Foreigners are charged a fee to enter and locals bring gold to worship Buddha. Monks do the early morning ritual of face washing of Buddha statue which brings many visitors. Interesting experience.
To enter you need to have the Archaeological Pass or buy the ticket. The grounds are very big and it takes a long walk from the gate to the palace. I roamed through smaller buildings on my way which was nice. The Palace could use some restoration, the place seems a bit abandoned and left as it was.