BKK: Grand Palace

Post-travel read-up: There are some good and some bad. Good point, you get to recall what you see and it was a total enlightenment! Bad point, you might missed a lot of nooks and crooks that were deemed unimportant but is actually the opposite.

As I was updating my photolog, I did a lot of Google maps and Wikipedia and cross reference with the photos I took. It was indeed an enlightenment!

According to Wikipedia...

The largest and most important court is the Middle Court or or the Khet Phra Racha Than Chan Klang (เขตพระราชฐานชั้นกลาง) is situated in the central part of the Grand Palace, where the most important residential and state buildings are located. The court is considered the main part of the Grand Palace and is fronted by the Amornwithi Road, which cuts right across from east to west. The court is further divided into three groups of 'Throne halls' (Phra Thinang; พระที่นั่ง, literally 'royal seat') and one Siwalai Garden quarter.

Honestly...

I still don't get the whole lay out.

LMAO!

However, I came across something interesting. I'm not sure if it's entirely true. But I'm particularly impressed with this paragraph.

The incongruous make up between the Western lower half and Thai roof has been compared with: a Farang (Western) lady clothed in Victorian costume while wearing a Thai crown. The symbolism of this juxtaposition was the emphasis of the superiority of Thai architecture (as a crown upon the head) over those of the West (the lower half of the body). This stylistic innovation was more than an artistic coincidence, as it was suppose to convey a significant political message of Siamese resistance over Western imperialism, both of sovereignty and style. Another perspective of this combination is the view that the building itself epitomizes the internal political struggle between the ideas of Westernization and modernity (lead by King Rama V) against those of the traditional ruling elites (as lead by some of his early ministers).

Amazing King 'aye?

Photolog Grand Palace