Bangkok's Grand Palace entrance ticket now includes a Live Show

With the 500 Baht (about USD15) entrance ticket to the Grand Palace in Bangkok now includes a Khon performance at the Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre.

Purchased onsite at the Grand Palace, the ticket has until now covered entry to the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha) and Wat Phra Kaew Museum. The Bureau of the Royal Household has added the opportunity to see the Khon performance into the standard entrance ticket price. 

Khon is a Thai traditional dance which combines many arts. There was no exact evidence that dates its provenance, but it is mentioned in Thai literature's Lilit Phra Lo (c. 1529) which was written before the era of King Narai Maharaj.

Historical evidence shows that the Thai art of stage plays must have already been highly evolved by the 17th century. In 1687, Louis XIV of France sent a diplomat Simon de la Loubère to record all that he saw in the Siamese Kingdom. In his famous account Du Royaume de Siam, La Loubère carefully observed the classic 17th century theatre of Siam, including an epic battle scene from a Khon performance. In his report back to the French court he noted: "Most of their masks are hideous, and represent either monstrous Beasts, or kinds of Devils."

There are five performances daily of the 25-minute masked dance drama from Monday to Friday, at 10.30 Hrs., 13.00 Hrs., 14.30 Hrs., 16.00 Hrs., and 17.30 Hrs. A shuttle bus is available to take one-way trip from the Phiman Deves Gate at the Grand Palace to Sala Chalermkrung, leaving 30 minutes before the start of each performance.

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