Grand Palace Bangkok: Ticket, Hours and What to Wear
Go in the morning with THB 500 and covered shoulders and knees, and you will be fine. Ticket sales stop at 3:30 PM, although the grounds stay open until 4:30 PM. That one ticket also covers Wat Phra Kaew and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textile, so you can do all three in one visit.
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Grand Palace ticket prices and opening hours
Go in the morning with THB 500 and covered shoulders and knees, and you will be fine. That is the foreign price for the Grand Palace, and the same ticket also gets you into Wat Phra Kaew and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textile.
The grounds are open from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, but the ticket offices stop selling at 3:30 PM. Treat 3:30 PM as your real deadline.
| What | Time or price |
|---|---|
| Foreign ticket | THB 500 |
| Ticket sales | 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM |
| Open to visitors | 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Audio guide rental | THB 200 |
| Child under 120 cm | free |
Gate or online
If your day is fixed, book online; if it is not, buy at the gate. Both work, and online sales open up to 1 month ahead. An online ticket cannot be refunded, amended or moved to another date or time. Either way, you enter through the Mani Noppharat gate.
Dress code
This is a place of reverence for the Thai people, so dress for it. Sleeveless shirts, vests, short tops and see-through tops are out, and so are short hot pants and short pants. Torn pants, tight pants, bike pants, mini skirts, pants skirts and sleeping suits are ruled out as well.
Closed on ceremony days
On a day with a royal ceremony or an official function, visits are suspended. Those dates sit on the palace schedule calendar and can change, so look at it the day before you go.
What to see at the Grand Palace
You can only admire the Amarin Winitchai, Chakri Maha Prasat and Dusit Maha Prasat halls from outside. Your ticket does open Wat Phra Kaew and the textile museum, which sits in the Ratsadakhorn-bhibhathana Building.
Ordinary tourist cameras are fine, and so is live streaming on social media. Leave the drone at the hotel, because drones may not fly over the palace area. Pets are not allowed inside either.
An audio guide is THB 200 in 8 languages. Renting one needs your passport or a credit card.
Who the Grand Palace suits (and who should skip it)
It suits anyone who can arrive before the 3:30 PM ticket cutoff, and families with little ones, since children under 120 cm go in free. Skip it for that day if shorts or a sleeveless top are all you packed, or if a royal ceremony is on.
How to get to the Grand Palace
Set your map to Na Phra Lan Road, Grand Palace, Phranakorn, Bangkok 10200. Wat Pho is close by, so the routes below serve both.
By MRT, get off at Sanam Chai Station and use Exit 1. By BTS, leave Saphan Taksin Station by Exit 2, walk to Sathorn Pier, and take the orange-flag Chao Phraya Express Boat to Tha Chang. The express boat to Tha Tien is also one of the most popular ways in.
By car, there are several car parks nearby, including Wat Mahathat and Rajadamnern Road. If you take a tuk-tuk, agree the price first, as it can cost more than a taxi unless you bargain.
When to go and how long
Visits run every day, public holidays included, from 08:30 to 16:30. Go early, since ticket sales end at 15:30. No official visit time is published, so set your own pace and keep the 4:30 PM closing in mind.
Nearby and how to combine it
Wat Pho is the natural second stop, about 10 minutes’ walk from the Tha Tien junction. We recommend the palace first and Wat Pho second, since Wat Pho is open daily until 19:30 and palace ticket sales end much earlier. Its own price and times are in Wat Pho tickets and hours, and rail and boat fares are in BTS and MRT fares.
Before you go
Pack your passport or a credit card if you want an audio guide. Dress within the rules, with no sleeveless shirts, vests, short tops, see-through tops or short pants. If you lose something, found items are returned at the information room against proof of identification.
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- Gianni Ciotti
- Amigos Singles
Step by step
- Choose your ticket routeBuy a THB 500 ticket at the entrance gate or online, up to 1 month ahead; online tickets are not refundable.
- Dress for entryCover shoulders and legs: sleeveless tops, short pants, tight and torn pants are not allowed.
- Arrive before ticket sales endTickets are sold until 3:30 PM, and the site stays open until 4:30 PM.
- Enter by the Mani Noppharat gateThe entrance has been the Mani Noppharat gate since 10 January 2024.
Not confirmed: Closure days: the palace stays shut on days with a royal ceremony, and the palace calendar page can change, so check it before you travel. Visit length: no official time is published.
Common questions
How much is the Grand Palace ticket for foreigners?
It costs THB 500 for foreigners. That one ticket also covers Wat Phra Kaew and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textile inside the compound.
What time does the Grand Palace close?
It stays open daily until 4:30 PM, but ticket sales stop at 3:30 PM, so arrive before then. Public holidays are open days too, as the regulation allows visits on them.
Can you wear shorts to the Grand Palace?
No. Short hot pants and short pants are both on the not-allowed list, and so are torn, tight and bike pants and mini skirts.
Can you buy Grand Palace tickets online?
Yes, you can buy online or at the entrance gate. Online sales open up to 1 month before your visit date.
Can you get a refund on an online Grand Palace ticket?
No. An online ticket cannot be refunded, amended or moved to another date or time once bought.
Is the Grand Palace free for children?
Children under 120 cm go in free.
Is there an audio guide at the Grand Palace?
Yes. A personal audio guide rents for THB 200 in 8 languages. To take one out, you need a passport or a credit card.
Is the Grand Palace ever closed on a normal day?
Yes. Visits are suspended on any day with a royal ceremony or an official function, and those dates appear on the calendar of the palace schedule page.
Can you fly a drone at the Grand Palace?
No. Drones may not fly over the Grand Palace area.
Read next
Sources and reader comments
Official legal texts (Gazette, government portals):
- Bureau of the Royal Household: The Grand Palace, Practical Information (royalgrandpalace.th) (opens in a new tab)
- Bureau of the Royal Household: Regulation on visiting the Grand Palace and royal residences, filming, video and photography B.E. 2567 (2024), scanned PDF read as page images (opens in a new tab)
- Bureau of the Royal Household: The Grand Palace, Schedules (royalgrandpalace.th) (opens in a new tab)
- Bureau of the Royal Household: The Grand Palace, FAQ (royalgrandpalace.th) (opens in a new tab)
- Bureau of the Royal Household: The Grand Palace, Attractions (royalgrandpalace.th) (opens in a new tab)
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Company and press pages (not official sources):
Prices, timetables and opening hours change; check with the operator before you travel. See how guides are checked.
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Comments (7)
Wild_Moosey
Google isn’t always correct. I once went to the Grand Palace and people were being turned away before closing time because of an event. As with Google maps you don’t always get the best route.
Adventurous_Honey902
Almost scammed at Grand Palace today The moment I got out of my taxi someone came up to me and told me the Grand Palace was closed for tourists due to a holiday and praying. He started showing me a map of all places that were open and started leading me to a tuk tuk. Red flags were flying in my brain and just started to get away from him. Thankfully I found 2 other English speaking tourists who had the same experience, and I walked in and enjoyed the sights without issue. Be careful of those scammers.
3 replies
PureKoolAid
The only time I’ve even seen it actually closed was after King Rama 9’s death in 2016 for a mourning period.
Nell_mayy
It’s a classic scam. Nothing to worry about. That and fake ‘tickets’. I had a man come out of a bush and tell me he worked at the place I was going to and I had to buy a ticket from him lol. Funny ticket office, a bush.
mastermilian
Don't forget to have a chat with the guy at yje Lucky Buddha Temple? He will send you on a wild ride through the city's jewelry and export centers.
View all 7 comments
Wolf_Fist
The Grand Palace, Bangkok. Foreigners must pay 500 baht, but free for Thai nationals.
Steven_Seagull_747
That 500 baht also gets you transport+entry to a wonderful museum and a gorgeous Khon performance. Cheap, really.