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Home , Bangkok, Emerald Buddha, Golden Buddha (statue), Grand Palace, Ko Kret, Mongkut

 ROYAL GRAND & TEMPLE

PHO (THE RECLINING BUDHA TEMPLE)

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 WAT TRIMIT (TEMPLE OF THE )

 WAT BENCHAMABNOPHIT (THE MARBLE TEMPLE)

CITY PILLAR SHRINE (SAN LAK MUANG) This is the most famous place that is a must for all tourists. It is a large compound located near in the very heart of Bangkok. The and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha were built after King I ascended the throne as the founder of the Chakri on 6 April 1782 and have undergone several repairs and renovations.

The Grand Palace consists of several buildings with different styles of architecture. Wat Phra Kaeo is renowned as the most beautiful and important in . It houses Phra Kaeo Morakot (the Emerald Buddha), the most highly revered Buddha image carved from a single block of fine . Open Daily : 08.30 - 15.30 hrs.

Admission fee : 350 baht to Wat Phra Kaeo and the Grand Palace Compound. The fee includes entry to the Royal Thai Decorations & Coins Pavilion (in the Grand Palace Compound) and to and Apisek Dusit Throne ().

For taxi : พระบรมมหาราชวังและวัดพระแก้ว

Please Note that; *** Proper dress is required. Women visitors must wear long pants or long skirts. Men in short pants are not allowed to enter the temple. Photography inside the main temple is forbidden. *** Located next to the Grand Palace on the south side, this is the oldest and biggest temple with the largest number of (95 in all) in the city. is well known for its huge , 46 m long and 15 m high. Besides, it was the first open university of Thailand which used to offer courses in several branches of knowledge like literature, archaeology, astrology and medicine. Nowadays Wat Pho is famous among foreign visitors for its Thai Traditional Massage School which offers three kinds of massage services namely, body massage, body massage with herbs and foot massage. The massage service opens daily from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. For learning courses, there are three courses, i.e. general , therapeutic and healing massage and foot massage.

For more information about the massage services and courses, please call 0 2211 2974

Information : Tel. 0 2225 9595 Open Daily : 08:00 to 17:00 hrs.

For taxi : วัดโพธิ์ ถนนเชตุพน ใกล้สนามหลวงและวัดพระแก้ว Wat Pho located on the west bank of the with at its back, it can be reached by boat from Tha Chang Pier near or Tha Tian Pier near Wat Pho. Constructed in the 17th century, it is attractive in its striking prangs (a kind of ) which are decorated with millions of pieces of Chinese porcelain.

Its central , at a height of 82 meters (20-storey building) is the tallest prang of Thailand. Visitors can climb up to a high level to have a good view of the Chao Phraya River and the nearby surroundings. Anyway, the most beautiful view of it is from the east bank of the river at sunset. Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, is one of Bangkok's best know landmark. It stands on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River in Thon Buri. Wat Arun is best seen from the opposite bank of the river; it glistens in the sunlight during the day and stands dark and noble at dawn or dusk. A visit to the beautiful, peaceful monastery complex surrounding the familiar towers is very worth-while. These towers, the "Phra Prang," although best known, the only part of Wat Arun. It also contains narrow lanes; elegant, old white buildings; shrines, pools of turtles

Open Daily : 08:00-17:00 hrs

For taxi : วัดอรุณ ริมแม่น้้าเจ้าพระยา ใกล้หอประชุมกองทัพเรือ History of the Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit Named Phra Sukhothai Traimit, this statue is placed in Wat Traimit near in Bangkok. In the traditional sitting poster, it measures 3.10 m. across the lap from knee to knee and 3.91m. from base to top. A peculiarity of the statue is that it can be taken to 9 pieces. The purity of is 40 % from the base up to the neck, 80 % from the chin to the forehead, and 99 % for the hair and the topknot, weighing 45 kg. It was estimated that the gold Buddha was built in the Sukhothai period (1238-1438). But there are no written records of its origin. Later, Wat Phraya Krai became dilapidated and was ordered closed by King Rama V(1868-1910). And this statue was moved to Wat Traimit. The abbot of the temple then asked other monasteries for a possible transfer. But nobody was interested because of its huge size and plain look. So the abbot decided to keep the statue in his own temple and built a special to house it.

On the eve of its scheduled removal, a heavy rain soaked the stucco covering. In the act of moving, the statue was accidentally dropped and the stucco cracked, revealing the shining gold inside. Nobody knows the true reason for the cover-up of the gold Buddha. It was presumed that the statue was covered up just before the invasion of the Burmese in the mid-18 century, so as to conceal its true value from the enemy.

Open Daily : 08:00-16:00 hrs

For taxi : วัดไตรมิตร วงเวียนโอเดียน เยาวราช or the Marble Temple is one of the most beautiful temples of Thailand. Built by the order of King Rama V in 1899, its was built of white Carara Italian marble. The engineer and architect were Italians namely Carlo Allegri and in that order. Standing in front of the ordination hall, you will enjoy an impressive view of the light-coloured marble building with a graceful multi-tiered roof covered with yellow glazed tiles, and a pair of white marble lions standing guard at its front door. The visit to the temple cannot be ended in a short time for it offers several other things of great interest to tourists. Along the veranda are placed 52 Buddha statues in different postures representing classical styles of Thailand, , and , including two stone images of the Period (7th-11th century).

Opening Hours : 08:00 - 17:00

Location : 69 Rama V Road, Dusit

For taxi : วัดเบญจมบพิตร ถนนศรีอยุธยา เลขที่ 69 พระราม 5 เขตดุสิต Many towns in Thailand have a city pillar shrine (Thai: หลักเมือง Romanized as Lak or Lak Muang), which marks the center of the town. It is considered to be the of the guardian spirit of the town and highly revered by the town’s people. According to an old Thai tradition, a city pillar had to be built upon the establishment of a new city. King had the Bangkok city pillar erected near the Temple of the Emerald Buddha on Sunday, 21 April, 1782, with the city’s horoscope inside. The original pillar was made of cassia wood known as Chaiyaphruek, measuring 75 cm. in diameter and 27 cm. high. In the reign of King Rama IV, the old dilapidated pillar was replaced by a new one made of the same kind of wood, measuring 270 cm. high and standing on a base of 175 cm. wide, sheltered by a Prang-shaped shrine as it appears today. The shrine also houses images of protective deities including Thepharak ( or angle), Chaopho Ho Klong, Phra Suea Mueang, Phra Song Mueang, Chaopho Chetakhup and Phra Kan Si.

Location : at opposite of Royal Grand Palace Open Daily

For taxi: ศาลหลักเมืองกรุงเทพมหานคร  DAMNOENSADUAK

 ROSE GARDEN (THAI VILLAGE SHOW)  TIGER TEMPLE   SNAKE FARM  BOAT TRIP TO KOH KRET) Floating Market at Domnern Saduak, the best program tour for one day trip from Bangkok Thailand is here to see the original floating market; all the people will do their activities in the paddle boat on the . The main transport for local people here is by boat; long-tail boat or paddle boat. Their house was surrounded by the canal, so this makes the charm for all to visit to see their culture the water of lives. The Floating Market is routinely crowded with hundreds of vendors and purchasers floating in their small rowing boats selling and buying agricultural products and local food, which are mostly brought from their own nearby orchards. Therefore, it is a very attractive place for tourists to see this old style and traditional way of selling and buying goods.

Around this area, boat trip services are available for sightseeing along smaller branching off from the Damnoen Saduak canal. Visitors can observe Thai traditional houses and the way they live as well as tasting exotic fruits, local food and refreshing drinks along the waterway. There are bus services to Damnoen Saduak from the Southern Bus Terminal on Borommarat Chachonnani Road starting at 6 a.m. Duration of visit : About 2-3 hrs. Open Early morning daily from 06:00 till noon time.

Most boats will be there up to about mid-morning. Accessibility Recommended to contact tour agent Covering an area of over 20 hectares, it is a beautiful flower garden resort, noted for its scenic riverside landscape. At the resort, there are a Thai cultural village and a restaurant. It also stages cultural shows, Thai Boxing demonstration, folk dances and martial arts at 14.30 every day.

Information : Tel. 0 2295 3261 to 4

Duration of visit : Half day - Full day

Open Daily : 08.00 - 18.00 hrs.

Accessibility By road on Phetkasem Highway about 40 min. drive. Daily coach service from the Southern Bus Terminal (Pin Klao).

For taxi : สวนสามพราน ถนนเพชรเกษม กม. 30 นครปฐม Wat Pa Luangta Bua or generally known as the Tiger Temple becomes another must visit attraction for tourists. Apart from giving a home to the savage beasts like tigers, the monks nurture wild pigs, deer, antelopes, water buffalos, apes and a handful of other animals, so the temple is now recognized as a wildlife sanctuary.

Every afternoon, tigers will be taken to the canyon and tourists can get nose to nose and have photographs taken with them. The wildlife rescue project here was started in 1999 when an orphaned female Indochinese cub was given to the temple. Her mother was killed by poachers and the baby itself was to be stuffed. But, the poor little cub was miraculously survived from the injection of preservative formalin. Though frail and terrified, the animal was cured and recovered. Since then more orphaned and injured tigers have been sent to the temple. The best visiting time is from 12.00 to 15.30 hrs. Getting to the Tiger Temple from Bangkok takes about two and a half hours’ drive. Visitors can catch a bus from Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal.

Duration of Visit : One day trip

Accessibility Recommended to contact tour agents *Note: Please do not wear bright colored clothes, especially and ladies should dress properly.* Just 30 minutes' drive from , this grand tiger zoo, located on an over- 100-acre piece of land, boasts not only over 200 Bengal tigers, 100,000 , and various kinds of animals in the natural atmosphere, but it also offers you many amusing activities and amazing shows. Taking memorable photos with the tiger cub, baby , and various other kinds of animal, Experience the "Crocodile Hatching Festival", the unique event held every day from May to August. First in Thailand! Learn more about elephants by strolling through the “Elephant Museum”

Location : 341 Moo 3, Nongkham, Sriracha, 20110. Tel: +66 (0) 3829 6556 to 8 Fax: +66 (0) 3829 6559

Open Daily : 08:00-18:00 hrs.

Admission fee : Adult 300 Baht, child 150 Baht Located at the corner of Henri Dunant Road and Rama IV Road, the Snake Farm is the second oldest in the world. A foreigner who realized the dangers of snakes’ venom established it in 1923. Since imported serum was no match for serum produced by Thai poisonous snakes, this snake farm was purposely built to extract serum from their venom

At present, the farm is also used for providing knowledge about venom for interested people and medical students, as well as raising non-poisonous snakes, which are beneficial to our ecosystem like the Indochinese rat snake, and the copperhead racer, which is kept for educational purposes. After refurbishing, the Farm now features multimedia facilities that offer exhibitions such as snakes’ life cycle and their evolution. On weekdays, the extraction of venom is demonstrated at 11.00 hrs. To feel a shiver of excitement, let’s watch a daily show between an experienced handler and deadly reptiles at 14.30 hrs. On weekends and extra holidays, the snake handling show is scheduled at 11.00 hrs. Information :Tel. 0 2252 0161 to 4

Open :Weekdays, 08.30-16.30 hrs. Weekends, 09.30-13.00 hrs. Admission fees : Adults 200 baht / Children 50 baht For taxi : สวนงู สภากาชาดไทย มุมถนนอังรีดูนังต์ตัดถนนพระราม 4 ใกล้ ร.พ. จุฬา KOH KRET is home of a Mon community that emigrated from their homeland in Burma more than 300 years ago. The islet is well known as a centre of earthenware production -- the Mons' inherited art, and a market of authentic Mon-style pottery. An exhibit of local pottery and a demonstration of its making can be seen at the Ceramics Centre. Apart from earthenware, here is also a centre of Thai desserts, many of which are of traditional kinds and rare to find elsewhere. Another major attraction of is its ancient temples of the Ayutthaya period (1350 - 1767), e.g. Wat Paramaiyikawat, Wat Klang Kret and Wat Chimplee.

Duration of visit : Half day - Full day Open : Daytime

Accessibility :

1) By boat: Take an express boat from Tha Chang Pier to pier at Sanam Nua Temple. Then take a ferry to Ko Kret. The whole trip takes about an hour.

2) By bus: Take a No. 33 bus at Sanam Luang to Pak Kret and take a boat to the islet.

For taxi : เกาะเกร็ด ท่าน้้าปากเกร็ด  ANCIENT RUINS OF AYUTTHAYA  ANCIENT CITY (MUANG BORAN)  BANG PA-IN SUMMER PALACE  KING RAMA II MEMORIAL PARK  RIVER KWAI BRIDGE & THE WAR CEMETARY  SI SATCHANALAI HISTORICAL PARK  KING ’S PALACE  PIMAI HISTORICAL PARK  PHNOM RUNG & MUANGTAM HISTORICAL PARK Attractions worth visiting in the Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are many, such as Wat Mahathat, Wat Naphramane, Wat Lokayasutharam, Wat Phanan Choeng, Wat Mongkhol Bophit, Wat Phra Sisanphet, Wat Chai Watthanaram and Wat Rat Burana. All of them used to be significant temples in the old days. There are many ways to explore the glorious past of Ayutthaya--by foot, rental bicycles or long-tail boats (to enjoy a riverine perspective).

 Wat Mahathat or rather its ruins, built over 600 years ago. Constructed according to the ancient values that there should be great temples around the grand palace.

Wat Phra Sisanphet is the largest and most significant temple in the Royal Palace’s compound since it was used as the royal temple and palace for several Ayutthaya kings.

Wat Phanan Choeng is a Mahayana temple situated to the Southeast of the Ayutthaya Muang Island. It is presumed to be built before the establishment of the .

Wat Lokayasutharam( where the largest reclining Buddha image (32m long, 8m high) in Ayutthaya, Phra Buddha Saiyat, is enshrined.

Wat Naphramane is the only temple in Ayutthaya that is not destroyed because it used to be the headquarters of the Burmese invaders. Ancient City, it's like you are visiting all the important places in Thailand in one go to see all of the famous buildings, monuments and temples to be found in all parts of Thailand. Ancient City, covering about 320 acres, is the world's largest outdoor museum, and presents about 100 scaled-down replicas of Thailand's historic monuments and works of art. The structures are sited orderly in accordance with their geographical locations from the northern to the southern parts.

Though it takes an entire day to cover the area, it's worth a visit, especially for those who don't have enough time to tour the real places. The outdoor museum is 280 acres and is the same shape as Thailand.

The Ancient City’s Gallery Admission fee for Individuals (Foreigner) Adults 350 Baht/each, Children 150 Baht/each

Private guide in English 1500 Baht (for 2 hours)

Personal Vehicle or Van Entry 300 Baht/each Bicycle Rental (exclude admission fee) Single 50 Baht/each, Duo 100 Baht/each and 150 Baht/each

For enquiry contact : 02-709-1644-8, 02-709-1648 or 02-709-1644

Open Daily : 08:00-17:00 hrs

*The Ancient City allow private car enter and travel in Ancient Siam only an weekend excluding on public holiday. This summer palace was first built in the reign of King (1629- 1656) in the Ayutthaya period. It was frequented by the king and his successors until the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767. Later on, the palace was restored by King Rama IV (1851-1868). But it was not until the reign of King Rama V (1868-1910) that Bang Pa-in Palace was fully developed and took its present shape. During his reign, several magnificent buildings in the Western style were constructed, such as Utthayan Phumisathian and Warophat Phiman Mansions. Also, the two-storey Chinese-style palace, Wehat Chamrun, was built and presented to the King in 1889 by Chinese merchants as a token of the long-lasting brotherly relationship between the Thai and Chinese peoples.

Plenty of lush trees, beautifully arranged gardens and cool breeze made the surroundings ideal for a stroll. But for those who do not want to walk, carts for rent are available. Open Daily : 08.00-15.30 hrs.

For taxi : พระราชวังบางปะอิน อยุธยา King Rama II, posthumously named Buddha Loetla Nabhalai, was the second King of the , the royal dynasty still ruling in Thailand today. He was born on February 24 1767 in Amphawa, next to the temple Wat Amphawan Chetiyaram. To commemorate the place, a park was established at that place adjoining the temple, built on land donated from the temple.

King Rama II Memorial Park & Museum built to honor King Rama II who was Thailand’s “Poet King” the site is believed to be his royal birthplace. The main attraction is a traditional Thai-style teak mansion used as King Rama II Museum to house an exhibition of his works. In addition, there are an outdoor theatre, botanical garden with various species of flowers mentioned in Thai literatures and souvenir shops selling local products and fruits at the parking and riverside areas. Information : Tel. 0 3475 1367 Open Daily : 09.00-18.00 hrs.

For taxi : อุทยาน ร.2 (ติดกับวัดอัมพวันเจติยาราม) อ.อัมพวา จ. สมุทรสงคราม River Kwai Bridge (Death Railway), the tragic Thailand-Burma rail route that claimed the lives of thousands of Allied Prisoners of War (POWs) as well as even greater numbers of civilians forced to work on the project. The 415-km long track traverses steep hills and deep valleys. Part of it is known as the Bridge over the River Kwai.

The Death Railway ran all the way from the Kwai river valley up to the Three Pagadas Pass. Today only the lowest part of the railway to Nan Tok is still in use. In Kanchanaburi city, there is a war museum and a large cemetery of prisoners of war who died during construction of the Death Railway. This War Cemetery is also known as the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. It is located opposite Kanchanaburi's Railway Station on Saengchootoe Road. It contains the remains of 6,982 Australian, Dutch and British war prisoners who lost their lives during the construction of the Death Railway. The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery is the main POW cemetery associated with victims of the 6,982 POWs are buried there, mostly British, Dutch and Australian.

All Americans that died were repatriated. Si Satchanalai Historical Park is located on the bank of the Yom River at Muang Kao, Si Satchanalai county, only 55 km. from the town of Sukhothai. The ancient town, formerly call "Muang Chaliang", was named "Si Satchanalai" during the Phra Ruang Dynasty when a new administrative centre was established to replace Chaliang. This ancient town occupied more than 320 hectares (800 acres) of land. Of this, the 91-hectare (288 acres) area within the old laterite ramparts and the city moat is the focus of sightseeing in the historical park and can be covered on a day trip from Sukhothai.

Si Satchanalai Historical Park is open daily from 08.00-17.00 hours and admission is 40 Baht. Bicycles are provided for rent at 30 Baht a day, and elephant rides around the park are available at 100 Baht per person per 30 minutes. Tram service is also available in the historical park. The King Narai's Palace in was built by King Narai the Great, the king who ruled Ayuthaya from 1656 to 1688. He ordered to build the palace in 1666 in the same area of King Ramesuan's Palace. King Narai stayed here for about 8- 9 months a year, except rainy season. He set Lopburi as the 2nd of Ayutthaya Kingdom thus the palace was the place for relaxation, hunting, administering the country's affairs, and welcoming official visitors. When he died in 1688, Lopburi and the palace were abandoned. Until King (Rama IV) of Rattanakosin ordered the restoration of King Narai's Palace. He built a new throne hall complex (Phiman Monkut Pavilion) for his stay in 1856, the palace Phra Narai Rajanivet. In the King (Rama V) reign, Phiman Mongkut Pavilion, which had been King Mongkut's accommodations, was given to the government to use as the Lopburi City Hall. On October 11th 1924, Prince and Prince Narisara Nuvadtivongs opened the Chantarapisarn Pavilion in King Narai's palace as a museum, calling it the Lopburi Museum. Later, in 1961 the name of the museum was changed to Somdet Phra Narai National Museum. To present, the museum has exhibited more than 1,864 items of the collection of ancient artifacts in different pavilions and buildings of the palace. Prasat Him Phimai which is the largest sandstone sanctuary in Thailand. Its rectangular shape is 655 meters wide and 1,033 meters long. Nowadays, the Sanctuary looks magnificently restored and renovated. This fascinating ancient Khmer architecture has been preserved as the National Historical Park. The monument itself is surrounded with two red sandstone . The external and the gallery are punctuated by gate towers (Gopura) at four cardinal points, North, South, East and West. These buildings built of brick, and sandstone, or a combination of the both materials. The basic structure is built from three to five-story surmounted by Buddhist statues, have a low base and their spires are not so tall. Phimai is the most spectacular and the most important among all.

It was built in the 12th century and some years before Wat. Monsieur H. Parmentier, the Angkorean expert, after a detail study at Phimai came to the conclusion that the temple was built in the reign of King Suriyavoraman (A.D. 1002-1049).

Location : About 60 km from Korat city. From the Highway No. 2, turn right to Road No.206.

Passing a bridge, the Museum is on the left and the Sanctuary on the right. Open Daily : 06:00-18:00 hrs This place is similar to Phimai to be kept well as a Historical Park.

Phimai, Phanom Rung, Muang Tam.

You can feel actually a characteristic of Khmer culture, a common thing of three sanctuaries, so as to take a round of these three sanctuaries. And each sanctuary has an original architecture from using skillfully geographical features, so can guess an imaginative power of .

Location : , about 120 km from Korat city. Go straight the Highway No. 24, and turn right at a sign of Phanom Rung Historical Park. Open Daily : 06:00-16:00 hrs . Muang Tam Historical Park; known as the Lower City of Phanom Rung Historical Park. Various styles of carving on the lintels, pediments are kept very well. Most carvings are a combination of Kleang and Baphuon Styles.

This place is made as a park similar to Phanom Rung. There is a big pond on the side of this park, and main sanctuary has ponds too. We can consider that, when Khmer people made a sanctuary, they made a original characteristic of sanctuary to use the geographical features efficiently.

Location : About 120 km from Korat city, about 8 km from Phanom Rung, .

Open Daily : 09:00-16:00 hrs. www.lebua.com