There's no better place to begin our Bangkok tour than the incomparable Grand Palace, a fantasy of gold and glitter that absolutely knocks your socks off. It's a square mile complex of buildings begun in 1782 as a royal residence and Wat Phra Kaew, home to the Emerald Buddha, Thailand's' most sacred image.
The Grand Palace adjoins Wat Phra Kaew in a common compound, and is where you will end up after exiting Wat Phra Kaew. Despite the proximity of the two, there's a distinct contrast in style between the very Thai Wat Phra Kaew and the more European inspired designs of the Grand Palace (the roof being the exception). The Grand Palace is nowadays used only for occasional ceremonial purposes and is no longer the royal residence.
Wat Pho - this large and extensive temple neighbours the Grand Palace enclave contains a gigantic gold plated Reclining Buddha some 46 meters long and 15 meters high with inlaid mother of pearl soles. The temple is also regarded as the first center of public education and is sometimes called Thailand's first university. 
Not far from Grand Palace across the river, it’s Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). It's the star of many a "visit Thailand" poster. Perhaps a better known symbol of Bangkok than the Grand Palace. Like the bell shaped chedi, the central Prang represents Mount Meru, home of the gods. The four smaller prangs symbolize the four winds. High up on the four smaller towers, you can see a statue of Pai, god of the winds, on his horse.
Afterwards we headed to Bangkok's vibrant Chinatown for dinner. Like most of other China Town I visited, a huge ceremonial Chinese gate unmistakably marks the entrance of Chinatown. Lined with many gold shops, seafood restaurants and food stalls serving shark fin and bird nest soup became the highlight of the day.
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