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Wats in Bangkok (31 December, 2002)
There is a bewildering number of wats in Bangkok. Casual visitors will easily get overwhelmed in attempting to visit all of them. They range from roadside shrines to grand temples patronised by Thai royals.
On this page I am listing out the temples in Bangkok that I have documented. As far as possible, I will try to describe to you how you can visit it on your own by using a combination of public transport and some short-distance walking.
In describing the wats of Bangkok, it is worth making a comparison to its immediate predecessors, the wats in Ayutthaya. Unlike in Ayutthaya, the Thai monasteries of Bangkok do not follow a precise order of arrangement revolving around the reliquary - the chedi or prang, but instead all the main buildings within the sacred precinct appear to be given equal importance.1 The ubosot, or bot (ordination hall) and the viharn are larger, and retains some elements of the late-Ayutthaya style. Unlike the Lanna style, which we can see in the wats in Chiang Mai, the Bangkok temple have higher walls, while the roofs do not come to be close to the ground.
Map of Wats in Bangkok
More Buddhist Temples in Bangkok
- Erawan Shrine
Hindu shrine in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel. - Ganesha Shrine
Shrine outside Central World Plaza in Bangkok. - Golden Mount
Man-made mount that was the highest point in Bangkok until the 1960's. - Golden Shrine Foundation
Chinese association in the Chinatown of Bangkok. - Lak Muang
Shrine erected for the founding of the city and located usually near the middle of it. - Loha Prasat
Multi-tiered square-shaped pagoda at Wat Ratchanaddaram - Mae Toranee
Shrine to the earth goddess located diagonal from the Grand Palace. - Trimurti Shrine
Hindu shrine outside the Isetan Department Store in downtown Bangkok. - Wat Arun
The most important temple on the Thonburi side of Bangkok. - Wat Benchamabophit (Wat Benchamabophit)
One of the most famous and beautiful temples in Bangkok. - Wat Bowonniwet
Buddhist temple built by King Rama III along Phra Sumen Road. - Wat Indrawihan
Temple with a giant Buddha statue. - Wat Maha Phruttharam
A very old Thai Buddhist temple in the Chinatown of Bangkok. - Wat Mahathat
A major temple that has existed longer than Bangkok itself. - Wat Pathumkhongkha Ratchaworawiharn
A royal monastery temple in the Chinatown district of Bangkok. - Wat Pathum Wanaram
Buddhist temple in the busy Pathum Wan shopping district of Bangkok. - Wat Phra Chetuphon (GPS: 13.74657, 100.49315)
Temple of the Reclining Buddha. - Wat Phra Kaew (GPS: 13.7516, 100.4926)
Temple of the Emerald Buddha. - Wat Ratchabophit
Temple built by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). - Wat Ratchanaddaram Worawihan
Buddhist temple built by King Rama III for his niece. - Wat Ratchapradit
Temple built by King Rama IV for the monks of the Dhammayutika sect. - Wat Saket Ratchaworamahawihan (GPS: 13.75391, 100.50842)
Temple which houses the Golden Mount. - Wat Samphanthawongsaram Worawiharn
A very old temple from the Ayutthaya period located in the Bangkok Chinatown. - Wat Suthat
Temple with the tallest ordination hall in Bangkok. - Wat Thepthidaram Worawihan
Temple built by King Rama III. - Wat Traimit Wittayaram Worawihan
Temple with the biggest solid gold Buddha statue in the world.
References
- Ancient Thailand - History and Treasures of an Ancient Civilization by Nicoletta Celli, © 2010 White Star Publishers, ISBN 978-88-544-0407-6
List of Buddhist Temples in Thailand; list of Districts of Bangkok
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