10 Amazing Must See Bucket List Temples in Thailand (PHOTOS)
If you’re coming to Thailand for more than a few weeks there is an abundance of historical Temple sites you can visit to feel connected with Thai culture and Theravada Buddhism. Thailand is a land with allegedly 30,000 temples sprawled across its countryside, not a small number.
Most temples travellers will never visit or care to take the time to visit due to predetermined plans and time constraints. I get it, a holiday is a holiday. Who wants to bust their guts climbing steep staircases just to stare at a few statues? I do, and so should you. Trust me you will be rewarded.
There are the crown jewels of Thai Temples including the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and the Temple of Dawn. All of these I highly recommend if you’re spending a few days in Bangkok. Especially Wat Pho as it’s the site of Thailand’s first University and also the birthplace of Thai massage.
While these Temples you will often see on Thailand Tourism advertising there are an abundance of relatively lesser known temples to visit and soak in the experience of a new culture.
I’ve compiled this list of 10 of my favourite temples I’ve visited in Thailand to give tourists some ideas of different locations to visit. I’ve included Wat Rong Khun because it truly is a one of a kind Temple which should be on your to do list if venturing up to the Chiang Rai region in Northern Thailand.
Why Temples you might be asking?
Buddhist culture in Thailand involves merit making. This practice if often done in honour of the Enlightened One, Gautama Buddha. It’s at temples everyday, especially on weekends that Thai’s congregate to appease their bad karma by their will of mindfulness, dedication to the Dharma and acknowledging the sacrifice of others.
You will experience many facet’s of Buddhist and Thai culture by spending some time at a local Temple. The sights, sounds, laughter and food will all be witnessed, awarding you an authentic experience of daily life in Thailand.
By no means is this list in any rated form. There are thousands of other temples to discover and explore, this list is just a taste of the amazing places you will find around the corner when traveling in Thailand.
10. PRASAT HIN PHIMAI
Located in Esan the Phimai Historical Park is made up of 11th century Khmer ruins housed inside grand defensive walls, similar in size to the grounds of Angkor Wat. A visit to Phimai enables you to experience the sheer size of the Angkor civilisation.
Phimai includes both Hindu and Buddhist styles of architecture and is continually being restored by the Thai Fine Arts Department.
9. PHUTTHA MONTHON
Phuttha Monthon is a 400 hectare Buddhist Park roughly an hours drive west of Bangkok. The parks construction was initiated by then Thai Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram in 1957 to mark the 2500 year in the Buddhist calender.
Located in the park is the above Marble Viharn which houses the entire Buddhist canon engraved on marble pillars. Another grand attraction at Phuttha Monthon is a 16 metre tall statue of Gautama Buddha.
8. PHRA PATHOMMACHEDI
This awe inspiring Chedi is the tallest in Thailand, standing at a height of 122 metres.
Located in Nakhon Pathom the Chedi was thought to have been the tallest in the world before it was confirmed the Jetavanaramaya Chedi in Sri Lanka topped it by 2 metres.
7. PHRAYA NAKHON CAVE
A short drive from the beach town of Hua Hin is the Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park. This beautiful park is home to the spectacular Phraya Nakhon Cave and the Kuha Karuhas Pavilion.
The Pavilion was built to celebrate the first visit of King Chulalongkorn (RAMA 5) in 1980.
6. KAMPHAENG PHET
Located on the banks of the Ping River sits the picturesque Kamphaeng Phet Historical Site. Named in 1991 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site Kampaeng Phet formed part of the Ancient Kingdom of Sukhothai, the former Capital of Ancient Siam in the 13th century.
A visit to Kamphaeng Phet requires several days to see all of the various temples comfortably. Be sure not to miss visiting Wat Phra Si Iriyabot and the former palace in the centre of town Wat Phra Kaeo.
5. WAT MUANG
The Great Buddha of Thailand is located at the Wat Muang Monastary in the Ang Thong Province. Wat Muang was one of my first experiences visiting a Buddhist temple two years ago when I first moved to Thailand. It’s a location that has to be seen to be believed.
Standing at a height of 92 metres the Great Buddha is heralded as the tallest free standing statue of Buddha in the world. Within the Monastery are various Temples for merit making and also bizarre depictions of Ancient Thai folklores.
Ang Thong is located a 2 hour drive from Bangkok, traffic permitting of course.
4. WAT RONG KHUN
Known in the western world as The White Temple, Chiang Rai’s Wat Rong Khun is an incredible collision of traditional Thai Architecture and modern pop culture.
Born from the creative genious of famed Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, The White Temple will amaze you with its dazzling complexity.
Construction began in 1997 and hasn’t stopped since with new sections being added continually. Wat Rong Khun suffered severe constructural damage in the Mae Lao earthquake in 2014.
Initially Kositpipat announced the Temple was beyond repair, however after closer inspection it was decided it could be saved.
The entire Temple grounds is not fully accesible as a result of the damage. Witnessing this majestic Temple simply from the outside is definitely worth a visit.
3. SANCTUARY OF TRUTH
With a contruction period of 69 years the Sanctuary of Truth located in Pattaya is a Temple you could visit more than a dozen times and never bore of it. I’ve visited 3 times now and each time something new has been added to its impressive design.
Constructed entirely out of wood the Sanctuary is a reflection of Buddhist and Hindu motifs. The Sanctuary was commissioned by late Thai businessman Lek Viriyaphant who also created the Ancient City and Erawan Museum in Samut Prakan just outside of Bangkok.
2. PRASAT HIN PHANOM RUNG
Ancient Temple ruins don’t come any more spectacular than Prasat Hin Phanom Rung located in Burriram, Esan, Thailand. This 13th century Hindu Temple complex was built on the edge of an extinct volcano in honour of the Hindu deity Shiva by the Khmer Kingdom.
The raised hilltop location was chosen to represent Shiva’s heavenly dwelling of Mount Kailash. Phanom Rung is most renowned for it’s 160 metre processional walkway leading up to the main Temple shrines atop the hill.
1. SALA KEOKU
For anyone venturing up through Northern Thailand with the intention of crossing the Nong Khai border to Laos should consider a few day’s visit here to visit this last marvel.
Sala Keoku is a park Labyrinth consisting of hundreds of statues and sculptures from both Buddhist and Hindu mythology. Born from the personal vision of Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat the park now houses his mummified body in a three story pavilion built after his death in 1996.
Before moving across the border to Thailand Sulilat began constructing a smaller mythical Buddha park on the Laos side of the Mekong River.
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