. Since it was a nice sunshiny day, we decided to take a tuk-tuk, or an auto-riskshaw.
I was giddy with anticipation because I have heard a lot about the palace. I was hoping it would live up to my expectations.
“You can’t say you’ve been to Bangkok if you don’t take time to see the Grand Palace, it’s truly a masterpiece of art, so breathtaking,” Jun, our tuk-tuk driver, explained in fluent English.
The Grand Palace complex was built in 1782 and the 218,000 square meter complex consists of the royal residence, throne halls and a number of government offices. It is also the home of the Emerald Buddha, one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the world, where Thai Buddhists can be seen praying and paying their daily respects.
Since it was Saturday, the palace grounds were packed and I ran into dozens of Indonesian tourists on the grounds.
To enter the palace, we first had to purchase tickets for 350 baht ($11) per person. Jun had warned me that the ticket booth was only open until 3:30 p.m, but visitors are allowed to stay inside the complex until 4 p.m. The dress code for the palace is quite strict. Men must wear long pants and shirt sleeves, while women should wear long skirts or pants, while tank-tops are strictly prohibited. Just outside the palace, there are many stalls that rent clothes to those who show up improperly dressed.
The whole complex is mesmerizing. Consisting of 43 buildings, I was stunned by all of its golden shrines and the gigantic stupas, each meticulously carved down to the tiniest detail.
I certainly did not want to miss the opportunity to see the Emerald Buddha, a tall sculpture carved from a single block of emerald green jade clad in traditional Thai garb that is changed three times a year, depending on the season. Unfortunately no cameras are allowed inside the shrine.
The Emerald Buddha was discovered in 1434 in a stupa in Chiang Rai and remains a venerated site for Thai Buddhists. The complex holding the shrine also serves as the monarchy’s private chapel.
All visitors are asked to take off their shoes before entering the temple where the Emerald Buddha reclines. Thais bowed respectfully before the statue.
Natalie said that, despite Bangkok’s adaptation to and fondness for modern life, most Thais are practicing Buddhists. She said that most young Buddhist men live as monks for a few months once they reach 20 years of age. They live in a temple and eat modestly.
“In the old days, women would refuse to marry men who haven’t lived as monks as they would not be considered adults,” she said.
I left Thailand the next day sure of one thing — despite the country’s Buddhist majority, other religions and faiths are allowed to flourish peacefully. All Thai people seem to share a common respect for the country’s cultural heritage. It is the kind of respect and harmony that seems to be missing here in Indonesia. Maybe someday we can achieve the same state of religious and cultural harmony. Source
However, if you’re looking for a more cultural experience, the country also has a lot to offer with its gorgeous shrines and historical palaces. Most of these landmarks are very well-maintained — evidence that, despite changing times, Thais still hold tight to their cultural heritage and traditions.
Since I never really liked clubs or bars, I was very excited when I was offered the opportunity to visit two of the most important cultural heritage landmarks in Thailand during a brief stay there last January.
Our first destination was Phra Narai Rajanivet or the King Narai Palace, which was built by King Narai the Great who ruled Ayutthaya from 1656 to 1688. Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767.
The palace is located in Muang district, Lopburi province, a charming small town approximately 150 kilometers northeast of Bangkok, about a 2.5 hour-long bus ride. Along the way you’ll get the chance to see many buildings built in both rustic and classical Thai architectural styles.
Lopburi was once considered perfect for trading because it was surrounded by water. King Narai chose to stay in the palace almost year round, except for during the rainy season, when he preferred to return to Ayutthaya.
“At that time, King Narai felt like Ayutthaya was no longer safe as the capital city, so he decided to build a palace here in Lopburi,” Natalie, our tour guide, told us.
Natalie said that King Narai’s kingdom had close friendships with Persia and India, which is reflected in the architecture of many of the palace’s buildings. Some of the buildings have curved, vaunted ceilings, similar to those found in many Persian palaces.
“It is said that, back in the day, this palace was exquisitely beautiful. When the night came, thousands of candles were lit and it looked marvelous,” Natalie said.
Most parts of the palace complex have been reduced to ruins, but some buildings remain intact — including the Chantara Phisan Pavilion that is now used as a museum. It contains an excellent collection of Buddhist manuscripts, palanquins and paintings in memory of King Narai.
“This building was renovated in the 1960s,” said Natalie.
After King Narai’s death in 1688, the palace was abandoned until King Rama IV restored it in 1856.
“You might remember King Rama the IV from the musical ‘The King and I’ or ‘Anna and the King’,” Natalie said.
The next day I decided to join some friends visiting the Grand Palace or Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang, located in the heart of Bangkok. Since it was a nice sunshiny day, we decided to take a tuk-tuk, or an auto-riskshaw.
I was giddy with anticipation because I have heard a lot about the palace. I was hoping it would live up to my expectations.
“You can’t say you’ve been to Bangkok if you don’t take time to see the Grand Palace, it’s truly a masterpiece of art, so breathtaking,” Jun, our tuk-tuk driver, explained in fluent English.
The Grand Palace complex was built in 1782 and the 218,000 square meter complex consists of the royal residence, throne halls and a number of government offices. It is also the home of the Emerald Buddha, one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the world, where Thai Buddhists can be seen praying and paying their daily respects.
Since it was Saturday, the palace grounds were packed and I ran into dozens of Indonesian tourists on the grounds.
To enter the palace, we first had to purchase tickets for 350 baht ($11) per person. Jun had warned me that the ticket booth was only open until 3:30 p.m, but visitors are allowed to stay inside the complex until 4 p.m. The dress code for the palace is quite strict. Men must wear long pants and shirt sleeves, while women should wear long skirts or pants, while tank-tops are strictly prohibited. Just outside the palace, there are many stalls that rent clothes to those who show up improperly dressed.
The whole complex is mesmerizing. Consisting of 43 buildings, I was stunned by all of its golden shrines and the gigantic stupas, each meticulously carved down to the tiniest detail.
I certainly did not want to miss the opportunity to see the Emerald Buddha, a tall sculpture carved from a single block of emerald green jade clad in traditional Thai garb that is changed three times a year, depending on the season. Unfortunately no cameras are allowed inside the shrine.
The Emerald Buddha was discovered in 1434 in a stupa in Chiang Rai and remains a venerated site for Thai Buddhists. The complex holding the shrine also serves as the monarchy’s private chapel.
All visitors are asked to take off their shoes before entering the temple where the Emerald Buddha reclines. Thais bowed respectfully before the statue.
Natalie said that, despite Bangkok’s adaptation to and fondness for modern life, most Thais are practicing Buddhists. She said that most young Buddhist men live as monks for a few months once they reach 20 years of age. They live in a temple and eat modestly.
“In the old days, women would refuse to marry men who haven’t lived as monks as they would not be considered adults,” she said.
I left Thailand the next day sure of one thing — despite the country’s Buddhist majority, other religions and faiths are allowed to flourish peacefully. All Thai people seem to share a common respect for the country’s cultural heritage. It is the kind of respect and harmony that seems to be missing here in Indonesia. Maybe someday we can achieve the same state of religious and cultural harmony. Source
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