National Museum
            On Thanon Na Phra That, on the West side of Sanam Luang, the National Museum is the largest museum in South-east Asia and an excellent place to learn something about Thai art.  The Museum, founded in 1874 by King Rama V, is housed in the Palace of Wang Na, originally home to the Second King and part of the Grand Palace.  The visit starts with a useful introduction to Thai history.

Note the black-stone inscription from Sukhothai, the oldest-known record of the Thai alphabet.  Two large modern buildings house the main collection of pre-Thailand Thai sculpture, as well as pieces from elsewhere in Asia.  An important exhibit in the southern wing is one of the earliest images of the Buddha from Gandhara in India, clearly influenced by classical Greek sculpture.  A garage in a nearby building houses the collection of magnificent royal funeral.

Wat Phra Kaeo
Wat Phra kaeo ; in the official name Wat Phra Si Rattanasatsadaram of The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, adjoins the Grand Palace on common ground, which was consecrated in 1782, the first year of Bangkok rule.  The 945,000 square-metre compound encompasses over 100 buildings that represent 200 years of royal history and architectural experimentation.  Most of the architecture can be classified as Bangkok or Rattanakosin style.
Wat Phra Kaeo is the holiest of all Thai temples, and the small green-jade statue of the Buddha, high on its golden altar in the Chapel Royal, is the most sacred Buddha image in Thailand.  When the statue was first found in 1434, it was covered in stucco.  Years later, the stucco started to crumble away and several miracles occurred, giving the Buddha a reputation for bringing good fortune.  Today, thousands of worshippers pay their respects in front of the statue.  The late Ayutthaya-style murals on the surrounding walls depict the lives of Buddha, and the superb door panels with mother-of-pearl inlay illustrate scenes from the Ramakian, the golden outer walls and gilded angles reflect the sun, while bells along the roof-line give voice to the wind.
             On the upper terrace, next to the Chapel Royal, are three other very sacred buildings: the Royal Pantheon, surrounded by gilded make and female kinnari, half-human-half bird figures, which holds the Tripitaka, the sacred Buddhist scriptures; and the impressive golden Phra Si Rattana Chedi which houses ashes of Buddha.  The nearby model of Cambodia's Angkor Wat is a reminder that Cambodia was once under Thai rule.  The whole ground is enclosed by galleries decorated with superb murals depicting the Ramakian.

Royal Barges Museum
            The Royal Barges are fantastically ornamented boats used in ceremonial processions on the river.  The largest is fifty metres long and requires a rowing crew of fifty, plus seven umbrella bearers, two helmsmen, two navigators, a flagman, a rhythm-keeper and chanter.  The barges are kept in sheds on the Thon Buri side of the Chao Phraya River.  They are on Khlong Bangkok Noi, near the Phra Pin Klao Bridge.  Suphannahong, the king's personal barge, is the most important of the boats.  One of the best times to see the fleet in action on the river is during the royal Kathin ceremony at the end of Phansa, the Buddhist rains retreat ending with an October to November new moon, when new robes are offered to the monastic contingent.

Wat Arun
            The Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun is named after the Indian god of dawn, Aruna.  It appears in all the tourist brochures and is located on the Thon Buri side of the Chao Phraya River.  King Tak Sin chose this 17th century Wat for his royal temple and palace as it was the first place in Thon Buri to catch the morning light.  The Emerald Buddha was housed here, before being moved to Wat Phra Kaeo in 1785.  Even without the sacred statue, Wat Arun continued to be much revered, and the King Rama II and Rama III reconstructed and enlarged it to its present height of 104 metres.  Today, Wat Arun has a long, elongated, Khmer-style, prang, the tower, and four minor towers symbolising Mount Meru, the terrestrial representation of the thirty-three heavens.  The Prang are covered with pieces of porcelain, which Chinese boats coming to Bangkok used as ballast.

Wat Pho
Wat Pho or Wat phra Chetuphon , the oldest and largest wat in Bangkok, was built in the 16th century during the Ayutthaya period and then almost completely rebuilt in 1781 by King Rama I.  It features the largest reclining Buddha and the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand and was the earliest centre for public education.
            Thanon Chetuphon divides the grounds in two, with each section surrounded by huge whitewashed walls.  The most interesting part is the northern compound, which includes a very large Bot, the hall enclosed by a gallery of Buddha images and four Vihan; four large Chedis commemorating the first three Chakri Kings (Rama III has two chedis); 91 smaller Chedis, an old Tripitaka (Buddhist scriptures) library; a sermon hall; the large Vihan, which houses the reclining Buddha, and a school building for classes in Abhidhama (Buddhist philosophy), plus several less important structures.