Bangkok Temples Guide

There are hundreds of temples in Bangkok, and their diversity is simply dizzying. Which temple to visit first, which is the most beautiful, interesting or unusual. If you are faced with such a question, here are our selections of Bangkok temples.

Every guest of Bangkok should first of all begin their acquaintance with the capital with these temples. After all, besides the fact that they are very beautiful and famous, these are also the most important sacred places for the inhabitants of Thailand.

They are all close by, but it is best to plan a whole day, or at least half a day, to visit them. It is best to start with the Grand Royal Palace. It is open from 8:30 to 16:30, and it is better to come here at the very opening, because after 10 o'clock they start bringing groups of tourists here in huge buses, and it will be very difficult to see it and take beautiful photos. It will take from 2 to 4 hours to see the palace.

After visiting the palace, you can walk to the entrance to the famous Wat Pho Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This is the largest and oldest temple in Bangkok, and at the same time the most famous among tourists, and one of the most famous symbols of Thailand. It was built together with the foundation of Bangkok and the development of the territory of Ratannakosin Island under King Rama I, who decided to move the capital from the former city of Ayutthaya and founded the capital here.

The third temple of dawn, Wat Arun, is located on the other side of the Chao Phraya River and is considered the most beautiful temple in Thailand. Wat Arun does not abound with golden statues, emerald decorations, etc. in great quantities, but thanks to its tall Khmer-style pagoda (called prang), it is a very significant landmark. The height of the prang is, according to various estimates, from 66.8 to 88 meters, and it is still the highest in Thailand.

After visiting all three, it is worth staying in this area until dark to see the illuminated sights. They are magnificent at this time.

The most popular temples

After you have seen the three main temples, you can visit other most beautiful and popular among tourists. They are popular for a reason, and are worth visiting:

The Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Trai Mit) could be just one of a thousand temples, if not for the world's largest golden statue of a seated Buddha. The Thais say that it is made entirely of gold, and its weight is 5 and a half tons. The pupils of the Buddha's eyes are black Thai sapphires, and the whites of the eyes are made of pearls. The temple complex consists of several temple buildings and even a museum, so there is much to see here.

The Marble Temple (Wat Benchamabophit, also Marble Temple) is one of the most beautiful in Bangkok. Although it is called "Marble", the literal translation of the name sounds like "Temple of King Rama V", by whose order it was built in 1899. After the death of the king, his ashes were walled up at the base of the main statue of Buddha of the temple.

Wat Suthat Thep Wararam , located in the very center of Bangkok, is one of the oldest temples. It is famous for having one of the most beautiful and largest Viharn (sermon hall). The temple was started in 1807 under King Rama I and was completed only in 1947 under King Rama III. At the base of the statue's pedestal is part of King Rama VIII's ashes. In 2005, the temple was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The construction of the Ratchanaddaram Temple (Wat Ratchanaddaram, also Ratchanadda) began in 1846 by order of King Rama III, but to this day the construction is still considered unfinished, which makes it the longest-running construction project in Thailand - more than 160 years. It is interesting, first of all, for its unusual architecture, different from other Thai temples: the main chedi is made in the form of a multi-level pyramid made of metal. The territory of the complex is quite large, decorated with greenery and beautiful buildings, but there are very few tourists here.

The Temple of the Golden Mount (Wat Saket) is famous for its gilded pagoda built on a high artificial hill called the Golden Mount. For a long time, before Bangkok began to build skyscrapers, this pagoda was the tallest building in the city. This temple is highly revered by believers because it houses a piece of Buddha's ashes brought from India.