Bangkok (Thailand) – November 2, 2016 – (travelindex.com) – The Grand Palace in Bangkok will reopen to tourists and visitors on November 1, 2016. However, as Thailand is still observing a period of official mourning for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, visitors to the palace should dress appropriately and respectfully.

The Office of the Royal Household and the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Maritime Division of the Ministry of Transport and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, have issued the following advice for tourists wishing to visit the Grand Palace.

Entrance and Exit • The Grand Palace is open to tourists daily from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Tourists and visitors are advised to enter and exit the palace exclusively through the Wiset Chaisri Gate.

Pick-up and drop-off locations for group tours: Three pick-up and drop-off locations are available for tour operators bringing foreign groups to the Grand Palace: 1. Arrival by car: Pick-up and drop-off location is the Royal Rattanakosin Hotel. 2. Arrival by car and boat: Arrival by car, pick-up and drop-off location is the Royal Rattanakosin Hotel; return trip is by boat from Tha Chang Pier. 3. Arrival by boat: Round-trip boat service (maximum capacity: 400 passengers) from Asiatique The Riverfront, access to Tha Maharaj Pier. A surcharge of 130 Baht per person applies.

Coaches can park at the Rama VIII Bridge, at the old southern bus station (approximately 1 km past Central Pinklao), and at Wat Dusidaram (at the foot of the Phra Pinklao Bridge on the Thon Buri side). Passengers in smaller vehicles or private cars should board and disembark at the Chang Rongsi Bridge.

For individuals: 1. Arriving by BTS Skytrain: Get off at Saphan Taksin station and take a boat to Tha Chang Pier or Tha Maharaj Pier. 2. Arriving by MRT Bangkok Metro: Get off at Hua Lamphong station (Bangkok Main Train Station) and take a bus to the Grand Palace.

Tourist Assistance and Support: The Ministry of Tourism, in cooperation with the Tourist Police, has deployed specially trained officers and volunteers, as well as multilingual police officers, to assist tourists. The six officers and volunteers can be found at the Tourist Assistance Tent opposite the Wiset Chaisri Gate from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. They can also be reached by phone at +66 (0) 2642 2767 (Chinese) and +66 (0) 84 651 5549.

The Ministry of Tourism, in cooperation with the Bangkok city administration, has arranged for the installation of signs in English and Chinese for the pick-up and drop-off zones.

The Maritime Authority will deploy tourist attendants at three piers: Tha Chang, Tha Maharaj and Asiatique The Riverfront.

Tourists must show their passports at checkpoints before entering the Grand Palace. It is recommended not to bring too much luggage.

Contact information: International Public Relations Department, Tourism Authority of Thailand Tel.: +66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 4545-48 Fax: +66 (0) 2250 0246 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.tatnews.org