From Chongqing, we flew to Bangkok. We spend three days in Bangkok and three days in Phuket. Both cities were great to visit with a lot of tourist attractions.
Our first visit in Bangkok was to the Mahanakhon SkyWalk. It is Thailand’s highest observation deck, featuring a thrilling 310-meter glass tray floor and 360-degree panoramic views of Bangkok.
On our second day, we started with a visit to the Grand Palace of Bangkok. We started by visiting the Temple of Emerald Buddha. The Emerald Buddha (Phra Kaew Morakot) is a sacred 66-centimeter statue carved from a single piece of green jade or jasper, housed in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) within the Grand Palace in Bangkok. This statue is from 15th century AD.
The Grand Palace in Bangkok was built in 1782 by King Rama I when he moved the capital of Siam to the banks of the Chao Phraya River. King Rama I reused bricks salvaged from the ruins of the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, which had been destroyed by the Burmese in 1767. Following the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, the complex transitioned into a national landmark, museum, and venue for grand royal ceremonies.
Our next visit was to Wat Pho, where we saw the reclining Buddha. King Rama I (1788–1801), founder of the Chakri dynasty ordered a major reconstruction of the temple, renaming it Wat Pho and housing Buddha images rescued from ruined temples across the country. King Rama III (1824–1851), undertook a massive 16-year renovation that added the iconic gold-plated Reclining Buddha statue and transformed the complex into a public center of learning.
Our third visit of the day was to Wat Arun, which also houses a statue of Buddha. Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) is an ancient Buddhist temple in Bangkok, named after the Hindu dawn god Aruna. It remained a quiet, modest place of worship for local residents for decades.
On our third day, we started with a visit to Lumphini Park. The park is quite amazing, especially the various “friendship” buildings. We saw a number of Monitors too.
Our next visit was to the Jim Thompson House / Museum. The Jim Thompson House Museum in Bangkok, is a cultural landmark celebrating the former home of American entrepreneur James H.W. Thompson, who famously revived the Thai silk industry.
We flew from Bangkok to Phuket. Our first visit was to the “Big Buddha” which is situated on top of a massive hill. The Big Buddha is a massive 45-meter-tall white marble landmark on Nakkerd Hill that was built between 2002 and 2014 using public donations. Local monks and community leaders conceived the project on Nakkerd Hill, a site of local spiritual significance and panoramic views. And the views of the southern cape from top of the hill were spectacular.
On our second day, we took a guided tour of Ao Phang Nga National Park. The tour started with a 90 minutes bus ride, followed by 45 minutes of boat ride. The tour included a lovely canoe ride through some beautiful caves.
The entire trip to Bangkok and Phuket was really interesting, especially to see the history of Buddha.
