A Day on the River

We had a much-needed long weekend with last Friday off. It's a new holiday - the birthday of HM the new king!

I didn't end up going out of town for the holiday, since I just traveled to Koh Chang a couple of weeks ago. Instead, Pinky and I headed out to Bangkok's Old Town for a day to explore the part of the city along the river where we don't often get to go.

Chaophraya River

It's actually a lot quicker to take a taxi to the old town from my apartment, but we went the long way - traveling down the "River of Kings" by boat is way more fun!

Along the way, the ancient "orange flag" river bus chugged past Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn, freshly restored and looking great in white.

Wat Arun

It was a hot day, but there was a nice breeze on the river.

Wat Rakhang

We ended up at Tha Maharaj Pier around lunchtime, grabbed a bite to eat and a coffee, and headed off on foot past the Grand Palace to our destination- the Bangkok National Museum.

a nice day on the river at Tha Maharaj Pier

The National Museum is located just behind the Grand Palace on the grounds of what was once the "Front Palace". Long ago, in the early decades of the Bangkok Kingdom, the King of Siam would appoint an "Uparaja", or "Second King" to serve as his viceroy and heir.

Chapel at the Front Palace

The seat of the Uparaja was the Front Palace. This changed in the late 19th century with reform to the rules of succession, and the Front Palace was eventually converted into the Bangkok National Museum.

Inside the National Museum

The museum is home to an impressive collection of Thai and Southeast Asian art and artifacts, as well as artifacts and historical buildings from the Front Palace.

one of the many pieces in the collection

It ended up being a really good day to visit the museum; even though it was a weekend, it wasn't too crowded and we got the chance to take our time appreciating the exhibits.

khon masks

All in all, I really enjoyed the long weekend. Now we are back to work and in the midst of midterm exams. Fortunately, there will be another holiday for Mother's Day coming up in the next few weeks!

large collection of ancient art