See Bangkok page 1 for a more general description of Thailand and Bangkok in particular.

If India has the Taj Mahal and Beijing has the Forbidden City, then the quintessential Thai tourist stop is the Grand Palace complex (official website), which was among the first construction projects when the new capital was moved to Bangkok in 1782. Four walls each 1.2 miles long surround the enormous complex of 100 buildings, which was built by King Rama I as both his residence and an administrative complex.

The Grand Palace and Wat Pra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) are part of a section of old Bangkok where a visitor could easily spend a day or two and not have covered the sites (or sights?). I'll cover just what you get for the $5 at the Grand Palace complex. For those two days, plan on wearing close-toed shoes, long pants, and covering your shoulders, else you may be forced to shell out a few more bhat to rent appropriate dress at the gate.

The upper terrace contains several religious buildings close together, including statues, the Golden Chedi (shown), the Royal Pantheon, and even a curious miniature model of Ankor Wat. A chedi, or stupa in other Buddhist countries, typically holds a Buddha relic; theft of the relic is among the more serious crimes in many Buddhist societies. All are well-maintained and covered in a baroque assortment of gold, jewels, shiny mosiacs, or at least bright paint.

Wat Pra Kaew (Temple of the Jewel Holy Image) is among the holiest sites in Thailand, and accordingly photography is not permitted inside. The building is a giant temple of soaring ceilings covered in every square foot with prostrating believers. While many temples contain the largest Buddha that could possibly fit inside, this enormous wat features a tiny green-jade Buddha barely 2 feet tall perched on an altar high over worshippers' heads. The "emerald" buddha's suit of clothes is changed by the King at each of Thailand's three seasons: summer, rainy season, and winter.

The small statue is quite mysterious and has a long history, on which the Lonely Planet history and the official history disagree. So don't take my word on any of this. Probably carved in the 12th or 13th century, the figure was discovered in a stupa in Chiang Rai in 1434 covered in plaster and gold leaf. The plaster chipped off after a storm damaged the stupa, and a monk noticed the emerald-like carving underneath. The image spent time in various cities depending on the local king's preference. In the 1550s, either through marriage (official history) or through invasion (Lonely Planet), the Buddha was moved to Luang Prabang, where it stayed until King Rama I captured the Lao capital at Vientiane and brought the statue to the new capital at Bangkok four years later. Where it goes from here is anybody's choice.