Blog Post Example - 10 Famous Temples to Visit in Bangkok!
James Kaewanan
The majestic towers of Wat Arun stands tall over Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River
Bangkok is a culturally vibrant city home to over 400 temples, both large and small. It’s no surprise that over 90% of the population practices Buddhism, so in order to truly experience the rich religious culture of Bangkok, you’ll obviously need to visit some of these famous temples yourself.
You might’ve already heard of some famous temples to visit in Bangkok like Wat Phra Kaew or Wat Pho, while I did include these locations in the article, there is just so much more to explore and discover in Bangkok, So I included some famous temples amongst locals that some foreigners might not know about.
Let’s get to exploring!
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Things to Know Before Visiting a Temple in Bangkok
The Marble Temple is truly ethereal in its apperance
Remember, remember, remember. Remember to respect the cultural differences and traditions of foreign countries, especially when you are visiting some the famous temples in this list. And with that there are some things that you’ll need to know before you even step foot into a scared place of worship in Bangkok.
“Wat” mean Temples in Thai.
Foreigners will have to pay more for entrance fees. I’m sorry my fellow foreign friends, I don’t agree with this practice but sadly it’s just how it is since Thailand’s main source of income is from tourism.
Take your shoes off before entering the temples. Socks are fine, some places even offer you flip flops. This is because your shoes often bring dirt which can turn the temple grounds dirty.
Learn to Wai. A “Wai” is a gesture you do when you greet or thank someone. To do a Wai, place your palms together and close to your upper chest. As you say your greeting or thanks, gently and slightly bow down while performing the Wai. Wai to elders, monks, teachers, etc…
Taking Buddha images out of the country is illegal. This includes: statues, bracelets with a Buddha image, necklaces with a tiny encased Buddha, and even just pictures or posters of Buddha.
Dress modestly when visiting a temple. For women, ensure that your shoulders and legs are covered by wearing either long pants or a long skirt. This also applies to men, no tank tops.
If you are interested to learn more about what things to know when visiting Bangkok, I wrote this handy article with 50 things to know before visiting Bangkok
Right, with that out of the way, here are some famous temples to visit in Bangkok.
Wat Arun
Wat Arun at sunset on a clear sunny day is a sight to behold
Rating: ★★★★★ | 4.6/5 (33,000+ Reviews)
Opening Hours: 8:00PM - 6:00PM | Mon - Sun
Entrance Fee: Thai Visitors: Free | Non-Thai Visitors: 100 THB
Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn, is a prominent landmark and Buddhist temple located on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River. The exact origins of the temple are unclear, but it is believed to have been built during the Ayutthaya period in the 17th century. Wat Arun is on of the most famous temples you can find in Bangkok.
Originally named Wat Makok, the temple underwent significant expansions and renovations over the centuries, earning its present name, Wat Arun, in the early 19th century. Wat Arun is dedicated to the Hindu God Aruna, often associated with the rising sun. You can see where the name “Temple of Dawn” comes from.
The temple’s famous “Prang” tower design symbolizes Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Hindu cosmology, with the center prang tower and it’s surrounding towers symbolizing Mount Meru’s peaks.
At the base of the central prang, you’ll find the Ordination Hall, where important religious ceremonies take place. If you visit the hall you'll find that it is beautifully decorated with ornate designs and architecture, inside the hall is also where you'll find a Buddha image.
Wat Phra Kaew
Probably the most famous of the Bangkok temples, sitting right next to the Grand Palace
Rating: ★★★★★ | 4.7 /5 (29,000 + Reviews)
Opening Hours: 8:30AM - 3:30PM | Mon - Sun
Entrance Fee: Thai Visitors: Free | Non-Thai Visitors: 500 THB
Wat Phra Kaew is famously known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and it’s a highly revered and significant temple located right within the grounds of the Grand Palace, which is another famous attraction in Bangkok that is a must visit.
The main highlight of Wat Phra Kaew is of course, the Emerald Buddha, a small statue carved from a single block of pure jade. The Emerald Buddha is considered the palladium (protective image) of Thailand and is greatly revered by Thai people. While exact origins are unknown, the statue is believed to have originated from India or Sri Lanka and has been in the hands of many before it finally arrived at its current resting place.
The main prayer hall is called the Ubosot. The walls of the Ubosot are covered with beautiful murals depicting scenes from Thai mythology and the life of the Buddha. Adjacent to the Ubosot, you’ll find the Phra Mondop, a sacred repository that houses important Buddhist scriptures and texts.
Since Wat Arun, Wat Phra Kaew, and the Grand Palace are all pretty much next to each other, I recommend you spend a day just visiting these three places. This Bangkok Day Tour Package
Wat Pho
Stand next the the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho to feel incredibly small
Rating: ★★★★★ | 4.6 /5 (28,000+ Reviews)
Opening Hours: 8:00AM - 6:30PM | Mon - Sun
Entrance Fee: Thai Visitors: Free | Non-Thai Visitors: 200 THB (free for children under 120cm)
Wat Pho is another famous temple to visit covering a vast area of 80,000 square meters and houses numerous buildings, chapels, stupas, and gardens. It is one of the oldest and largest temples in Bangkok and is renowned for its stunning architecture and scale. Not to mention that it’s the birth place of the Thai massage, and of course, the world famous Reclining Buddha statue.
As the birthplace of the famous traditional Thai massage, Wat Pho houses the Wat Pho Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School, where you can experience the traditional healing techniques and therapeutic massages performed by skilled therapists. If you are curious here are the prices for the massages:
Thai Massage 30 Minutes 260 THB
Thai Massage 60 Minutes 420 THB
Foot Massage 30 Minutes 280 THB
Foot Massage 60 Minutes 420 THB
Right, also we cannot forget about the gold-plated reclining Buddha statue that measures 46 meters long and 15 meters high. It’s one of the largest reclining Buddha images in Thailand.
If you don’t intend of visiting the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew Emerald Buddha Combo, visiting Wat Pho and Wat Arun is also similarly grand experience. This Walking Tour
Wat Saket
Wat Saket’s design is quite unique in how it represents a mountain
Rating: ★★★★★ | 4.7/5 (3,500+ Reviews)
Opening Hours: 7:00AM - 7:00PM | Mon - Sun
Entrance Fee: Thai Visitors: Free | Non-Thai Visitors: 50 THB
Wat Saket is known as the Golden Mount or Phu Khao Thong, it’s a Buddhist temple located in the historic area of Bangkok, Thailand. Its history dates back to the Ayutthaya period where the temple was initially built to house a Buddha relic brought from India. Over the years, it underwent several renovations. Nowadays, the temple serves various religious ceremonial purposes.
The most prominent feature of Wat Saket is the Golden Mount, a man-made hill with a gleaming gold chedi at its peak. The chedi is approximately 80 meters tall and provides a stunning view of the surrounding area from its observation deck.
To reach the top, you'll need to climb a series of steps that wind around the hill, passing by various Buddha images, bells, and prayer flags along the way.
For the ultimate afternoon trip, this Wat Saket TukTuk Tour Thip Samai Mont Nom Sod
Wat Traimit
No, you can’t steal the solid gold Buddha that is housed here
Rating: ★★★★★ | 4.6/5 (18,500+ Reviews)
Opening Hours: 8:00AM - 5:00PM | Mon - Sun
Entrance Fee: Thai Visitors: Free | Non-Thai Visitors: 40 THB (museum is additional 100 THB)
Wat Traimit is a temple famous for housing one of the world’s largest solid golden Buddha statues. The statue has an interesting history, being discovered by accident in the 1950s when a plaster-covered Buddha image was accidentally dropped during a temple relocation. The plaster cracked, revealing the shining 13th century gold Buddha beneath.
The Golden Buddha statue stands at a height of approximately 5.5 meters and weighs about 5.5 tons. It is made entirely of solid gold and is estimated to be worth millions of dollars. The statue is in a seated position, known as the Subduing Mara posture, with its right hand resting on the knee and the left hand resting on the lap.
Adjacent to Wat Traimit, there is a museum dedicated to the Golden Buddha. The museum provides historical and cultural insights into the statue’s discovery, as well as exhibits displaying other Buddha images and artifacts.
Wat Mahabut Mae Nak Phra Khanong
If you are dipping your toes into Thai horror and folklore, Wat Mahabut is a good place to start
Rating: ★★★★★ | 4.6/5 (5,500+ Reviews)
Opening Hours: 7:30AM - 5:30PM | Mon - Sun
Entrance Fee: Thai Visitors: Free | Non-Thai Visitors: Free
Wat Mahabut is an interesting one on this list. Wat Mahabut is very infamous amongst locals, due to the fact that this temple is linked to the most famous ghost story in all of Thailand. The legend of Mae Nak.
The endearing story of Mae Nak is one of love and tragedy, a quick summary of the story:
During the 19th century Mae Nak and her husband, Mak, was living happily together in the village, at the time Mae Nak was pregant and was expecting her baby soon. Mak was unfortunately drafted into the army around the same time.
Upon Mak’s return he noticed that all the villagers were acting strange around him. Little did he know that Mae Nak passed away during childbirth while Mak was away at war. Mak did not realize that his beloved wife was actually a ghost who has been haunting the village.
The story of Mae Nak is a classic Thai tale that has been adapted into many forms of media, if you ever get the chance I recommend you watch one of the many films about Mae Nak. My favorite one is actually a comedy film called Pee Mak Nang Nak
Anyways back to Wat Mahabut itself, around the temple you can find various shrines and memoirs dedicated to honoring the tale of Mae Nak.
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple
Bangkok isn’t all Buddhism, the Sri Maha Mariamman temple is a great example of cultural diversity in Bangkok
Rating: ★★★★★ | 4.6/5 (9,200+ Reviews)
Address: 2 Pan Rd, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500
Opening Hours: 6:00AM - 8:00PM | Mon - Sun
Entrance Fee: Thai Visitors: Free | Non-Thai Visitors: Free
The Sri Maha Mariamman Temple is different among this list, this is not a Buddhist temple, but rather a Hindu temple. And not only is it a Hindu temple, it is the Hindu temple in Bangkok. the Sri Maha Mariamman temple is one of the most prominent Hindu temples in the city and is dedicated to the Goddess Mariamman the Goddess of rain and fertility, who is worshipped by both the Hindu and Tamil communities.
The temple was constructed in 1879, right about the time when British colonialism was taking over India, many people left India and settled in Bangkok. Over time this Indian community began construction of the Sri Maha Mariamman temple.
Wat Pathum Wanaram
Whoever decided to build this temple in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city is a real Chad
Rating: ★★★★★ | 4.6/5 (3,850+ Reviews)
Opening Hours: 7:00AM - 9:00PM | Mon - Sun
Entrance Fee: Thai Visitors: Free | Non-Thai Visitors: Free
Wat Pathum Wanaram’s location is a paradox, a quiet and peaceful temple right in the center of Bangkok in the middle of the loud and noisy district of Pathum Wan.
One of the interesting tid-bits about Wat Pathum is that there exists a “Sala” (pavilion) that has been partially reconstructed from the crematorium of the late Princess of Thailand.
While Wat Pathum is known of its peaceful atmosphere, this temple was once a site of a violent event shooting that left 6 people dead, in 2010 during the height of civil unrest and political protests, 6 individuals took refuge within the walls of the temple but where later killed by armed authorities.
Although, the temple went through a troubled history, Wat Pathum still remains a peaceful and quiet escape for locals and tourists alike.
Wat Benchamabhopit
Rating: ★★★★★ | 4.6/5 (7,300+ Reviews)
Address: Dusit, Dusit District, Bangkok 10300
Opening Hours: 8:00AM - 5:30PM | Mon - Sun
Entrance Fee: Thai Visitors: Free | Non-Thai Visitors: 20 THB
Wat Benchamabophit, also known as the Marble Temple, is located quite a bit away from the center of the city, in the Dusit district.
Wat Benchamabophit is considered as one of the most beautiful temples in all of Bangkok and is certainly a temple you must visit if you enjoy taking pictures for Instagram or other social medias.
The elegant and unique architectural is constructed from white Carrara marble, which gives it its nickname, the "Marble Temple." The temple's main features include a multi-tiered roof, ornate gables, and beautiful courtyard gardens. supposedly, the marble used in its construction was imported from Italy, how fancy.
The interior of Wat Benchamabophit is equally impressive, with intricate murals depicting the life of the Buddha adorning its walls and the temple's design combines Thai and European architectural elements.
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat
Thailand actually has a large Thai-Chinese community, temples like this are more common than you’d think
Rating: ★★★★★ | 4.5/5 (12,350+ Reviews)
Opening Hours: 8:00AM - 4:00PM | Mon - Sun
Entrance Fee: Thai Visitors: Free | Non-Thai Visitors: Free
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat, also known as Wat Leng Noei Yi which is a significant Chinese Buddhist temple located in Bangkok’s old town district. It’s location and cultural background makes sense as nearby is the Yaowarat road
The Wat Mangkon temple was founded in 1871 by Thai-Chinese immigrants, and it has served as a center for Chinese Buddhist worship and culture in Thailand for over a century. The design and architecture is completely different compared to the Buddhist temples, a mix of Chinese and Thai influences really highlights the culture in this area of Bangkok.
During the Chinese New Year Wat Mangkon becomes particularly lively from hosting elaborate ceremonies and cultural events that draw crowds of locals and tourists alike.
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