World Cargo Alliance Annual Conference

Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau

OFFICIAL AIRLINE

Gala Awards Sponsor

Conference Sponsors

More >>

Tour

The Grand Palace & Bangkok’s Hidden City Life

08:00	Meet at Lower Lobby (located at ground floor next to the car park) of Centara Grand Hotel at Central World to board coaches.
08:30	Depart from Centara Grand Hotel for River City Pier to board boats.
09:15	Arrive at River City Pier and take passenger boats to Wat Arun, perhaps better known as the Temple of the Dawn. Wat Arun is one of the best known landmarks and one of the most published images of Bangkok. It is nearly 400 years old, being one of the oldest surviving temples in or near Bangkok. There is a distinctive appearance, with a single tall central tower, or prang, surrounded by four smaller towers. The prangs are not only unique in design, which is a blend of Khmer and Thai styles, but also in decoration. Over the brick core, a layer of plaster was applied and then decorated by seashells and bits of porcelain.
10:15	Depart Wat Arun for Bangkok Noi Canal. The canal flows in a horseshoe shape through the old Bangkok Noi community, which was established in the Ayutthaya, period of King Chai Racha Dhiraj who ruled between 1534 and 1546. On the way, pass fascinating places such as The Royal Barge Museum and the colonial-style Thonburi Railway Station. The boats will pass through some canal side residential areas offering glimpses of Bangkok’s hidden city life.

12:00	Disembark at a riverside hotel for a delicious international buffet lunch in a hotel restaurant overlooking the Chao Phraya River.
13:30	Board the waiting coaches and depart for The Grand Palace and temple of the Emerald Buddha, the place people must visit in Bangkok. The Grand Palace was built in 1782 by King Rama I who established Bangkok as Thailand’s new capital. It used to be the Royal Family’s official residence, but only used for occasional ceremonial purposes nowadays. Within the palace, there are several impressive buildings including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most important representation of the Buddha in Thai Buddhism. The Emerald Buddha is carved from a large piece of green jade. The wall surrounding the temple is painted with murals showing scenes from the Ramakian, the Thai version of the famous Indian epic, Ramayana.

15:30	Depart Grand Palace and return to Centara Grand Hotel.
16:30	Arrive back at Centara Grand Hotal with impressive memories.

USD 125 per person

Very Important (Dress Code)

There is a strict dress code for visiting the Grand Palace. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand's most sacred site. Visitors must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temple. Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves -- no tank tops. If you're wearing sandals or flip-flops you must wear socks (in other words, no bare feet.) Women must be similarly modestly dressed. No see-through clothes, bare shoulders, etc. If you show up at the front gate improperly dressed, there is a booth near the entry that can provide clothes to cover you up properly. You must leave your passport or credit card as security.

Additional Notes

We have tried to make this tour more accessible to everyone by using larger passenger boats which can seat up to 40 people instead of the smaller, more cramped, and noisy long tailed boats which are often used for touring the canals. However, please do note that you will be required to board and disembark the passenger boats several times throughout the tour and those with physical limitations may find the boarding and disembarking of passenger boats cumbersome.