The Grand Palace in Bangkok is divided into three main areas: the outer, the middle, and the inner court. The outer court extends from the Wiset Chai Si Gate to the Phiman Chai Si Gate and houses various royal administrative buildings such as the Bureau of the Royal Household. The middle court stretches from the Phiman Chai Si Gate to the Sanam Ratchakit Gate and is the site of important royal ceremonies such as coronations and celebrations of the king’s accession to the throne. In this area are significant palaces such as the Chakri Maha Prasat and the large Dusit Maha Prasat palace complex with its magnificent throne halls. The inner court is reserved for women and extends from the Sanam Ratchakit Gate to the southern buildings. Here are the private chambers of the royal women, and access for men over 13 years of age is, with the exception of the king, strictly regulated.
