Because we wanted to get the most out of our stay at the the word wanted to get out, we only visited the most important tourist destinations of Bangkok. However, at 36°C it was much too warm for longer and more extensive visits.
Cheap transportation option in Bangkok
The cheapest transportation option from our hotel to the different temples is the passenger boats on the Chao Phraya River. There are the express boats (30 THB/person) or tourist boats with a guide (information via loudspeaker) and the standard boats (15 THB/person), which stop at each station. However, we didn't notice much of the flood disaster here on the river. Although it carried a lot of flotsam with it, the water level was no longer exceptionally high. Incidentally, the same speed limits apply to boats here as we have noticed in the rest of Southeast Asia – maximum engine speed!
Wat Arun
Our first destination was the Wat Arun temple complex. The Temple of Dawn is a Buddhist temple on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River. The whole complex was really well preserved and restored - one of the best temples we have visited in Asia so far. The focal point is the Phra Prang, a tower decorated with colorful porcelain and shells. We climbed a very steep staircase to the fourth level of the Prang. Stone statues of warriors are placed next to the stairs to protect the complex.
Wat Phra Chetuphon - Temple of the Reclining Buddha
After a short crossing by boat, we reached Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho for short) on the opposite side of the river. For tourists, this Buddhist temple is more commonly known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This 46 meter long and 15 meter high gilded Buddha statue is the main attraction of the complex. We also visited several smaller buildings and courtyards here. However, after about 20 minutes we had nothing new to discover here and we took the boat back to the hotel.
Royal Palace in Bangkok
For the next day we took on the extensive complex (2.6 km²) of the old royal palace on the east bank of the Chao Phraya. First of all, the relatively expensive entrance fee of 400 THB (approx. 9.70 EUR) shocked us. But we found the facility to be very well maintained and cared for.
The Grand Palace was the official residence of the kings of Siam (modern-day Thailand) in Bangkok from the late 18th century to the mid-20th century. We visited several courtyards with a wide variety of buildings, which we could not enter, with a few exceptions. We also looked at some museums on the site. But these are unspectacular!
