CNN recently ranked world's most visited palaces and castles. And here we go, the Grand Palace in Bangkok is ranked number 3 after the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Louvre in Paris. No. 3 Grand Palace, Bangkok Annual Visitors: 8,000,000

Royal offices are still used within the Grand Palace, and state visits and royal ceremonies like the Royal Birthday Anniversary of the current King Bhumibol Adulyadej are held there each year. This was also the official residence of Thai kings from 1782 to 1925 and counts numerous buildings, halls and pavilions set around open lawns and manicured gardens.

The palace's Temple of the Emerald Buddha is considered one of the most sacred sites in Thailand. Its Buddha was carved from a single block of jade, and his garments, made of pure gold, are changed in a royal ceremony three times a year to reflect the Thai seasons.

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