Grand
Palace: To help tourists enjoy their tour of
the Grand Palace, a Personal Audio Guide can be rented
at 100 Baht for two hours. Discs are available in seven
languages-English, French, German, Spanish, Russian,
Japanese and Mandarin.
Did
You Know?... His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej
the Great was born on December 5, 1927 to Prince Mahidol
of Songkhla and Mom Sangwan. His Majesty is the ninth
King of the Chakri Dynasty and the longest-reigning
monarch in the history of Thailand.
WARNING:
Penalties for possession, distribution or manufacture
of drugs are severe and can include the death penalty.
Sanam
Luang: On the southeast corner is the City Pillar
Shrine or San Lak Muang placed there by King Rama I
as the foundation stone for the new capital of Bangkok.
Wat
Pho: The temple is also regarded as the first
center of public education and is sometimes called Thailand's
first university.
Wat
Benchamabophit: Also called the Marble Temple,
is a fine example of modern Thai wat architecture.
Did You Know?... In restaurants (not noodle shops
or local cafes) 7% VAT is added to the bill. An additional
service charge of around 10% is also added in places
like hotels and more sophisticated restaurants.
Giant
Swing: The towering Giant Swing is in front of
Wat Suthat on Bamrung Muang Road. Till the 1930s, it
was used in an annual Brahminnical festival that celebrated
the coming of the Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu to the
temple. Teams of devotees would swing in reassuringly
higher in an attempt to grab a bag of money with their
teeth. The Giant Swing today serves simply as a memorial
to an old Bangkok custom.
Did
You Know?... The full name of Bangkok is the
longest place name in the world and recorded in the
Guinness book of records, Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon
Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat
Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon
Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.
City
of Angels: Bangkok or Krung Thep which means
the City of Angels, was constructed in 1782. Presently,
Bangkok has approximately 10 million population and
it is considered one of the biggest city in the world.
Wat
Arun (Temple of Dawn): This famous Chao Phraya
riverbank landmark diagonally opposite the Grand Palace,
is best known for a porcelain encrusted 79 meter central
pagoda (phra prang) which sparkles in the sun. The temple
can be reached either by Arun Amarin Road or by boat
from Tha Tien Pier near Wat Pho.
Did
You Know?... In koh Samui the palm tree is a
measure of how high a new construction can be built
on the island? By Law tourists
are expected to carry their original passports at all
times in Thailand.
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