The Grand Palace: Bangkok's Best-Known Landmark
The Grand Palace is the most famous sight in Bangkok. It was built in 1782, the year Bangkok became the capital, and it stands on Rattanakosin island in the old city, near the Chao Phraya River. Inside its walls is Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
This guide covers the opening hours, the ticket, what to wear, how to get there and what to see nearby.
Essential Visitor Information
Opening Hours and Tickets
A common mistake is to confuse closing time with the last ticket sale. The grounds stay open until 16:30, but the ticket office stops selling at 15:30. If you arrive after 15:30, you cannot enter.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Open | Daily, 08:30–16:30 |
| Tickets sold | 08:30–15:30 only |
| Foreign visitors | 500 THB |
| Thai nationals | Free with Thai ID |
| Children | Free under 120 cm |
| Ticket includes | Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew, Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles |
| Address | Na Phra Lan Road, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok |
All prices and hours in this guide were checked in September 2026 and can change. Confirm them on the official Grand Palace website or with each temple or boat operator before you go.
Keep your ticket after you enter. You need it again at the textile museum.
Dress Code
The Grand Palace has the strictest dress code of Bangkok's main temples. To enter, your shoulders, upper arms and knees must be covered.
Not allowed:
- Sleeveless shirts, tank tops and crop tops
- Shorts and three-quarter-length trousers
- Short skirts
- Ripped jeans
- Leggings
- Tight or see-through clothing
A safe choice:
- A shirt or blouse with sleeves that cover the upper arms
- Long, loose trousers or a long skirt that covers the knees
If you arrive in the wrong clothes, you can borrow cover-up clothing at the entrance against a refundable deposit of about 200 THB per item.
Clothes that meet the Grand Palace rules also meet the rules at Wat Pho and Wat Arun, so you can visit all three on the same day without changing.
What to See Inside
Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
Wat Phra Kaew is the most important part of the complex. The Emerald Buddha is kept in the ordination hall, and for Thai people this is a place of worship, not only a sight. Photography is not allowed inside the ordination hall, so take your pictures outside, then put your camera or phone away before you step in, and keep your voice low.
After the temple, continue through the palace courtyards and past the royal halls, following the signs and the instructions of the staff.
Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles
This museum is easy to overlook, even though the palace ticket includes it. It is inside the palace grounds, in the Ratsadakorn-bhibhathana Building, and it is dedicated to Thai textiles.
- Open daily 09:00–16:30, last admission 15:30.
- Free with your Grand Palace ticket: show it at the museum desk.
- Museum-only ticket: 150 THB for adults, 80 THB for seniors aged 65 and over, 50 THB for students and children aged 12–18, and free for children under 12.
Tips for Your Visit
Go Early
Be at the gate soon after it opens at 08:30. The morning is cooler and quieter. If you can only come in the afternoon, arrive well before 15:30 and visit the textile museum first, because its last admission is also 15:30. Most of the visit is outdoors, so carry water and save indoor stops for the midday heat.
Avoid the "Closed Today" Trick
A friendly stranger outside the walls may tell you that the palace is closed today and offer a tuk-tuk tour instead. Ignore this and walk to the official entrance to check for yourself. Buy tickets only at the official ticket office.
Carry Small Cash
The temple ticket counters and the river ferry to Wat Arun take cash, so bring small notes and coins.
Getting to the Grand Palace
By MRT
The nearest station is Sanam Chai on the MRT Blue Line. Take Exit 1 and walk about 10–15 minutes to the palace entrance.
By River Boat
Take the BTS to Saphan Taksin station and use Exit 2 to reach Sathorn pier. From there:
- The orange flag express boat costs 18 THB for any distance. Sources disagree on which days it runs, so check the day's schedule at the pier.
- The blue flag Chao Phraya Tourist Boat costs about 40 THB per ride, or about 150 THB for a one-day hop-on hop-off pass. It runs roughly 08:30–19:40, about every 30 minutes, between Sathorn and Phra Athit.
Get off at Tha Chang (N9), the pier for the Grand Palace. Not every boat stops at every pier, so ask at Sathorn pier which boat stops at Tha Chang at your time of day.
By Private Car with Smile Taxi Service
A private car suits families, older travellers and groups, or anyone who wants to add several sights to the same day.
If you are arriving by air, a fixed-fare transfer takes you to your hotel first. From Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok, the fare is 600 THB by sedan, 800 THB by SUV and 1,100 THB by van:
- Book a sedan from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok
- Book an SUV from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok
- Book a van from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok
From Don Mueang Airport to Bangkok, the fare is 600 THB by sedan, 800 THB by SUV and 1,000 THB by van:
- Book a sedan from Don Mueang Airport to Bangkok
- Book an SUV from Don Mueang Airport to Bangkok
- Book a van from Don Mueang Airport to Bangkok
For a full day of sightseeing, the Bangkok Tour gives you a car and driver for up to 10 hours: 2,700 THB by sedan, 3,000 THB by SUV, 3,700 THB by van and 4,000 THB by VIP van. The driver takes you from sight to sight at your own pace. A pickup in another province costs 500 THB extra. See the Smile Taxi Service tours and day trips page.
Good to know before you book:
- Fares are fixed and per vehicle, not per person. Expressway tolls are included, and there is no meter.
- A sedan takes up to 3 passengers with 2 bags, an SUV up to 5 with 4 bags, and a van up to 7 with 5 bags.
- Airport pickups include 60 minutes of free waiting, counted from the actual landing time.
- A child seat costs 100 THB extra, on request. Ask for it when you book.
- Pickups or drop-offs on the Thonburi side, west of the Chao Phraya, cost 100–200 THB extra.
- You pay the driver in cash (THB) at the end of the trip. If you can only pay by card, message the team and you will receive a PayPal payment link; a 5% fee is added.
- Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup. After that, a cancellation or change costs 25% (less than 24 h), 35% (less than 12 h) or 50% (less than 2 h) of the price, and a no-show 100%, also when you pay the driver in cash (details).
- Not every driver speaks English. You can request an English-speaking driver when booking, subject to availability.
For a trip from your hotel to the palace only, there is no fixed fare: message the team on WhatsApp or on LINE for a quote. All fixed routes and fares are on the Smile Taxi Service fare list.
Nearby Sights
- Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha): home of the 46 m reclining Buddha, with Thai massage available on site. Entry is 300 THB for foreign visitors, and it is open daily from 08:00 into the early evening. A 30-minute Thai massage costs 340 THB. The nearest pier is Tha Tien (N8).
- Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn): across the river from Wat Pho. Take the cross-river ferry from Tha Tien: 5.5 THB per person one way, cash only, about every 10 minutes between roughly 05:00 and 19:00, and the crossing is short. Entry is 200 THB for foreign visitors; it is open 08:00–18:00, with last entry at about 17:30. You can climb only to the lower terrace of the central prang.
- Bangkok National Museum: about 900 m on foot from Tha Chang pier. Entry is 240 THB for foreign visitors. It opens Wednesday to Sunday and is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
A good order for one day: the Grand Palace and the textile museum in the morning, Wat Pho around midday, and the ferry to Wat Arun in the afternoon, before 17:30. From 29 October 2026 to 28 February 2027, Wat Pho and Wat Arun are also venues of the Bangkok Art Biennale, so expect contemporary art in the temple grounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the Grand Palace close? The grounds close at 16:30, but tickets are sold only until 15:30.
What does the 500 THB ticket include? Entry to the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha) and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles.
What if I arrive in shorts? You can borrow cover-up clothing at the entrance against a refundable deposit of about 200 THB per item.
Can I take photos? Photography is not allowed inside the ordination hall of the Emerald Buddha. Elsewhere, follow the signs and the staff.
How do I get there from the airport? Take a fixed-fare transfer to your hotel first (from 600 THB by sedan from either airport), then go by MRT to Sanam Chai, by river boat to Tha Chang, or book a full-day Bangkok Tour with a driver.
To book an airport transfer or a Bangkok Tour for your palace day, message Smile Taxi Service on WhatsApp or LINE.