TRAVEL/INSPIRATION/CULTURE
My Visit to Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha
A place where history, beauty, and peace intertwine
“To travel Thailand is to awaken your soul.” — Unknown
In November 2023, my family and I explored three gems of Southeast Asia: Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Thailand, though, was something else. My sister and her family live there as American expats, so we were lucky to get a deeper look.
One of the most memorable spots? Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. It’s not just any temple — it’s one of Thailand’s oldest, most revered, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wat Pho sits on Rattanakosin Island, Bangkok’s oldest district, right along the Chao Phraya River. And it’s close to the Grand Palace, which meant we could see everything on the same day. We even visited Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, just around the corner.
Walking through its grounds, I felt the weight of its centuries-old history everywhere. Founded long before Bangkok was even a thought, it was later chosen by King Rama I to become the royal temple, sparking the city’s rise as the new capital. He had Buddha statues brought from ancient sites in Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, and they’re still there, gracing…
