We started our day very early. We were on our way after a fantastic buffet breakfast by 7:30 am. Our first mode of transportation was a local Choa Phraya Express Boat that took us to the dock nearest the Grand Palace. Travel by river is a great way to view the city.

The Royal Grand Palace was built in 1782 after the King Rama I (1782-1809) moved the capital city from one side of the Chao Phraya River (the main river in Thailand) to the other. He “encouraged” a Chinese community to vacate the riverfront property he wanted for his palace. They moved and he built a sprawling complex over 218,000 sq meters. The grounds were both residential and administrative in focus. It was difficult to focus on the larger site because there were so many buildings, Stupa and statues. Everything was beautifully decorated and it was impossible to ignore the detailed craftsmanship.

The Royal family don’t live there anymore and it is largely a tourist attraction except for the ceremonial aspects that continue to occur. For example, The former queen’s body has been lying in state since she died in November 2025. They are preparing the funeral pyre site outside the palace for her cremation sometime this year. As a result we were not able to go into one of the main buildings. There was enough to see outside. I should mention that it was 34C today with 60% humidity which made us very thirsty. Road Scholar provided us with insulated water bottles and our guide was good at keeping us in the shade and finding filtered water fountains to keep us refuelled. The glare of sun on stone and the crowds added to our discomfort, however, the beauty of the site kept us going.

There were many buildings in the complex One of them housed the Emerald Buddha. This is the most important relic in Thailand. It was found in 1434 in Chiang Rai and has a remarkable history of changing owners and locations. Rama I brought it to Bangkok in 1782 and it remains on display in the Chapel Royal. It is the spiritual protector of Thailand and a symbol of national unity. There was a huge crowd at the complex today because of Chinese New Year and they all wanted to see the Buddha at the same time. The crowd was intense. We took off our shoes and crammed our way through the mob to briefly glance at the statue. The chapel was beautifully decorated and the Buddha was placed high above the ground. We were not allowed to photograph the Buddha within the chapel. I was able to use my telephoto lens to take a picture from outside the chapel. The crowd reminded us of our experience of the Taj Mahal in India. It was an intense mob experience but we survived.

We left the Grand Palace and set out for our next stop via tuk tuks. These vehicles were like high powered golf carts with passengers in back instead of clubs. The ride was fast and wild as the tuk tuk driver wove in and out of the jammed traffic.

We came to a screeching halt at Wat Pho, the shrine of the Reclining Buddha. This gold-plated Buddha is 45 m long and 15 m high. Its feet are inscribed with mother of peals symbols. It commemorates the historical Buddha’s passing into Nirvana. The crowds were less intense at this shrine and we were able to get a good look. The temple complex is also the original site where Thai Massage was created.

One of the lessons we have learned is that the traffic in Bangkok is unmanageable. We were to take a van to our next stop – lunch. it took almost 30 minutes for our drivers to get to us after our guide called for pick up. Lunch was delicious spring rolls, chicken soup and Pad Thai. We learned that Pad Tai was invented in the 1930’s to combat poverty. Rice flour was an economical source of food the noodles were combined with spices, vegetables and whatever protein was available. It worked and pad Thai continues to be a meal that sustains you.

Our return to the hotel was significant as we were primed to get back in the pool. It was so refreshing after a day of standing on stone paths in the baking sun. We ate like kings at our welcome banquet and called it a night to ensure we had time to pack for our relocation flight tomorrow.