Open Hours

Does anyone please know the open hours of Wat Phra Kaeo, Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Vimanmek Mansion Palace? I got information of discrepency on various web sites... Thanks a lot!

Open Hours

The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo are in the same compound. Wat Pho is next door, and Vimanmek is in Dusit district.

Grand Palace I believe is open 8.30-3.30. Others I am not sure.

Open Hours

Thank you very much Dragonc for the prompt response. I noticed you are located in Bangkok and believe you know your city very well;-) I have been reading various forums on-line regarding travel in Bangkok and learned that it is difficult to get an honest taxi driver at the Grand Palace when one heads to the next destination. Is it true at all? Also do you know the web site of Bangkok airport? I would like to check the timetable of Airport Express Bus service.

If you are worried about taxis - and it is valid - better to join a guided tour that will take you to all three places. The good thing is that at least with the guided tour you will receive detailed explanation of the Grand Palace and the Wat. It also means you don%26#39;t have to worry about taxis causing problems and taking you down lanes you don%26#39;t know. The hotel you stay at should have a tour desk or contact number so you can make bookings.

Have a great time in Thailand!

many thanks Aceozski for your advice. shall check with my hotel front desk accordingly.

Another question please (sorry for having so many questions;-) I heard the rumour that the Suan Lum Night Barzaar will be closed shortly. Is it true? If yes, then when? Any suggestion will be greatly appreciated

It%26#39;s not a rumour: Suan Lum%26#39;s lease ran out a long time ago, the property owner wants to develop it and a court has ordered it vacated by the end of March. Whether that actually occurs on schedule is a matter of conjecture.

There%26#39;s no problem taking taxis. Just don%26#39;t take one standing outside a tourist sight or hotel, but rather wave one down on the street, and don%26#39;t agree to any flat rates, ever. And don%26#39;t take tutktuks, ever.

Guided tours arranged by the hotel desk can be more problematic. The tour guides typically drag you to restaurants, shops, boutiques and jewelry factories because this is how they make their money. They get a commission for each person they drag in. I have it on good authority that the guides have to pay the tour company for the priviledge of giving the tour, so this is their only way of making a living. You may end up seeing more commercial establishments than temples. I think it%26#39;s best to go on your own, and cope with the taxi drivers and scamsters.

By the way, depending on where your hotel is, you may not need to take a taxi to the Grand Palace. Take the BTS/Skytrain to Saphan Taksin and then the Chao Phraya Express Boat to Tha Chang. The Grand Palace is right behind the pier.

Ignore anyone who tries to tell you any tourist sight is ';closed for a special ceremony'; or something, or otherwise pops up with helpful unsolicited advice. This is part of a well-known scam.

Guided tours depend on which operator you select. Not every operator is corrupt as bill2p makes operators out to be. I have not been on a tour which took me to additional shops and restaurants and it is simple to just decline advising you are on a tight schedule or need to meet someone right after the tour. The place I booked my tour was in the Indra Regent hotel in the hotel itself. As Grand palace %26amp; wat is 1/2 day tour you should not encounter problem with restaurant/shops so long as you select 1/2 day tour.

Enjoy Thailand!

I don%26#39;t ';make tour guides out to be'; anything. Personally, I don%26#39;t like guided tours. The only temple tour I ever took in Bangkok, years ago, ended at a jewelry factory. However, the info I got was from someone who himself works in the tourist industry, after a woman complained that half her tour consisted of visits to commercial establishments. According to what he said, what I described in my earlier post is standard practise in the group tour business in Bangkok, especially those tours booked out of hotel lobbies. Of course an individual tour guide, not affiliated with a hotel or tour company, would probably not be doing this. But the concierge is getting a cut for sure. I still think you%26#39;re best off going on your own, and taxis are not a problem.

You don%26#39;t need a guide to see the GRand Palace or Wat Pho. You can take the public river bus (Chao Phra Express) from any riverside pier to Tha Chang (pier) next to the Grand Palace. If you want to take a taxi from there maybe take a walk to the end of Sanam Luang (the big open green area) and try there. Make sure he has the meter on (35 baht). If he won%26#39;t turn it on, get out and take another one = they are everywhere!

Airport website:

鈥irportthai.co.th/airportnew/sun/index.asp

Like bill2p%26#39;s experience with guided tours I have the same experience with taxis. As I don%26#39;t look like a local they speak in English and try to rip me off. Little do they know I speak Thai and understand what they%26#39;re doing and know the roads around Thailand. If you know your way around then you can tell where they%26#39;re going and when you%26#39;re about to get ripped off. From Central Chitlom to World trade the taxi driver wanted THB 300 and from Suan Luang to World Trade another wanted THB 500. You can imagine their suprise when I spoke Thai and started giving directions! The price dropped back to around THB 30 and THB 80 respectively!

As I don%26#39;t know the poster%26#39;s preference and if you%26#39;re a beginner visitor to another country, guided tours tend to be your best bet because you know you will definitely get there and get back and if something happens in between you can always wait on the bus and you know you won%26#39;t get lost or miss major parts of the attractions.

The tours I have been on in Bangkok have not been all out agressive to sell things or visit certain restaurants/dining establishments. This includes tours to Ayutthaya/Bang Pa In/River cruise, Floating market, Pattaya, James Bond Island, Hua Hin, etc etc. They have never taken us to a specific store to purchase goods - if we stopped by a market we were left to freely roam around and it was specified in the itinerary. There are good and not so good tour operators in every country. To just quote one side doesn%26#39;t give a balanced view unless you are quoting solely as your own experience.