The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum)
The Grand Palace's artifact museum in the old Royal Mint, with the Emerald Buddha's spare seasonal robes. Closed for renovation since August 2024.
Plan your visit
Dress Modestly
Cover shoulders and knees at all temples. Carry a light scarf or sarong — some temples lend wraps, but not all. Shoes come off before entering any building with a Buddha image.
Finding your way around The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum)
Layouts, fares and hours change. If something here has moved, use “Suggest a correction” at the bottom of the page.
Where the museum fits in a Grand Palace visit
- This museum
- The palace's artifact collection in the old Royal Mint, across from the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall. Closed for renovation since 5 August 2024, with no reopening date announced.
- Wat Phra Kaew
- Where the Emerald Buddha actually is, high above the altar of the ordination hall, wearing the robe for the current season.
- The Grand Palace
- The ฿500 ticket, sold at the gate from 08:30 to 15:30, covers the temple, the palace buildings open to visitors and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles.
Details
Full opening hours
Tours that include The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum)
Guided visits and day-tour combos that include The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum).
Why go, and how to do it well
The Emerald Buddha itself sits in the ordination hall of Wat Phra Kaew, a few minutes' walk away inside the same palace walls. This museum holds what surrounds it. It's the Grand Palace's store of pieces removed from the temple and the palace during restorations and of offerings made to the image, in a two-story building across from the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall that was built as the Royal Mint and opened as a museum in 1982, for Bangkok's bicentenary.
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn set it up during the restoration for that anniversary, to keep the roof finials, colored glass and other pieces that couldn't go back up. The ground floor has those architectural pieces and stone figures from the Ramakien carved under Rama III. Upstairs are two models of the Grand Palace, under Rama I and under Rama V, the Manangasila stone throne, palanquins, Buddha images presented to the Emerald Buddha, and the seasonal robes the image isn't wearing. The King changes its gold robes three times a year.
It's closed for now. The Bureau of the Royal Household shut the museum for renovation on 5 August 2024 and says it will announce the reopening date later, and the Grand Palace's own site still carries that notice. Until then, the only robe you can see is the one on the Emerald Buddha.
When it reopens, it's inside the paid grounds, so the ฿500 Grand Palace ticket is how you reach it, and the palace lists no separate fee. The grounds open daily from 08:30 to 16:30 with tickets sold until 15:30, children under 120 cm go in free, and the palace dress code applies, shoulders and knees covered.
Written by Mac Kiley · Updated Oct 2026
Stay within reach of The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum)
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Tours that include The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum)
Guided visits and day-tour combos that include The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum).
Around here, on foot
Well-rated places within a short walk of The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum), nearest first. Minutes are at an easy pace in the heat.
- 1 minBureau of the Royal HouseholdTemples & Culture · 70 m · 4.3★
- 1 minDusit Maha Prasat Throne HallTemples & Culture · 100 m · 4.9★
- 2 minRoyal Hall of Piman RattayaTemples & Culture · 140 m · 4.6★
- 2 minChakri Maha Prasat Throne HallTemples & Culture · 160 m · 4.6★
- 2 minThe Grand PalaceTemples & Culture · 200 m · 4.6★
- 3 minArt Centre, Silpakorn UniversityTemples & Culture · 210 m · 4.7★
Experience hints
Pair your visit. After The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum), round out your day in Bangkok with contrasting stops nearby.
The Grand Palace, พิพิธภัณฑ์วัดพระศรีรัตนศาสดาราม Na Phra Lan Rd, Khwaeng Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand
Open in Google MapsMore temples & culture nearby
All within a 2-minute walk of The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum).
Bureau of the Royal Household
Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall
Royal Hall of Piman Rattaya
Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall
Tips for Visiting Temples & Culture
Mind Your Feet
Never point your feet at a Buddha image or a monk — it's considered deeply disrespectful. When sitting inside a temple, tuck your feet behind you or to the side.
Ask Before Photographing
Exterior photos are almost always fine, but some interior halls prohibit photography. Look for signs, and never pose irreverently with Buddha images — it's a legal offense in Thailand.
Go Early Morning
Big-name temples are dramatically less crowded in the first hour after opening. You'll also avoid the worst of the midday heat and get softer light for photos.
The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum): Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Emerald Buddha kept in the Emerald Buddha Temple Museum?
No. The Emerald Buddha is in the ordination hall of Wat Phra Kaew. The museum holds the robes it isn't wearing, Buddha images offered to it, and pieces removed from the temple and the palace during restorations.
Is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha Museum open?
Not at the moment. The Bureau of the Royal Household closed it for renovation on 5 August 2024 and hasn't announced a reopening date. Wat Phra Kaew and the rest of the Grand Palace are open daily from 08:30, apart from ceremony days.
Does the Grand Palace ticket include the Emerald Buddha Temple Museum?
The museum is inside the palace grounds and the palace lists no separate fee, so the ฿500 Grand Palace ticket is what gets you there once it reopens. Today that ticket covers Wat Phra Kaew, the palace buildings open to visitors and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles.
Where can I see the Emerald Buddha's costumes?
On the Emerald Buddha itself, which wears one of three gold robes, for the hot, rainy and cool seasons, changed by the King. The two not in use were displayed in this museum, which is closed for renovation.
Is The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum) worth visiting?
The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum) holds a 4.6★ rating from 186 Google reviews, placing it among the highest-rated temples & culture in Bangkok.
When is the best time to visit The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum)?
The best months to visit Bangkok are November – February, with the most reliable weather. Crowds peak in December & January — going early in the day usually means fewer people. Months to think twice about: April – May (peak heat).
Where is The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum) located?
The Temple of The Emerald Buddha Museum (Wat Phra Keo Museum) is at The Grand Palace, พิพิธภัณฑ์วัดพระศรีรัตนศาสดาราม Na Phra Lan Rd, Khwaeng Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand, in Bangkok. Getting around Bangkok: BTS Skytrain (most central areas); MRT Metro (underground).
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