The Dusit Zoo is located  in Bangkok's Dusit District next to the Parliament House and Wat Ben. The zoo was originally built by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) as his private garden called "Khao Din Park" adjacent to the royal palace. After the King Rama Vs death the garden was left unattended for years.  In 1938, King Rama VIII gave the park to Bangkok City Municipality to be open as a public zoo and he also donated deer and a number of other animals from the palace for public exhibition. 

Dusit Zoo is a total area of 188, 800 square meters, and has approximately 2.5 million visitors annually. Dusit Zoo is home to a wide variety of the worlds animals, ranging from monkeys, alligators, kangaroos, and zebras, to penguins, elephants, camels, and giraffes. There are several rides and amusement facilities to entertain children throughout the day.  There is also small boats for rent to pedal around the sizable lake in the center of the zoo.  My favorite exhibit was the large aviary located on Bird Island, where many birds are allowed to roam freely in a large fenced in area that visitors allowed to enter.

​Wat Yannawa is an older Bangkok Buddhist temple dating back to the Ayutthaya period.  The temple is located along the Chao Phraya River in the Sathon district of Bangkok on Charoen Krung Road, Bangkok, Thailand.  The Temple is located very close to the Saphan Taksin Bridge, making it easily accessible from the Bangkok Commuter Trains.  The temple has a unique boat shaped temple which surrounds the temple's chedi. The boat is the shape of a Chinese junk, which was  disappearing from use at the time of construction, during the reign of  King Rama III.  King Rama III wanted save the Chinese Junk style for posterity. 

​Klong Sansab is a canal that runs through the heart of Bangkok (Klong is the Thai word for canal). The canal is used for a taxi boat service which runs between Bangkok's old town area and Bang Kapi districts in Bangkok. Getting on the boat taxi is not easy for the newby to the water taxis, for they have plastic sheet on the sides to protect the riders from getting splashed by the klong (canal) water and the boat is of course moving in the water. Once on the boat, you often have to stand as it can be quite full. Also, be aware that the entire roof of the boat can lower without warning to allow the boat to fit under the fast approaching bridge. This happens only at high tide.  Getting off the boat seems a bit easier because I had a chance to watch some of the practiced riders disembark on previous stops.  I suggest you do the same. 

Wat Khun Chan is located across Klong Dan from Wat Paknam in the Chanburi side of Bangkok.  The main features of the Temple are large statues of Buddha along with images from the Ramakien.   Wat Khun Chan is also one of the temples frequented by long tail boat tours of the river and klongs of Bangkok.

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Wat Paknam, also called Wat Bang Nam, is located in Thon Buri just outside Bangkok and across the river. The temple is quite a place to visit if you have time. The temple is home to a huge monastary, providing Buddhist Teachings to many of the local Thais as well as home to many Buddist Monks.  The temple is located along Klong Dan, which in part, attributes to the temple name.  This temple is home to a huge Chedi which can be seen from many places in Thomburi.  The Chedi is home to a large crystal chedi as well as home to a Buddhist Museum, which are on display for all to see. 

Wat Paknam is on the klong tours in the Bangkok Area.

Wat Bang Nam is also home to an awesome turtle garden, full of turtles of many sizes and shapes. 

Wat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawiharn is a first class royal monastery which has existed since the Ayutthaya period. The Temple's original name was Wat Chom Thong and King Rama II renamed it to Wat Ratcha Orot, which means the temple was renovated by Ratcha Orot or "the King's son" who was later crowned King Rama III.

The story of the Temple's renovation is auspicious and begins when King Rama II's son was a prince preparing for war with Burmese in Kanchanaburi Province. On the march to war, the Army neared the temple and stayed there overnight. The Prince officiated a religious ceremony called the Brahmin's Ceremony, a blessing to warriors who are going to war. 

During his stay at the Temple the prince was told by the Temple's Abbot he had foreseen an auspicious outcome to the campaign and that the Prince will win the war and come back safely. The Prince promised that, if he had victory in the war, he would come back to renovate the temple and following the victory, he ordered the entire temple restored.
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The Prince favored the Chinese style art and had the artisans renovating the Temple combine Thai and Chinese architectural and artistic work for the temple's restoration.  The combination of styles can be seen throughout the temple grounds.  

There are 9 Royal Temples in Bangkok, each dedicated to a King in the Chakri Dynasty (to whom the current King is from).  There is a tradition in Thailand to visit these Temples during the Songkhran period (Thai New Year) all in one day.  This is suppose to give good luck for the upcoming year.  At the bottom of this post there is a Google Map showing the locations of each of the 9 Royal Temples.   Also, each of the Temples below has links to an expanded description of each of the temples.  

Seven of the 9 temples are found within the "Oldtown" Area of Bangkok (the area surrounding the Grand Palace). That is a good starting point to start your adventure of finding the 9 royal Temples. Wat Ratcha Orasaram is located on the Chomburi side of the Chao Phraya River and Wat Param Kao is located off of Rama IX Road. 

​Use the "Thailand Destination Direction Guide" to help you navigate to your desired destination.

Follow the "Explore Thailand" link to easily explore Thailand Travel Explorer Blog's. 

Follow the "Explore Thailand" link to easily explore Thailand Travel Explorer Blog's.