If you only have time to visit one attraction in Bangkok, make it Wat Pho. The 80,000 square metre complex could break a record with all of its records: it’s the oldest and largest monastery in the Thai capital, birthed the city’s first university, houses the largest reclining Buddha, and contains more Buddha images than any Thai temple. Impressive is an understatement.
Travel better, travel smarter
Save money, receive our latest updates and get the most out of your travels.
It began modestly as Wat Photharam (“Temple of the Bodhi Tree”) in the 1600s, well over a century before Bangkok became the Thai capital. While erecting the nearby Grand Palace in the 1780s, King Rama I also found time to incorporate the original “Wat Pho” into a far grander new complex: Wat Phra Chetuphon. While this remains the official name, the old shortened moniker has stuck.
Spires on a bright day at Wat Pho. Photo: David Luekens
Wat Pho is now one of only six Thai temples classified under the highest royal grade, making it one of the kingdom’s most important treasures. It was also the official royal temple of Rama I, who in 1782 founded the Chakri lineage that has survived to this day. Of the 95 glazed ceramic chedis that grace the compound, the largest four are enshrined with ashes of the first four Chakri kings, each of whom contributed additions to the complex.
Wat Pho’s biggest draw, literally, is Phra Phuttha Saiyat, a 46-metre-long and 15-metre-tall reclining Buddha lying in a colossal hall that’s visible from the nearby Chao Phraya River. Created in the early 1800s, the image has a brick core encased in plaster and gilded for its signature golden glean. It’s so awe-inspiring that, in English, Wat Pho is known as Temple of the Reclining ... Travelfish members only (Around 800 more words) ... please log in to read the rest of this story.
Don’t miss the boat!
Please subscribe to Travelfish.org to read the rest of this article, or log in here.
Subscribing to Travelfish costs A$35 per year and it gets you access to more than 200 downloadable guides to specific destinations, fabulous discount coupons and 50% off our personalised travel planning service. Sign up here.
By
David Luekens.
Last updated on 28th August, 2017.
Popular hotels in Bangkok on Agoda
(509 reviews)
(617 reviews)
(456 reviews)
(282 reviews)
(621 reviews)
How to get there
Wat Pho is south of the Grand Palace between Thai Wang Rd and a three-minute walk from Tha Tien (N8) Chao Phraya express boat pier. Buses 1, 3, 25, 44, 48, 91, 503, 508 and 512 also stop nearby. Beware of pickpockets and also of touts insisting the temple is closed before trying to whisk you off on a city tour of their own.
Location map for Wat Pho
Popular attractions in Bangkok
A selection of some of our favourite sights and activities around Bangkok.
Best places to stay in Bangkok
A selection of some of our favourite places to stay in Bangkok.
What next?
Browse our independent reviews of places to stay in and around Bangkok.
Check prices, availability & reviews on Agoda or Booking
Check out our listings of things to do in and around Bangkok.
Read up on how to get to Bangkok, or book your transport online with 12Go Asia.
Do you have travel insurance yet? If not, find out why you need it.
Planning on riding a scooter in Bangkok? Please read this.
Buy a SIM card for Thailand—pick it up at the airport when you arrive.
Browse the web securely while travelling with TunnelBear. Try with a 7–day free trial.
