32422 5 Location 560707 <p>The Grand Palace&nbsp;is a complex of buildings in Bangkok.&nbsp;It served as the official residence of the king of Thailand from the 18th century to the 20th century.&nbsp; Construction of the palace complex began in 1782.</p><p>The architecture is amazingly rich. Details on top of details. Something one has to see to understand. Unfortunately the beauty of it is lost in photos.</p><p>The ride is not that far from the center, </p><p>Tours to&nbsp;the Palace are about $25 or you can just&nbsp; hop in a cab. Make sure you ask the cab driver to put on the meter. An hr drive comes up to about $1.50. and pay about $8 at the door. Tourist guides are available on the site.</p><p>The Elephant Show&nbsp; is interesting, although I have to say I have mixed feelings towards it. Pretty amazing however it's sad to see these animals confined. The one thing that made it just a tiny bit better was the fact that these elephants were born and raised on the zoo. <br />It was an amazing experience to get to sit on elephants and next to tigers.</p><p>You can get a tour package for 600B, about $18 which will include pick up, tour and show at the zoo as well as a stop at the "largest gem factory in the world". Don't be fooled. As cheap as the Jade stones are and everything else being sold at the factory you'll find it for better prices at the Market.</p> 2007-01-18T08:09:26-08:00 1235222529 2007-01-10T16:00:00-08:00 0 -9223372036854775792 241498 3411089 32422 0 0.111128247239768 2007-01-08T16:00:00-08:00 Published 100.0 It's amazing! 2007-01-18T08:24:05-08:00 86410 0