Wat Rakhang

On the Chaophraya river, almost facing the Grand Palace, is a small ancient temple now called Wat Rakhang Kositharam. The temple dates from the Ayutthaya period, but was significantly rebuilt during the reign of King Rama I at the end of the 18th century.
The bells which give the temple its name.
The temple's name means 'bell' and comes from the incident early in the Bangkok period, when a large bell was unearthed during some construction at the temple. King Rama II had the bell moved to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and bequeathed five smaller bells to the temple. These are now housed in a large bell tower in one corner of the temple compound.
The scripture house of King Rama I.
Facing the bell tower, set in a garden with two large trees for shade, is a ho trai that itself is very significant. The elegant little house was part of the home of King Rama I before he was crowned. The building was donated to the temple to be converted into a scripture hall.
The building still houses scriptures, stored in large lacquer and gilt cabinets. The center of the three buildings has a huge portrait of King Rama I. The walls are painted with scenes from the Ramakien. People often come here to pray to the king.

Wat Traimit - Temple of the Golden Buddha

At one end of Chinatown, in the otherwise unremarkable temple of Wat Traimit, is hidden the world's largest solid gold Buddha image. Weighing in at five and a half tons, the 15-foot tall seated image is worth in the neighborhood of US$14 Million. That's some neighborhood!
The image has a colorful history, which is recounted in a free pamphlet distributed with your paid admission.
The Golden Buddha was cast sometime in the 13th century and is an excellent example of the gracious Sukhothai style that is still very much in favor to this day. At some point, it was covered in plaster, most likely in an attempt to hide the valuable icon from thieves or looters.
The disguise was so good that everyone apparently forgot about what was hidden beneath. King Rama III had the statue moved to Bangkok and installed in a temple near where the Oriental Hotel is today. That temple fell into disuse and was completely abandoned around 1931.
The true nature of the Golden Buddha wasn't discovered until it was moved to its present location at Wat Traimit in 1955. When the image was being prepared for its move, some of the plaster was chipped off, revealing the gold underneath. Bits of the plaster can be seen in a case to the left of the statue.
The statue sits in a plain building just barely big enough to hold it within the temple compound. On the terrace outside of the room housing the Golden Buddha are some interesting fortune-telling machines. You drop a coin in the slot and a sequence of lights indicating numbers flash around in a circle, wheel of fortune style, eventually stopping on a number. You can retrieve your fortune from the marked boxes below the machine. The fortune slips are in English as well as Thai and Chinese.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Wat Phra Si Rattanasasadaram, generally called the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is a temple purpose-built to house a Buddha image carved from a large solid piece of green jadite (jasper). Chaophraya Chakri, who went on to become King Rama I, brought the image from Vientiane when he captured the city in 1778. King Rama I built the temple and enshrined the Emerald Buddha there as a symbol of Siam's regained nationhood. The temple does not house any monks. Rather, it is more like the personal chapel of the royal family.
Plan of Wat Phra KaeoSatellite Image © Google Earth and others
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, seen from near the main entrance to the Grand Palace Complex
You enter the temple compound on the west side, facing the back of the ubosot housing the Emerald Buddha. Most visitors climb up to the upper terrace before proceeding around to the entrance to the ubosot. North of the ubosot is an elevated platform with three large buildings in a line. Originally, the temple's main library, the Ho Phra Monthien Tham, was on this spot, but it burned down in a fire caused by fireworks later in the reign of King Rama I. He decided to have the Phra Mondop built on this spot. King Rama IV added the Royal Pantheon and the huge Phra Si Rattana Chedi to the upper terrace. He also commissioned the model of Angkor Wat which sits on the north side of the upper terrace.
North of the elevated terrace are three smaller buildings. At the northeast corner of the courtyard is the Ho Phra Nak, used as a royal columbarium housing the ashes of minor royals. In the center of the northern court is the small Wiharn Yod, which, in a break from the colored mirror tiles of the other buildings, is finished in bits of Chinese porcelain. In the northwest corner is the Ho Phra Monthien Tham, the 'auxiliary library' where Buddhist texts are stored.
View from the exit
South of the ubosot are just a couple of buildings. At the southeast corner is the Chapel of the Gandharara Buddha, built by Rama IV. The Gandhara Buddha was used in rain-making rites. Rama IV also built the bell tower in its current form. If you walk past the exit back around to the rear of the ubosot, you'll find a couple of other interesting structures and photo opportunities.
Almost facing the entrance is a bronze statue clothed in white said to represent the Hindu hermit who invented yoga. Behind the statue, inside the consecrated area of the ubosot, is a small tower housing a ringed chedi that King Rama IV brought from the north.

Wat Mahathat

A little north of the Grand Palace compound, between the fine arts Silpakorn University and the University of law and sciences, Thammasat, lies the ancient temple of Wat Mahathat. Founded in the 18th century, the temple pre-dates the founding of Bangkok, but was considerably altered after one of its monks, the young Prince Mongkut, later became King Rama IV of Thailand.
The temple is the center of the Mahanikai school of Buddhism, and as such is a center of monastic learning for members of the sect from throughout Southeast Asia. Although the temple is rather large, its grounds are crammed full of schools, offices and other buildings, as well as a large kuti section. The temple is one of several in Bangkok offering classes in meditation.
The entrances facing Sanam Luang appear to be closed most of the time, so you will generally need to enter the temple grounds from Mahathat Road. After picking your way through the buildings and parked cars, you will come to the entrance to the inner courtyard. The entrance may appear to be closed, but if the door is ajar you can generally walk right in. They seem to keep the door closed to shut out the noise of the outside world.
The palms and wiharn of the courtyard.
Inside, the courtyard is jammed full with a large ubosot and an equally large wiharn, plus an only slightly smaller mondop. Somewhat suprisingly for such a crowded area, there is also room for a suprisingly beautiful garden of tall palm trees towards the back of the courtyard.
The courtyard itself is lined with large Buddha images in various states of repair. Numerous memorials to departed loved ones line their bases. The columns of the colonnade around the courtyard are slanted inwards, giving the hallway a curious perspective.
Outside of the main courtyard, to the south are the kuti, with some interesting drum towers and wiharns scattered in among them. The meditation center is roughly right in the center of this warren. To the north is a small, almost abandoned wiharn set in a small yard in front of a large bodhi tree.

Wat Hua Lampong

Not far from Bangkok's main business and entertainment district along Silom Road is the temple of Wat Hua Lampong. The temple serves a large community of those that live and work around upper Silom and Suriwong Roads, so although its not especially significant, the temple is a lively place to observe a 'real' working temple.
One of the pavilions at the corner of the platform.
The meru (crematorium) of the temple.
Wat Hua Lampong was extensively remodeled in honor of His Majesty the King's 50 anniversary on the throne. The royal seal of the Kanchanapisek Year (as it was called) is used extensively throughout the temple's elaborate decorations. The seal features two elephants flanking a multi-tiered umbrella.
The temple is actually quite large, and if you wander around you will find some interesting older buildings.
Getting There
Wat Hua Lampong faces Rama IV Road a short distance from the Montien Hotel. If taking the Skytrain, alight at the Saladaeng Station, walk through Taniya Alley, cross Suriwong Road, Rama IV will be on your right. Turn left on Rama IV and walk down about one block.

The Golden Mount (wat saket)

The Golden Mount is part of the Wat Saket temple located just outside the old royal city precincts, next to the Pom Mahakhan fort. The mount has a somewhat unusual history. It was started by King Rama III early in the 19th century, who wanted to build a large chedi on the site to mark the entrance to the city. However, the soft marshy ground could not support such a large structure and it collapsed before it was completed.
Later on, Rama IV built a small chedi housing a Buddha relic on top of the mud and brick mound. The chedi was rebuilt again towards the end of the 19th century by his son Rama V when the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, made a gift of a Buddha relic excavated from the town where Buddha was believed to have been born. The concrete cap was built during WW II to keep the artificial hill from eroding further.
Graves on the slopes of the Golden Mount.
Although the top of the mount has been encased in concrete, the base is still a jumble of bricks and plaster overgrown with trees and bushes. Somewhat curiously, in amongst the vegetation around the base are numerous shrines to departed people. This "graveyard" of sorts includes everything from small plaques to large shrines with Buddha images.
The small shrine beneath the roof-top chedi.
From the ground, a wide stairway spirals up and around the sides of the mount. There are about 300 very short steps in all. Its not a strenuous climb, as the slope is quite gentle and there are numerous spots to stop and see something. However, the best time to visit the temple is during the cool season from late November to January, when not only is the temperature much cooler, but the frangipani trees around the base are in bloom, giving off their wonderful jasmine-like smell.
One thing to keep in mind before you make the climb is that once you reach the top, there's an admission charge of 10 Baht (0.29 USD) to enter the building and gain access to the rooftop terrace. The interior is a large, rather plain and undecorated room with windows along the outside walls while in the center lies the square outer walls of the shrine. A short stairway in the center of each side leads up to the shrine holding the Buddha relic, which lies directly under the chedi on the roof. The shrine is encased in many layers of gold leaf applied by the devout for more than 100 years.
In the back right corner of the room as you enter is a narrow stairway up to the roof. The first thing you will see upon emerging onto the roof is the huge chedi covered with thousands of gold mosaic tiles. From the rooftop terrace you have a 360 degree view of Bangkok. To the west you can see the towers and rooftops of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha at the old Grand Palace. Closer in you can see the tips of the Democracy Monument as well as the peaks of Wat Ratchanadda. To the northwest you can see the single pylon of the new Rama VI bridge with its golden threads of suspension cables. Looking east you can see the towers of Bangkok's business district.
If you exit via the back entrance to the temple, you come out onto a street lined with wood shops. The sights, sounds and smells can be worth a stroll. This is also the easiest way to walk from the Golden Mount to Wat Ratchanadda. Turn right as you exit the temple and walk past the fire station. You'll come to the intersection of two canals and about six streets. Continue on the bridge to your your left over the canal and past the Pom Mahakan fort. Cross the street to Rama III park and you'll see the Loha Prasat in the background.
Temple Fair
The Golden Mount is the location for an annual temple fair held every November. During the fair, a candlelight procession snakes its way up the mount in the early evening hours.
Photo Gallery
See more photos of the Golden Mount in our online photo gallery.
Getting There
Getting to the Golden Mount can be a bit difficult. It is not close to any tourist-friendly transportation, such as the Skytrain or river boat. The best option is to get a taxi from your hotel. That can sometimes be a bit difficult, so you can also try taking the Chaophraya Express Boat to the Memorial Bridge pier, then take a taki or tuk-tuk from there.

Wat Arun

It's the star of many a "visit Thailand" poster. Perhaps a better known symbol of Bangkok than the Grand Palace. It's Wat Arun, "the Temple of the Dawn." Unfortunately, being a cover model has its drawbacks, and the temple is probably a little too popular for its own good, but it's still such an outstanding monument that it's worth a visit.
Looking up at the central prang.
The towering prang with its four smaller siblings was started by Rama II in the early part of the 19th century, and completed by his successor Rama III. The temple in which the prang sits is actually much older. It dates from the Ayuthaya period. During King Taksin's reign, just before the founding of Bangkok, the temple served as part of his palace.
The prang is not only unique in its design, which is a blend of Khmer and Thai styles, but also in decoration. Over the brick core, a layer of plaster was applied and then decorated with bits of Chinese porcelain and glazed ceramic tiles. Using porcelain from China isn't as extravagant as it might sound. In the early days of Bangkok, Chinese trading ships calling on the Siamese capital used tons of porcelain as ballast. The temple is just an early example of the Thai approach to "recycling."
Close-up of one of the demons "holding up" the prang.
Like the bell shaped chedi, the central Prang represents Mount Meru, home of the gods. The four smaller prangs symbolize the four winds. High up on the four smaller towers, you can see a statue of Pai, god of the winds, on his horse.
In the middle of each side of the square formed by the smaller prangs are pavilions containing Buddha images depicting the four stages of the Buddha's life, birth, meditation, preaching and enlightenment. These guard the stairways to the second and third levels of the big prang. Unfortunately, you can only climb up to the first level. The second and third levels are now closed to the public, probably because the stairways were so steep there were many accidents.
Behind the prang is the temple complex proper. The bot is interesting and decorated on the inside similar to the prang. There are several other small prangs and beautiful gardens in the temple grounds.
It costs 20 Baht (0.57 USD) to enter the prang compound. Also be prepared for the obligatory exit through an alley lined with souvenir stalls.
Getting There
Just about everyone gets to Wat Arun by boat. If you take a canal tour by long-tailed boat, a stop at Wat Arun is usually included. Otherwise, take the Chao Phraya River Express to the Tha Thien pier, then transfer to the cross-river ferry, which costs 4 Baht (0.11 USD).
Photo Gallery