Wat Phra Kaew

Wat Phra Kaew

Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram  or Wat Phra Kaew is an important temple of Thailand where the Emerald Buddha is placed. There are no monks here. It opens everyday 8.00-16.00. There are some crafts for sale and Au Bon Pain café in front of the temple if you are hungry (they sell drinks and snacks inside -you must try a mango shake). You will see many gates to the temple, but most are closed, so you have to look for one which a lot of tourists and people stand near (this is the main gate).  Once you pass the main gate, there will be staff checking for inappropriate dress. You will see a place lending you appropriate dress for free, but you have to pay a deposit (200-300 baht). Then you will see 2 entrances that separate between Thais (free) and foreigner (500 baht). You must purchase a ticket to the right of the foreigners entrance a few meters before it. After you pass this entrance, you will see Ho Phra Monthien Tham (the Supplementary Library) where there is a collection of sacred books; Suwan Chedi, 12 angles pagoda, which has monkeys and giants carrying it; and Phra Sri Rattana Chedi, which is a bell- shaped pagoda. Outside the pagoda is a gold color and inside the pagoda contains Buddha's relics. Prasart Phra Debidorn, which has the top in the design of a pagoda, is purple in color and looks overall very delicate.

Wat Phra Kaew

Wat Phra Kaew

After finishing a tour, if you would like to go Wat Pho, you can walk there. It is walking distance. Ask people who sell thing around there or people who walk around about the direction and DO NOT believe or listen to people in front of temple trying to sell expensive tour packages or being nice to you even though taxis and Tuk Tuks are parked there. It is scam and they are in the same gang. For tourists who would like to go Wat Arun, Wat Arun is opposite Wat Pho. You have to cross by taking a ferry from Tha Tien Pier N8. Tha Tien Pier is down the soi right beside Wat Pho. The fare is only 3 baht per person; try to pay with exact change. Most tourists pay with big bills and they do not get any change back. For tourists who do not want to go anywhere after finishing the tour at Wat Phra Kaew, you should grab a taxi on the road. Most taxi driver will try to charge you at least 1000 baht to get out of that area even though just go to Siam Square (for this destination only 185 baht or less). Make sure you get a taxi that turns on the meter!

IMPORTANT: Plan about direction of destination before you travel in this area. There are lots of scams.