It’s the gold that gets to you. There’s so much of it and on a sunny day it’s almost blinding.
Entering the gates of the Grand Palace complex in crazy, colourful, feisty, noisy, smoggy, intriguing, hot-wired Bangkok, should be to enter an oasis of calm. But as the number one tourist destination in Thailand, of course it’s nothing of the sort. And yet, and yet, if you choose your time (ie first thing in the morning, last thing in the afternoon, on a non-public day and off season, it is possible. I visited some years ago in hot, humid late March, at the end of the high season. There were lots of tourists milling about, being herded from place to place, but it was still posible to find a few quieter nooks away from the main sites.
Pimanchaisri door gate within Grand Palace Bangkok Thailand – by ScorpianPK
The architecture is gloriously OTT, all intricate detailing, pointy curliques, delicate windows and shiny surfaces. I loved every inch of it. Continue reading
