The Temples of Bangkok

With so many beautiful temples in Bangkok it’s easy to get blasé about them – “oh look, it’s another temple!” Don’t let this happen to you as it would be a shame to miss out on some of Bangkok’s best temples. By choosing a few of the best you can make sure you don’t get ‘templed out’; hopefully this brief guide to Bangkok’s top three temples will help.

Wat Phra Kaew – the Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Wat Phra Kaew, which in English means the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is definitely one temple you should not miss. This is considered to be the most sacred Buddhist temple in the whole of Thailand and is located within the grounds of the Grand Palace. Construction of this stunning temple began in 1785 when King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok and wanted a personal place of worship.

As the English name for this temple suggests, Wat Phra Kaew is home to the Emerald Buddha which is housed within the central ‘ubosoth’, but all around the temple buildings there are magnificent and intricate carvings and statues to see. The model of Angkor Wat is particularly impressive.

Wat Arun – Temple of the Dawn

Wat Arun can be seen from quite some distance away as the most striking feature of this temple is its tall tower. The central ‘prang’ (Khmer-style tower) rises up to a height of 85 meters (279 feet) and is complemented by four smaller prangs. The seashells and porcelain that decorate the prangs are what give Wat Arun the name ‘Temple of the Dawn’ as at dawn the first light reflects off these, giving a beautiful pearly iridescence. Some would argue then that dawn is the best time to visit this Bangkok temple!

Wat Pho – the Temple of the Reclining Buddha

Situated behind the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the grounds of the Grand Palace is Wat Pho, also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This is one of the largest and oldest wats in Bangkok and is of course home to the Reclining Buddha, plus over 1,000 Buddha images. The Reclining Buddha itself is a massive 46 meters long by 15 meters high and is decorated with gold plating and mother of pearl.

Have you visited any, or all of these temples? What are some other “wats” that you would recommend for visitors to Bangkok?