How to get to the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya

The Sanctuary  of Truth is located on the shores of the Gulf of Thailand in the northern part of Pattaya.

Address: 206/2 หมู่ ที่ 5 ถนน Pattaya-Naklua, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, Thailand.

The working hours of the Sanctuary of Truth: from 08:00 to 18:00 (8 a.m. – 6 p.m.)

You can visit the Sanctuary of Truth on your own (without an excursion). To do this, you must go to North Pattaya (Naklua District). The easiest way to use local passenger pickups, the route of which runs along Pattyaya Nalkua Street. For 10-20 Thai baht (depending on the place of landing) you must drive to Na Kluea 12 Alley and go along this street without turning anywhere (see map below).

How to get to Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya easy (click to enlarge)

The indicated street makes several bends and along the way you will see wasteland and even a small dump on the left. There are signs to the temple along the way. You can also use the navigator on your smartphone so as not to make a mistake on the route. Move on the right side of the road. There are no sidewalks in many streets of Pattaya, so be careful. If you look at the map of Pattaya, you might think that there is a great distance from Naklua Rd to the temple. But in fact, the high white wall and the entrance gate to the territory of the Sanctuary of Truth are much closer. You will see them without any problems in 6-8 minutes on foot from Pattaya Naklua.

Entrance gate to the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya on Na Kluea 12 Alley and the Family Mart store opposite

One of the landmarks is the Family Mart store, which is located almost opposite the entrance gate. By the way, if you want to save money, you can buy water or food in this store (there is a cafe and restaurant in the temple, but the cost of dishes and drinks is not the lowest). You can also use a taxi from Pattaya Naklua Rd (40-50 THB per person). From the famous roundabout with dolphins to the Sanctuary of Truth can be reached by taxi motobike for 70-90 THB. From most areas of Pattaya can be reached by taxi for 200-500 THB. The taxi option does not make sense in terms of economy (it’s cheaper to book a tour that includes a transfer from the hotel to the temple and back to the hotel).

Route to the Sanctuary of Truth on an interactive Google map

Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya – features

The construction of the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya was started in 1981 at the expense of Thai millionaire Lek Viriyapan and is still ongoing by his son (the businessman himself died in 2000). Construction is expected to be completed in 2025. At the same time, the Sanctuary of Truth, which is entirely built of precious wood and will always require ongoing restoration. A feature of construction is that all the connections of the parts to each other are made using wooden dowels without the use of nails. This applies both directly to the walls and roofs of the temple, as well as all internal decorations, and statues. You can see in the temple nails that are not completely clogged and must be removed before the official completion of construction.

After checking the tickets, you should go down to the main territory of the Sanctuary of Truth

The Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya has a height of 105 meters and is the largest wooden temple in Thailand and the second tallest in the world. Only the Tianning Pagoda in China has a more impressive height (153 meters). Even if you have not been to Pattaya or Thailand, you must have seen the Sanctuary of Truth in a photo on the Internet or on TV. This is really a very beautiful temple, the enormous size of which can be estimated only nearby or being inside. For example, I swam on the beach near the Temple and saw it at a distance of about 100 meters, but still did not think that it was so big and tall.

The Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya needs constant restoration

The Sanctuary of Truth is not a traditional Buddhist temple or an exclusively religious building in general. According to the plan of Lek Viriyapan, the temple was originally built as a cultural attraction, which should show an oriental view of our world from the point of view of 4 cultures at once: Thai, Khmer, Hindu and Chinese. Therefore, while maintaining the overall architectural style, you may notice some differences on the facades of the temple. And inside the temple you will visit 4 large halls, each of which is dedicated to the 4 indicated cultures and philosophies of life (mainly Hindu and Buddhist).

The Chinese Hall of the Sanctuary of Truth is easily recognizable by octagonal columns

For example, in the Indian hall you can find statues of the gods of the 4 elements: water, earth, fire and wind. You can easily identify the Chinese hall by octagonal columns and bas-reliefs with naked women (although you will see them almost everywhere). In the remaining parts of the Sanctuary of Truth, the columns have a more traditional appearance. By the way, all columns are made of solid trunks of centuries-old trees and decorated with carvings. Each centimeter of the temple is the result of many hours of work by Thai masters, who still continue to work on the territory of the temple. The oldest tree from which a large column was carved and in front of which a small altar with gifts is more than 700 years old.

Altar in the center of the Sanctuary of Truth and columns of centuries-old trees

In the Thai room, you can see large statues of avatars, each of which is dedicated to a specific day of the week. There you can use special tables to calculate your day of the week (although using a smartphone is easier to do). And the main attraction of the Khmer Hall are the statues of the family – a wife with her husband and their three children. There is a ritual that promotes the conception of a child. To do this, you need to rub the child’s hand (you will recognize the right place by shine). By the way, you can ask for a child not only for yourself, but also for other people. And for the health of parents, you should rub the knee of the husband or wife.

Statues of family with children in the Khmer part of the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya

Only in the central part of the Sanctuary of Truth there are several altars where you can pray or just think in silence about life. In general, each element and statue in the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya carries a certain semantic load and there are no random elements that fulfill only a decorative role. But it is not easy for a not specialist to understand all eastern religions and rituals. Therefore, if you want to not just look at the beautiful temple inside and out and take beautiful photos or videos, I advise you to use the services of guides (there are inside the temple, including English or other languages speaking ones).

View from one of the viewpoint to the Sanctuary of Truth (Pattaya)

The cost of visiting the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya

The standard price for admission to the Sanctuary of Truth is THB 500 when purchased at the box office. The standard price for a child ticket is 250 THB. If you do not want to get from your hotel to the Sanctuary of Truth and then back on your own, you can book a tour for 600-700 THB (possibly even with a guide). But if you want to save as much as possible, buy entrance tickets to the Sanctuary of Truth online here (the price can be shown in the currency of your country). As a rule, you can buy an entrance ticket for adults for 385 THB (or at a discount of 23%). And the price of children’s entrance tickets is only 180 THB when buying online (28% discount). You can show the voucher received after payment by e-mail (on a smartphone screen or in paper form) at the box office of the Sanctuary of Truth and get a paper entrance ticket for access to the territory. In the same way, you can buy online at a discount other entertainment available on the territory of the Sanctuary of Truth (about them in the next section).

Over 50 thousand people booked this excursion at a discount

Other attractions in the Sanctuary of Truth (Pattaya)

The entrance ticket to the Sanctuary of Truth includes not only access to the temple territory and inside the building, but also viewing a national Thai show. It includes traditional dances (performed by men and women in Thai national clothes) and a classic sword fight of two fighters. Such performances are usually held twice a day: at 11:30 in the morning and at 15:30. The performances are not very long and you can watch it once. After the show, you can take a picture with the artists (you should give a small tips).

On the territory of the Sanctuary of Truth you can ride an elephant and horses

At the ticket office of the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya, and when buying entrance tickets online, you can add some other entertainment. The most popular are horseback riding on special routes, riding in an old horse-drawn cart, riding an elephant, riding a quad bike, a boat trip along the Gulf of Thailand in the area of ​​the Sanctuary of Truth (you can take beautiful photos on the background of the building). As in the case of entrance tickets, buying online through the Klook service (link to the Sanctuary of Truth) makes it possible to save money (the price difference is especially noticeable when buying entrance tickets for several people). You can choose options that include one or more additional entertainment that is available on your date.

Tips Before Visiting Pattaya Sanctuary of Truth

Despite the fact that the Sanctuary of Truth is not a traditional temple (religious building), there are altars inside and many Thais come to the temple to pray. Therefore, a rule has recently been introduced whereby visitors must adhere to a dress code. Your clothes at the entrance to the temple should cover your shoulders and knees, and the neckline of the girls should not be too open. Somewhere in the territory there is a special cape to rent, but it is better to immediately come in appropriate clothing. Also during the tour you should be in a construction helmet. It is issued at the point immediately after the descent along the wooden steps to the territory of the temple. Throughout the temple it is forbidden to smoke and use quadrocopters (drones) for video shooting.

Wear a hard hat when visiting the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya (Thailand)

I spent about 1.5 hours visiting the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya and it was enough for me. At the same time, I spent about 50 minutes inside the temple, took a lot of photos and shot a video. I arrived at the Temple after 16:30 and did not have time to watch the show. Also, I did not buy additional entertainment and did not go to a cafe on the territory. If you read this article, you have some idea what to expect outside and inside the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya. I went somewhat unprepared and only after that I read about what I saw inside the Temple and what I could pay attention to.

If I went to the Sanctuary of Truth again, I would do it at about 15:00 to have time to watch the show, see the Sanctuary of Truth under various lighting levels, take more time to walk around a beautiful area that exceeds 10 hectares (there are beautiful bridges and several viewing platforms). If I were not alone, I would use the services of a guide, because much of the inside of the temple remained incomprehensible to me. When visiting with children, you can spend some time examining the animals at the local mini-zoo. There are horses, ponies, goats, etc. in it. And, of course, I would save on entry tickets and buy from online.

Statues at the place of fulfillment of desires in the Temple of Truth

A wish-fulfillment ritual in the Temple of Truth (Pattaya)

Near the entrance to the Temple of Truth (from the sea), there are two large wooden statues that hold a wooden crossbar on their shoulders. A bell and a large gong are suspended on the crossbar. And in the hands of statues are special mallets. with which you can hit the bell and gong. On the Internet you can find outdated information that the ritual of fulfilling desires consists of three stages. 1) You need to hit three times on the metal triangle (in order to wake the Buddha). 2) You need to hit the bell three times (to clear your karma). 3) It is necessary to make a wish and hit the gong three times with a large hammer (at this moment you must imagine how your desire is being fulfilled).

During my visit to the Temple of Truth, I noticed that the statues were moved to another place and on the wooden crossbar there are only two objects: a bell and a gong. Accordingly, if you also do not see the iron triangle, the ritual of the fulfillment of desires should immediately begin with blows on the bell. Probably, due to the large number of visitors, the Buddha cannot fall asleep and you no longer need to wake him up. You can see the location of the statue with the gong in this video, which is posted below.

I hope the information about the Sanctuary of Truth was useful for you and now during your vacation in Pattaya you can go to this amazing place by buying a ticket at the lowest price and with an idea of how much time you need to visit, how easy and cheap to get to The Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya and what additional entertainment you can find there. Have a good rest and interesting visit!

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A visit to the Legend Siam park in just a few hours will allow you to easily get information about the past of Thailand and the present days of this Asian country. The park’s director general during the park’s opening ceremony admitted that there was initially a plan to create another Thai national style water park in the vicinity of Pattaya. However, marketing research unexpectedly showed that Western tourists are more interested in meditation and spiritual practices, and many tourists from China are more interested in the Thai culture. Therefore, the plans were changed and now anyone can find in the park a wide range of cultural entertainments and master the art of meditation.

Entrance gate to Legend Siam Park in Pattaya

Entrance to the park takes place through a giant gate, which guards by a huge statues of demons from Ramayana. Then visitors get into the first zone of the Legend Siam theme park, called the “Siam Village”. In this area of ​​the park you can get acquainted with the history of ancient Siam and see with your own eyes the significant architectural monuments of that time. Also here is represented the life of the people of ancient Siam and objects of culture of that time. For example, in this zone there are buildings from the time of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya – the ancient capital of Siam. And one of the main objects is the elephant Erawan and the statue of the deity Indra on his back. Also in the Siamese village a grand parade of elephants is held.

Statue of an elephant Erawan in the Legend Siam park (Pattaya)

The second zone of the Legend Siam park is called Araya Thai. There is also a large number of recreated ancient temples, including from Ayutthaya. This area of ​​the park has a traditional floating market and a market with a large selection of local produce and Thai fruits. The highlight of this part of the park is the selection of products and souvenirs from all 77 provinces of present-day Thailand. However, this is not just another large market or open-air museum. Widely used modern technology and special effects. You will see interesting scenes recreated using 3D technology, and you can also take part in interactive entertainment (some of which will definitely cause an adrenaline rush in the blood). Here you will see the reconstruction of the battles, including sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat with stuntmen, explosions and other special effects.

Entertainment area and houses of Ayutthaya in Legend Siam Park

The third zone of Legend Siam park is called Bhumi Pan Din and details the revolution in agriculture, authored by the late King Rama IX. It immediately details the achievements of modern Thailand and the development of the Thai economy. Tourists who are interested in local spiritual life can find out more about this in the Bhumi Pan Din area. An interesting feature of the park is the opportunity to visit in a national Thai costume. Currently, there are about 5 thousand costumes, and the planned attendance of Legend Siam Park is up to 20 thousand daily during the high season in Pattaya.

Temples of Ancient Siam in the Legend Siam Park (Pattaya)

The construction of the park cost investors 4 billion baht (more than 130 million USD). Currently, a simple admission ticket will cost only 350 THB. You can pre-pay for transportation by cpecial train, boats, buffet and some carousels, which are available only for a fee. In any case, even a simple admission ticket allows you to see a lot and it’s better to plan a full day to visit the Legend Siam Park, because in 5-6 hours you can only get around it without watching the show, food and other entertainments. Have a nice rest!

Location of Legend Siam Park on the map:

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Who might be interested in visiting Phimai Historical Park

A trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia is a very popular excursion from Thailand. This excursion to the neighboring country is very interesting, usually takes several days, while it is expensive and a bit tedious. This is due to the long distance, the need to obtain a Cambodian visa at the border, a change of transport, etc. And for citizens of those countries who also need a visa to visit Thailand, the costs increase even more due to the need to pay for the re-entry permit stamp in Thailand or to issue a double entry visa. Therefore, a visit to the temple complex Phimai Historical Park in Thailand is a good alternative to a trip to Cambodia.

First of all, we are talking about big savings, because Phimai Historical Park is located in Thailand and you do not have to pay for a visa to a neighboring country. In addition, transportation within Thailand is several times cheaper than a trip to Cambodia. Yes, tickets to Phimai Historical Park are very cheap – 12 times cheaper than tickets to Angkor Wat. Of course, many, in any case, will want to see exactly the ancient Cambodian temples, try the “happy pizza” in Cambodia, etc. But if you are just bored with a vacation in Pattaya, there is a good opportunity to diversify your vacation and visit Phimai Historical Park in Isan – the northeast region of Thailand.

The territory of Phimai Historical Park is very beautiful and clean.

Location of Phimai Historical Park

The ancient temple complex Phimai Historical Park is located in the city of Phimai, which in turn is located in the province of Nakhon Ratchasima. This Thai province is the “gateway” to the large agricultural region – Isan, which differs significantly from the rest of Thailand with its cuisine, architecture and culture (other folk costumes, Isan dialect of Thai, etc.). Residents of northeastern provinces even differ from residents of central, northern, and southern Thailand with even darker skin. Therefore, a trip here to some extent is a trip to “another Thailand”. Virtually the entire Isan region is located on the Korat Plateau and have area more larger than England and Wales combined.

The center of the province of Nakhonratchasima (Nakhon Ratchasima) is the city of the same name, which was previously called Korat. By the way, this province is home to the Korat cat breed. These green-eyed cats with gray-blue fur symbolize wealth and success. Therefore, they are given to newlyweds and used in religious ceremonies by Buddhist monks. The distance from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima is 260 km, and from Pattaya – a little more than 320 km. The cost of a trip by minibus from Bangkok is 250 THB, and the journey time is only 3 hours. The schedule can be viewed at the link Bangkok – Nakhon Ratchasima (cheap buses at the bottom of the search results). Minibuses from Pattaya also cost 250 baht, and the journey time is 4 hours by minibus or 5 hours by a large intercity bus.

Nakhon Ratchasima to Phimai – way on the map

Phimai Town, which houses the Phimai Historical Park temple complex, is located about 60 km from Nakhon Ratchasima. Therefore, you should further use local transport from the bus terminal or use a taxi. Also, you can always rent a car in Thailand or rent a motorbike online. Personally, my friend and I used a motorbike to visit Phimai Historical Park, the journey time from Nakhon Ratchasima was about 1.5 hours. The roads in Thailand are very good, especially since most of the way to the city of Phimai runs along the one of largest highway in Thailand (road number 2), which connects Bangkok with Laos and runs through the entire north-eastern part of the country.

Above on the page is added a map with the route we traveled to Phimai Historical Park from Nakhon Ratchasima. As you can see, the path runs along the road number 2 (about 50 km) and another 10 km should be taken along the road number 206. The route is not difficult and difficult to get lost. Especially if you use Google Maps or other navigator. Of course, as always on the roads of Thailand, be careful, especially when you ride a motorbike near the trucks (it is important not to get into the “blind zone” of the truck driver. You should go backwards in the reverse order. During the way you have the opportunity to see rice fields where famous Jasmine rice is grown, which is exported from Thailand to many countries of the world.

Opening hours and ticket prices at Phimai Historical Park

Since the temple complex is open daily from 07:00 am to 6:00 pm, you can not worry too much about the fact that Phimai Historical Park can be closed during daylight hours. The exceptions are some national holidays in Thailand, when the opening hours of park can be limited. The entrance fee to the park is 100 THB per person (just over 3 USD or just over 2.5 Euro). If you visit Phimai Historical Park with a resident of Thailand, then you will have to pay only 20 THB for the entrance ticket. Near the entrance to the historical park there is a small parking. There is not much space, but you can park your motorbike without any problems. In this case, parking is free.

My review of Phimai Historical Park

Immediately, I note that I really liked this ancient temple complex. A trip to the city of Phimai was one of the most vivid impressions of my visit to the province of Nakhon Ratchasima. Among the advantages of this historic park can be noted a small number of visitors. This allows you to see all the temple buildings and the park in relative silence. A very interesting fact: during three days in the city of Nakhonratchasima, I saw only three foreigners and it was on my last evening there, at the bus terminal. But in the Phimai Historical Park there were more foreigners. There were both independent tourists and a small group of tour guides. I think that a temple complex with more zeal of local authorities may be interested in a much larger number of foreigners, most of whom are not even aware of this city.

If we talk about the state of the temple complex, then I have mixed impressions. It is evident that the Thais have already done a lot of work to restore the temples, but to give the buildings their original appearance will never work. At the same time, the complex of temples is very interesting for inspection. Personally, I was impressed by the symmetry with which temples and walls were built around them. The central tower, symbolizing the sacred Mount Meru in the center of the universe, is also well preserved. But the side towers are preserved worse, but one of them still gives an idea of ​​how the temple looked during the years of construction.

Main tower in Phimai Historical park (Nakhon Ratchasima)

The entrances and exits to most temples are strictly on one line, so you can walk from the beginning to the end of the temple complex in a straight line. But if you are a lover of architecture, you can explore the side corridors of the temples too. Inside the temples you will not find a large number of statues or other decorative ornaments. But carved columns and decorative stone carving are present. In general, each of the temples is similar to the next in size and architecture. Laterite (base) and sandstone (exterior) served as the main building materials for the temples. At the same time in the construction used sandstone of various kinds. While walking around the temples you can see that red sandstone is partially used. And the main sanctuary, in which there is a statue of the Buddha, is made of white sandstone.

On the territory of the temple complex Phimai Historical Park there are ponds and benches, beautiful trees and lawns. At the same time, beauty and order are everywhere; there was no rubbish during my visit. Below on the page a short video about my visit to the historical park at the end of November is added. The video starts from the moment you arrive at the temple complex, but if someone wants to see the way to Phimai Historical Park from Nakhon Ratchasima, you can play the video from the beginning.

At the end of this review, I want to note the fact that my friend and I had 1 hour to explore the temples. At the same time, about half an hour we just sat on the territory (first we ate fruit on the lawn under the tree, and at the end we just relaxed on the bench before returning to Nakhon Ratchasima. Phimai Historical Park is a very interesting place to visit, and if you have free time during rest time in Thailand, and the beaches or nightlife have already bored you a little, I advise you to visit the province of Nakhon Ratchasima and see with your own eyes an amazing and ancient temple complex – Phimai Historical Park. Enjoy your trip!

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The main feature of the Golden Mount temple in Bangkok

The first temple at the site of the current temple Wat Saket was built during the heyday of the Ayutthaya kingdom, and the current name was given during the reign of King Rama I. And the temple was given its current appearance during the reign of Rama III, when a high artificial hill was built in Bangkok with a temple and golden chedi on top. It was in the first half of the 19th century that Wat Saket got its second name – the Temple of the Golden Mountain. Bangkok is located in the floodplain of the Chao Phraya River with a very flat terrain. Therefore, the artificial hill on which the golden chedi is located is still unique for the city. A temple of Wat Saket for a long time was the tallest building in the Thai capital (before the construction of the temple of Wat Arun).

View of Bangkok from the top of the Golden Mount temple

How to get to the Temple of the Golden Mountain in Bangkok

Since Golden Mount Temple is located in the eastern part of the historical district of Bangkok, you cannot use the ground or underground place of the capital to quickly get directly to the entrance to the territory of this temple. Therefore, you will have to choose one of several combined options, which are described below.

1). BTS SkyTrain + passenger boat on the Golden Mount line

In this case, you must use Bangkok’s BTS SkyTrain to get to National Stadium Station (Silom Line) or to Ratchathewi Station (on Sukhumvit Line). After that, you need to go about 300 meters to the north or south, respectively, and use the passenger boat, which moves in a westerly direction from the pier of Hua Chang (Sapan Hua Chang). To go by boat you need 4 stops. A good landmark is the temple of Wat Saket itself (whose golden peak will be visible on the left while moving). The interval of the movement of boats is about 20 minutes.

Way from BTS SkyTrain stations to Golden Mount temple

Boats move very quickly, so you will not lose much time to overcome the distance of 3 kilometers. In this case, you will have to pay 10 THB per 1 passenger fare (approximately 0.3 USD). Tickets are purchased directly from the conductor on the boat, to which you must inform the destination point (you can just say Wat Saket or Golden Mount Temple). In no case do not be afraid of such an original way of getting around the city: everything is perfectly organized and time tested. Every day only about 60 thousand passengers use this channel. You can also use a similar boat in the opposite direction.

2) Walking distance from the Royal Palace or Wat Pho temple in Bangkok

This is the path I used during video recording. The distance from the main entrance to the temple of Wat Pho to the entrance to the Golden Mount Temple is about 2.5 km, i.e. you can walk about half an hour without any problems. The main thing is not to do it in the hottest time of the day, or, in extreme cases, to carry a small supply of drinking water. By the way, the best route lies through another attraction of Bangkok – Giant swings. In my video, they were under reconstruction and closed with a net, but at the moment the restoration work has been completed, and you have the opportunity to see this swing in all its glory. Similarly, you can walk from the National Stadium Metro Station to Wat Saket Temple (I was returning from the temple in this way and spent about half an hour on the road).

3) Walking distance from Khao San Rd in Bangkok

If you chose the famous Khao San Road as your place to live in Bangkok, it will be even easier to get to the Golden Mount. The distance to this temple to the beginning of Khao San street is about 1 km (or 1.5 km if the hotel is farthest part of Ksaosan Rd from the temple). This means that you can easily get to Wat Saket in about 15-20 minutes on foot. Of course, it is better to use the navigator, since getting lost in Bangkok is not difficult.

Way from Khaosan Rd to Golden Mount temple

4) How to get to Wat Saket by taxi in Bangkok

Of course, you can get to Wat Saket from Bangkok by taxi from any area of ​​this city. Just remember that Bangkok is a huge Asian metropolis and traffic jams are not uncommon, but a regular phenomenon, especially in the morning, lunch and evening on weekdays). In general, taxi service in Bangkok are cheap, and in some cases using this type of transport is even cheaper than the subway lines, especially if you are not one passenger. But due to the fact that you will pay not only kilometers, but also idle time in traffic jams, the cost may increase several times.Therefore, if you do not want to overpay a lot during rush hour, it is better to get to the nearest BTS or MRT stations and only the last part of the way is to overcome by taxi or motorcycle taxi.

5) How to get to Golden Mount Temple by tuk-tuk

This option may be cheaper than a taxi, but because of possible attempts to deceive by the owners of this transport, I would not recommend using this transport. By tradition, tuk-tuk drivers are either called an unrealistically high price for their services, or the cost will be small, but you will be asked to visit at a store (or even a few) so that the tuk-tuk driver will receive a bonus from the owners of such stores. You are not obliged to buy anything in these stores, but you will lose a lot of time, which for me personally during the rest is the main value.

Opening hours and cost of visiting Golden Mount in Bangkok

When planning to visit Wat Saket, you must remember that the temple’s operating time is limited and you can see this interesting temple from 08:00 am to 19:00 pm (previously worked from 07:30 to 17:30 and you can still find outdated information in the Internet). At the same time, it does not make sense to come immediately before closing, because at that time it is already dark in Bangkok. Entrance to the temple territory is free, but at the same time you must purchase an entrance ticket to climb to the top, where the most interesting is located. The entrance ticket costs 20 THB, and the ticket office is located at the beginning of the steps to the hill.

Ticket office of Wat Saket temple in Bangkok (ticket costs 20 THB)

What is interesting in the Temple of the Golden Mount Temple in Bangkok

Getting into the territory of the temple complex, you should move to the right along the buildings and cafes. There are signs with arrows to Golden Mount Temple, so getting lost is difficult. If you don’t know the right way, just go where the Thais go. Below there are machines for the sale of drinking water, and to the right under shady canopies along the road are benches. In this place you can relax, because cool create special devices that spray cold water vapor. After a couple of minutes, you will see a ticket office on the left, where you can buy an entrance ticket, and right behind the cashier office – red steps up.

On the stairs to the top of the Golden Mount Temple are many who want to take a photo

To go upstairs, you must overcome 318 steps, but this path cannot be called difficult. The steps are very low and wide, so even children can go upstairs without any problems. Immediately I warn you that the descent from the mountain is made by another staircase, so if you want to take photos as a keepsake, do it right away while climbing up. Along the way, you are waiting for artificial waterfalls, many interesting sculptures of people and animals, ancient shady trees with branches hanging above the stairs. In the first part of the climb, you will also pass through the areas where artificial fog was created. As you climb up the monotonous prayers of Buddhist monks grow louder.

Stairs to the upper temple of Golden Mount (the eponymous cafe on the right)

A little further there will be Golden Mount cafe, then a large platform with a seating area with a lot of bells around the perimeter, which you can ring one by one (according to rumors, this will bring you good luck and health). During the ascent you can also find a free toilet. In the final stage of climbing stairs you can already admire the panorama of Bangkok, as well as temple buildings located at the foot of the hill. At the top is the entrance to the inside of the temple. At the same time there are information signs near the entrance that warn you that you should not take off your shoes. The inscriptions are made graphically, in Thai, in English and in Chinese. But some people still leave their shoes at the entrance and wander around the temple barefoot.

Golden and emerald figures of Buddha in the Wat Saket temple

Inside there are many altars with statues, among which is a lying golden Buddha and several emerald Buddha statues. A lot of gold jewelry and fresh flowers. You can also make a donation and buy a bronze sheet or buy a card for memory. Somewhat surprisingly, but inside the temple stands a range of freezers with a large selection of ice cream. Prices are higher than 7Eleven, but this is understandable, taking into account the location and manual delivery to the top. The main shrine of the Temple of the Golden Mountain is a piece of Buddha’s ashes, which was brought from India. It is located in a golden sarcophagus in the central part of the temple. I could not go there because there was a queue of Thais. To climb to the shrine, you must overcome a few steps and enter the niche. This should be done barefoot and observing all the rules of decency adopted in Buddhism.

The main shrine of the Temple of the Golden Mountain in Bangkok is a piece of Buddha’s ashes

Along the perimeter of the entire temple there are wooden windows through which a magnificent panoramic view of the city opens. In front of some windows there are wooden benches where you can sit and admire Bangkok. The idyll is somewhat spoiled by the draft and the cool wind, because the temple is located very high above the ground level. In addition, the room has several powerful air conditioners. It is the wind and drafts that create an almost non-stop and melodic ringing of bells in the form of leaves that are fixed above the windows.

Golden Chedi on top of the Golden Mount Temple

The temple has a flat roof, on which a giant golden chedi was erected (a bell-shaped stupa with a stepped base and a high sharp spire). The exit to the top is carried out along the steps from the inside of the temple through a narrow passage in one of the walls, which I did not immediately notice and wanted to go down, but I remembered in time that I still not saw the golden chedi. Above there is a better view of Bangkok, and you can see the giant swings, the Grand Royal Palace, and many skyscrapers in various parts of this Asian metropolis. The golden chedi is surrounded by a gold chain, for which it is forbidden to enter. During some holidays in Thailand, the stupa may be decorated with a red cloth, but at the time of my visit it was golden, only in the lower part there was a wide strip of yellow fabric.

Statues, figures and waterfalls on the way up to the Wat Saket Temple in Bangkok

To leave the observation deck with a golden stupa, you must descend down a narrow staircase (at the opposite end of the platform) and exit the temple on the mountain through the same entrance through which you entered. The stairs down will be different (to the right of the exit from the temple). On the way down you will see other statues and sculptures. In my opinion, the way down is not as picturesque as the steps up, but there are several interesting objects. By the way, at the bottom (near the ticket office) there is a Golden Mount layout, during the inspection of which you can understand, why the separate stairs up to the mountain and down do not overlap.

Video from my visit to the Temple of the Golden Mountain in Bangkok

(video starts from the entrance to the territory of Golden Mount)

For me personally, it took 40 minutes to visit the temple, but I didn’t linger much anywhere, because I was going to return there again. Therefore, I advice plan for about 1 hour in order to slowly watch all interesting objects, take a photos in beautiful places on the way up and on the top viewpoint, slowly eat ice cream, etc. If you want to visit the temple in the evening, it is better to come after 17-00 to meet the sunset on the top of the Temple of the Golden Mountain and see how this temple looks with artificial light. Have a good time at Wat Saket – Golden Mount Temple in Bangkok.

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Location of Wat Pho in Bangkok, how to get there

The Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) is located on the island of Rattanakosin in the historical part of Bangkok, in close proximity to the Grand Royal Palace. Currently, the concept of “island” is very conditional, because only a small channel separates this part of the city from the others, which are also separated from each other by numerous clong (channels). If you live in Bangkok in the area of ​​the most famous tourist street Khaosan (Khaosan Rd), you can get to Wat Pho on foot in 25-30 minutes with not very fast pace. This is a clean and beautiful area of ​​the Thai capital, with normal sidewalks, so the walk is interesting and not tiring.

If you live in other parts of Bangkok, then getting to Wat Pho is a bit more difficult. You can not use the subway (overhead and underground) to quickly get to the temple of the Reclining Buddha, so you should use the river or road. With a taxi, everything is simple, it is not expensive in Bangkok, but due to traffic jams you can lose a lot of time. To use the river tram, the easiest way to get to the main pier is Sathorn near the Taksin Bridge. To do this, use the Silom branch of the Bangkok Skytrain and get off at Saphan Taksin station along the train. When you come down from the elevated platform of the metro, you will find a pier for river trams at the base of the bridge. Read more about this in a separate article “Bangkok River Transport – Routes and Prices”.

The location of the temple of Wat Pho in the historic district of Bangkok

I advise you to use river trams with an orange flag – a compromise between speed and price (15 THB per person). You should get off at pier number 8 Tha Tien, which is the closest to the temple of Wat Pho. But if during your trip to Bangkok, this pier will still be under reconstruction (which has been going on for several years), then you should get off at the next pier No. 9 – Tha Chang. This pier is located near the Grand Palace, which tourists often visit at the same time as the temple of Wat Pho. Coming from the pier, you have to turn right and move along the palace wall to the Wat Pho temple (you can use the navigator on your smartphone). On the map, the temple of Wat Pho is indicated by a red arrow.

Statue of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) in Bangkok

Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn (this is the full name of the temple of Wat Pho) is called the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. You can find information that it is in the temple of Wat Pho that the largest statue of the Reclining Buddha is located in the world. And when you see a huge golden statue 46 meters long and 15 meters high, it is easy to believe. However, in reality in Thailand there is a slightly larger (50 meters long) statue of the Reclining Buddha – in the province of Ang Thong. In addition, another statue of the Reclining Buddha is being erected in the Thai province of Saraburi, its length is 209 meters, which is 4.5 times more than the statue in the Wat Pho temple. It is this statue, comparable in height to the 9-storey building, will be the largest in the world.

The scheme of the temple of Wat Pho in Bangkok

Not everyone knows that the Temple of the Reclining Buddha is not only a beautiful building with white columns (viharn) with a golden statue of a waiting Nirvana Buddha inside. Below on the page is a diagram of the temple complex Wat Pho. In the lower right corner, the number 1 designates the temple directly with the Reclining Buddha (Viharn Phranorn), and you can see that in addition to this temple there are many other interesting buildings of various sizes and purposes in the complex. Therefore, you will need to spend at least 1 hour just to quickly get around all the open areas of the temple complex and visit the main buildings. For a more thorough study of the temple you may need much more time.

The scheme of the temple of Wat Pho in Bangkok (clickable image)

The main buildings of Wat Pho temple

The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is that huge gilded statue, against which everyone wants to take a selfie photo and is forced to stand in line for this. Unfortunately, it is difficult to see the whole statue entirely because of the many columns and this can be done at the head and feet of the Buddha. I was a little unlucky and the access to the feet was closed due to reconstruction (end of 2017). But in any case, the statue is striking in its size. Be sure to pay attention to the feet – the pattern is made of nacre, which is poured on the light of various colors. I also noticed that few tourists pay attention to the design of the walls and columns, but they are very beautiful. On the outer walls you can see interesting scenes from the Ramayana and original gold ornaments.

View of the statue of the Reclining Buddha from the side of the feet (Wat Pho, Bangkok)

All internal space is divided into two parts. As a rule, you enter the temple from the side of the head of the Buddha and move along his body towards the legs. Then you exit the temple and re-enter through the other doors, moving along the back of the Buddha. It is there that everyone understands where the constant sound of coins comes from. There are 108 bronze bowls along the entire aisle, into which visitors of the temple alternately throw small coins. You can exchange money right there, but you can’t get change from large banknotes; in advance, save yourself with small banknotes of 20 baht per person or coins. If you believe that this will improve your karma and help your wishes come true (which you need to make when you throw coins), then you can do it.

Golden Buddha statue in Phra Ubosot (Wat Pho, Bangkok)

Phra Ubosot is the main building of the temple with a hall in which Buddhist services are held. There is also the main shrine of the temple – a large golden statue of Buddha under a golden umbrella. The walls in the building are also decorated with golden patterns and scenes from the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. During a visit to Phra Ubosot and Wat Pho, do not forget about the rules of conduct, which will be discussed below. In the scheme, Phra Ubosot is labeled with the number 18.

Around Phra Ubosot are galleries and 4 viharnas – the northern, southern, western and eastern (in the diagram marked with numbers 17,15,16 and 14). There are also small courtyards with Buddha statues and Chinese pagodas. At first glance it seems that all the buildings and statues are the same, but in reality it is not. In general, on the territory of the complex there are more than 1000 gilded Buddha statues, which are brought from different regions of the country. And in these galleries, you can see 400 statues. But if you have little time, you can not inspect all the courtyards, since in general they are made symmetrically and you can a cursory inspection of one of them.

42 meter stupas in honor of 4 first kings of the Chakri dynasty

Throughout the entire complex of Wat Pho, you can count 95 stupas (chedi), of which 4 are dedicated to kings and the rest to members of the royal family. The 4 highest stupas with the stepped base are those of the first kings of the Chakri dynasty – Rama I, Rama II, Rama III and Rama IV. All 4 stupas have a height of 42 meters, so they are visible from any part of the temple complex. The oldest of the big stupas is decorated with green mosaic, and the newest is blue. Around large stupas there are also galleries with gilded statues of a standing Buddha under the roof. Please note that the roofs are very low and you can accidentally hit your head (I did not avoid this).

Phra Mandop is another big stupa that I was not able to visit because of the reconstruction. There is a rich temple library with valuable ancient manuscripts. In the diagram of Wat Pho, you can see this building at number 13.

400 gilded statues of Buddha in the central part of the temple of Wat Pho

The school of Thai massage and traditional Thai medicine is indicated in the diagram at number 20. Not everyone knows, but traditional Thai massage originated in the territory of the temple of Wat Pho. By the way, that is why in the temple you will find sculptures dedicated to this massage. Nowadays, anyone can take a 5-day course and learn the basic principles of Thai massage. And if you are just tired of the temple excursion, then you can get Thai massage from professional masseurs directly at the temple. You will have to pay 420 THB for an hour-long classic Thai massage or foot massage, or 260 THB for half an hour.

Chinese statues on the territory of the temple of Wat Pho

Chinese statues. Walking through the grounds of the temple of Wat Pho, you will see many gray stone statues of various sizes. These statues are of Chinese origin and were previously used on ships for ballast. Currently, the statues look very harmonious in a Thai temple, and you probably want to take a couple of photos on their background.

In some ways, the territory of the temple of Wat Pho is a beautiful park. There are benches, ponds, artificial waterfall, beautifully trimmed trees and shrubs. Therefore, just walking in the park is very interesting. There is also a part of the temple, closed to tourists, in which the monks’ cells and some service temple rooms are located. Of course, on the territory there are toilets and souvenir shops.

Beautiful artificial waterfall in the territory of Wat Pho temple

Practical information about Temple of the Reclining Buddha

Opening hours of the temple Wat Pho: every day from 08:30 to 18:30 (8:30 am – 06:30 pm)

Entrance fee for foreigners: 100 THB. Before visiting the temple, I read on the Internet that the change at the box office is not issued and you need to have the necessary amount. But during my time, people received change from 500 THB banknotes without problems, so the information for 2018 was not confirmed.

The official address of the Wat Pho temple: 2 Sanamchai Road, Grand Palace Subdistrict, Pranakorn District, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand. The entrance gate to the temple complex is located on the street Maha Rat Rd, so it is better to immediately go here. This is a long street that runs along the river past the walls of the Grand Royal Palace.

The official website of Wat Pho (link to the English version). The site has the opportunity to see 360-degree images of the entire temple and individual rooms.

The rules of visiting Wat Pho in Bangkok

– When you decide to go to the temple of Wat Pho, make sure in advance that your clothes comply with a strict dress code. Your clothes should cover your shoulders, chest, abdomen, back, legs above the knees. The rule applies to men and women. I visited the temple in denim shorts to the knees and a ordinary T-shirt, missed without any problems.

– On the territory of the temple complex, you can walk in shoes, but before entering the building with the Reclining Buddha you must take off your shoes. As a rule, before entering there are containers with free plastic bags in which you can put your shoes and carry them with you. You must also take off your shoes before entering Phra Ubozot. For this you can find special containers near the entrance.

Make sure your clothes comply with the rules before purchasing a ticket to Wat Pho temple

– In all religious buildings, it is forbidden to speak loudly, laugh, behave provocatively. It is better to turn on the silent mode on the smartphone and not use the flash when photographing inside the temple buildings.

– According to Buddhist customs, women are not allowed to touch the statues of the Buddha, as well as Buddhist monks.

– When you sit, your legs should not be stretched towards the statue or image of the Buddha (according to the rules, the feet should be folded under your body). Also allowed to sit in the lotus position.

– Do not sit on the stupas and do not try to climb on them – this can cause serious problems for you!

– You can not step on the rapids during the passage of doorways. This is not officially prohibited, but according to Buddhist beliefs, can bring failure.

Tips before visiting Wat Pho

A cursory examination of the Wat Pho temple takes at least one hour, but many tourists spend several hours on the temple complex, even without visiting a Thai massage. Therefore, in advance, stock up on drinking water, because on the territory of the temple it can be hot even in the morning and evening, when there are a minimum of tourists in the temple. The entrance ticket to the temple includes two tear-off coupons. The first you give at the entrance, and the second allows you to get a small bottle of drinking water for free a little further into the temple. The bottle is small – 350 ml, so it will not last long.

A bottle of drinking water is included in the price of a ticket to Wat Pho

The temple complex of Wat Pho is close to other sights of Bangkok – the Grand Royal Palace, Temple of the Morning Dawn (Wat Arun). Also nearby are the Giant Swings and the Wat Saket (Golden Mount Temple). Therefore, many tourists want to visit all these attractions in one day. Theoretically this is possible, but it is better to do it on different days. First, you may not have enough time, even if you started the tour in the morning. And secondly, you quickly get tired and can not see the beauty of these structures. Keep in mind that it takes an average of 1 hour to inspect each of the three temples named, plus the travel time. And to inspect the Grand Palace, you need to allocate at least 4-5 hours.

Should you go to Wat Pho in Bankgok at all? In my opinion, definitely worth it. After all, this is not just an ordinary temple complex in Thailand, but the main royal temple of the country. The most important historical events in the life of Thailand took place in the Wat Pho temple, including the coronation of Rama I, the founder of the ruling Chakri dynasty to this day. In addition, this is just a very beautiful place with a unique atmosphere. And the cost of admission is only 100 THB, or about 3 USD at the rate. For me personally, Wat Pho in Bangkok is the place that I want to visit again and see everything that I could not see earlier because of lack of time. Enjoy yiur visit!

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