Grand Palace

Khon at Sala Chalermkrung

To kick off October Break 2024, we went to the Khon (โขน) Performance at Sala Chalermkrung (ศาลาเฉลิมกรุง) Royal Theatre. This performance is included in a ticket to the Grand Palace, but only runs on weekdays. The main reason we had not yet been to the Grand Palace was the difficulty of finding a time when we could take in the Khon Performance at the same time.

After confirming that the ticket could be used in any order (i.e. Khon Performance prior to Grand Palace), we purchased our tickets online, only to see a message on our digital tickets that they had to be exchanged for paper tickets at the Grand Palace prior to using them elsewhere. We didn’t have time after school to pick up the tickets prior to the performance, so I went early and got our tickets, even so my family coming from Bangna was a little late to the performance.

No photographs were permitted inside, but the costumes were quite stunning. Making a separate trip for the short performance is not recommended if avoidable.

While in the area, we took a tuk tuk to NAAM 1608, a riverside restaurant.

and took a walk down Yaowarat Rd (ถ. เยาวราช).

The Grand Palace

The next morning we went back to the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace in Bangkok is as much temple as it is palace. Visitors start by walking through the royal temple area. There are paintings the whole way around the courtyard that tell a story.

As well as many ornate buildings, with the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (วัดพระศรีรัตนศาสดาราม) the most prominent among them.

Next visitors get a chance to walk past the front of the Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall (พระที่นั่งจักรีมหาปราสาท).

We wrapped up our visit in the air conditioning of the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles which showcased various outfits of the Queen Mother (photographing the collection was not permitted) and included a high end gift shop. Our kids enjoyed collecting stamps of various traditional Thai textile patterns.