Five historic palaces to explore around Bangkok

The beating heart of royal Bangkok – and still unlike anywhere else in the city. Built when King Rama I founded Rattanakosin, the Grand Palace housed Thai kings for generations. Although no longer a full-time royal residence, it still hosts major state ceremonies and remains one of Thailand’s most-visited landmarks, with good reason.

Step inside and the first thing that hits you is the sheer amount of gold, with roofs and spires catching the light in every direction. Glazed tiles, mirrored mosaics and intricate details cover the buildings. The complex is divided into outer, middle and inner courts, with highlights including Wat Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat, Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat and the Phra Maha Monthien group.

Don’t skip Wat Phra Kaew itself. Its Rattanakosin-era craftsmanship is extraordinary, from gilded chedis and coloured glasswork to a spectacular ordination hall. Around the cloisters runs the Ramakien mural, a continuous painted retelling of Thailand’s version of the Ramayana and one of the world’s longest and most complete murals of its kind. Ancient stone sculptures from several countries dot the grounds, making the complex feel less a single attraction than an archive of Thai heritage.

Phra Borommaharatchawang Subdistrict, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok. Daily, 8.30am-3.30pm. Free for Thai nationals; B500 for non-Thai visitors.

A century-old palace hides in plain sight within the Bank of Thailand’s riverside grounds, unknown even to many Bangkokians. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) commissioned Bang Khun Phrom Palace as a residence for Prince Paribatra Sukhumbandhu, and it is often ranked among Thailand’s most beautiful palaces.

The building is a time capsule of late-19th-century European design, confidently blending Baroque and Rococo influences. Ornate stucco, arched windows, marble staircases, carved wooden doors and elaborately decorated ceilings fill the interiors. The grand staircase starts broad and narrows as it rises, echoing Europe’s great palaces and theatres, while the circular, European-style Music Pavilion once hosted performances at royal receptions.

Following the political changes of the 1930s, the palace served as government offices before the Bank of Thailand moved in in 1945 and eventually turned it into the Bank of Thailand Museum. Guided tours cover the palace’s history, life within its walls and the development of Thailand’s monetary system – an unusual meeting of grand architecture and financial history.

Thanon Samsen, Wat Sam Phraya, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok. Saturdays and Sundays only, by advance booking. Two sessions: 10.30am and 2.30pm. Free entry.

You may have driven along Thanon Ratchawithi and spotted a pointed spire rising above the trees without knowing what it belongs to. That is Phaya Thai Palace, where European grandeur meets leafy garden charm.

Construction began under Rama V before the palace was extensively remodelled under Rama VI. It has since served as a royal residence, hotel and, later, part of Phramongkutklao Hospital. Its defining landmark is Phiman Chakri Throne Hall and its tower, while the Roman Garden convincingly evokes a European courtyard. After exploring, stop for coffee at Café Norasingh, set inside a characterful  historic building and well suited to lingering over the view.

Thanon Ratchawithi, Thung Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok. Saturdays and Sundays only. Two sessions: 9am-11am and 1.30pm-3pm.

This Rama V-era palace comprises two main buildings: Chitralada Hall, originally built as a residence for King Vajiravudh (Rama VI), and Paruskavan Hall, home to Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanadh. Chitralada Hall now houses the Royal Thai Police Museum, while Paruskavan Hall is used by the National Intelligence Agency.

The main draw is the route through Chitralada Hall, where floor arrows lead visitors room by room around an Italian villa-style building that blends Art Nouveau, Baroque and Rococo influences. Guides stationed throughout explain the palace’s history and each space. Pause in the former dining hall: after the 1932 revolution, the People’s Party used it as a meeting place, earning it the nickname ‘Thailand's first government house’.

Continue to the Police Museum for uniforms, equipment and historical documents tracing the development of Thai policing, alongside  reconstructions of past cases and displays on different areas of police work. A visit is more than a wander through an old palace – it is a compact lesson in Thai political and social history.

Thanon Si Ayutthaya, Dusit, Bangkok. Tuesday to Friday, 10am-4pm. Free entry.

Suan Sunantha Palace is now best known as the home of Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, but it was once an inner royal residence, with halls and living quarters for female members of the royal family.

Sai Sudthanophadol Hall has been preserved as a museum documenting the daily lives of women at the royal court through clothing, personal belongings, handicrafts and household objects. Downstairs displays everyday items, clothes and the kitchen; upstairs recreates the private living quarters including a bedroom, bathroom, reception room and sitting room, offering a close-up look at court life.

This is said to be the birthplace of nam phrik long ruea (literally ‘chilli paste that sailed the boat’), a dish credited to Chao Chom Sadap during the reign of Rama V. She reportedly transformed leftover kitchen ingredients into a dish fit for the King during a river outing, creating an enduring royal-court classic.

Suan Sunantha Palace is also remembered as a centre for training young noblewomen. The phrase sao chao wang (‘palace girl’) became shorthand for a distinctly Thai grace and refinement. The museum’s clothes, objects and old photographs evoke the elegance and the discipline of daily palace life.

Thanon U Thong Nok, Dusit, Bangkok. Monday to Friday, 9am-3.30pm. Free entry.