When one thinks about a holiday in Bangkok, visuals of long stretches of beaches and a thriving nightlife scene come to mind. While the experience of both those things in Bangkok is truly incredible, one tourist aspect of the city that is often overlooked is its temples.
Rich with marvels of architecture and rich Thai (and Asian) history, these temples may be overlooked by international tourists, but are still extremely popular and can turn out to be surprisingly crowded.
If you’re looking to avoid the crowds and still get an experience of the Thai culture, you may want to look into these unseen temples of Bangkok:
Wat Suthat
The Wat Suthat is an ancient Buddhist Temple in Bangkok belonging to the Rattanakosin era. It is one of the few temples in Thailand that can be identified as the highest grade and classy Royal temples. The construction of the temple was started by Rama I in the 18th century and was completed during the reign of King Rama III in 1847.
Ticket Cost in THB
Admission fee to Wat Suthat is 20 baht.
How Much Time is Needed to Explore
A time span of 1 – 2 hours should be kept aside to visit Wat Suthat. Explore the beauty and majesty of the Phra Si Sakyamuni, which is a 8-meter high bronze Buddha image and the magnificent mural paintings that depict the stories of the life of Buddha adorning the walls of Viharn and 150 images of Buddha in the galleries surrounding the viharn. Also, go round the ordination hall and the Sala Kan Parian and get clicked at the iconic, red Giant Swing.
Distance From Pratunam & Sukhimvit
The distance from Pratunam to Wat Suthat is around 6 kilometres and takes around 10 minutes to reach by road. The other taxi route is of 8 kilometres and takes around 13 minutes and the third route is 12.2 kilometres to be reached in 15 minutes. The time range to reach Wat Suthat via bus is 31 minutes to a little more than 1 hour.
The distance from Sukhumvit to Wat Suthat is around 10.9 kilometres and takes approximately 16 minutes to reach by road via taxi and takes around 15 minutes via another route of 6.9 kilometres. The journey time would be around 46 minutes to around 1 hour 20 minutes by bus.
How to Reach (Bus, Taxi, Included in City Tour), Any Tips & Suggestions
From Pratunam
You can walk down to Pantip Pratunam and then catch 79 Inbound or 511 Inbound to Wat Ratchanatdaram and then again walk for another 11 minutes to reach Wat Suthat. Total time taken would be around 26 minutes and fare would be 10 – 35 baht. You can also travel by ferry from Pratunam Pier and avail Golden Mount Line and get down at Phanfa Leelard and then walk for around 11 minutes to reach Wat Suthat. The total journey takes around 40 minutes and fare would be 10 – 20 baht. Taxi will take 5 minutes to travel 5.7 kilometres and charge you 100 – 120 baht.
From Sukhumvit
From Pullman Bangkok Grande Sukhumvit, you can travel to Wat Suthat by availing the BTS Sky Train from Asok station to Saphan Taksin station. Then, travel the rest of the journey via Chao Phraya Express Boat to Ta Chang (Pier N9), and after that get a taxi or tuk-tuk to reach the temple. There are no direct buses to Wat Suthat from Sukhumvit. There are no BTS Skytrain or MRT Metro stations located close to Wat Suthat. The best way to get there is by metred taxi or by tuk tuk, depending on the distance.
One another way is to book a customizable private guided tour of Bangkok that showcases the best of the city. You can include tourist attractions such as Wat Suthat, Summer Palace, Grand Palace and the Floating Market along with the topmost attractions, sample some local cuisine, do some shopping at the bustling markets of Bangkok. You can also do a temple and city tour by tuk tuk at a leisurely pace by including Wat Suthat, Grand Palace, Wat Pho and more.
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat was previously known as Wat Leng Noei Yi. It is the largest and most important Chinese Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand and is known widely for hosting celebrations in several year-round events, including the joyous affair of Chinese New Year and the annual Chinese vegetarian festival. It is also known as The “Dragon Lotus” Temple and sits at the heart of China Town. This temple was opened as Wat Leng Noei Yi in the 1870s and it served as an introduction of Mahayana Buddhism in Bangkok.
How Much Time is Needed to Explore
The temple is open from 9 am to 6 pm daily. Half an hour to one hour should be enough to absorb the peace and solitude of the temple complex.
Distance from Pratunam & Sukhimvit
The distance from Pratunam to the Wat Mangkon Kamalawat is around 6.4 kilometres and takes around 12 minutes to reach by road. It takes approximately 12 minutes to reach by road via taxi covering another route of 7 kilometres and takes around 14 minutes via another longer route of 8.3 kilometres. There are several routes via bus, MRT and BTS from Pratunam to the Wat Mangkon Kamalawat. The travel time ranges from 35 – 53 minutes.
The distance from Sukhumvit to the Wat Mangkon Kamalawat is around 6.1 kilometres and takes approximately 16 minutes to reach by road via taxi and takes around 17 minutes via another longer route of 11.3 kilometres and 18 minutes via yet another 12 kilometres route. There are also bus connectivity via MRT and BTS from Sukhumvit to the Wat Mangkon Kamalawat and the time range varies from 34 – 54 minutes.
How to Reach (Bus, Taxi, Included in City Tour), Any Tips & Suggestions
You can get Wat Mangkon Kamalawat most easily from Yaowarat Road of Chinatown by walking up along either Padungdao or Pleng Nam Road to Charoen Krung, which parallels Yaowarat on its northern side. You need to turn left here. The temple would be on the right hand side of Charoen Krung. You may need to ask a local for pointing out the temple as it does not look like a temple from the outside.
Wat Yannawa
Wat Yannawa is also known as the Boat Temple on account of its shape. It is an old Buddhist temple dating back to the Ayutthaya period. The temple is located in the Sathon district of Bangkok on Charoen Krung Road, Bangkok, Thailand. It has a unique feature of the viharn built in the shape of a Chinese junk vessel. The viharn was built by King Rama III. It was built before the founding of the Rattanakosin Kingdom and was called Wat Kok Khwai.
How Much Time is Needed to Explore
Explore the beauty and peace of Wat Yannawa and stay awed by the beauty of the architecture and the colourful design of the temple. Spend a relaxing one hour in the temple premises watching the people devoutly offering their prayers.
Distance from Pratunam & Sukhimvit
The distance from Pratunam to Wat Yannawa is around 12.7 kilometres and takes around 15 minutes to reach by road. The other taxi route is lesser, just 7.6 kilometres but takes around 20 minutes and there is yet another route of 5.3 kilometres which takes around 23 minutes. The time range to reach Wat Yannawa via bus is approximately half an hour.
The distance from Sukhimvit to Wat Yannawa is around 6.6 kilometres and takes approximately 22 minutes to reach by road via taxi and around 21 minutes via the other longer route of 12.5 kilometres and another route of 8.2 kilometres covered in 22 minutes. By bus, it takes longer. The journey time would vary from around half an hour to around 1 hour.
How to Reach (Bus, Taxi, Included in City Tour), Any Tips & Suggestions
You can get to Wat Yannawa by BTS Sky Train, river boat, taxi or tuk tuk. The boat temple is located in the Sathorn district of Bangkok on the famous Charoen Krung road. It is situated around the southern corner from BTS Sky Train station Saphan Taksin and is within walking distance.
Via Sky Train, you need to get on the Silom Line and get off at Saphan Taksin station. Wat Yannawa is a very short walk away from the station. The easiest way to get to Wat Yannawa is via this BTS Skytrain to the Saphan Taksin station and taking exit 4. By water way or river boat, you need to get on a boat of the orange, yellow or green line of the Chao Phraya River Express boat and get off the boat at the Sathorn pier. From there, Wat Yannawa is just a few minutes of walk away. Travelling by taxi or tuk tuk is the most hassle-free and fastest mode of travel to Wat Yannawa.
Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit
Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit is one of the six royal Buddhist temples of the highest class in the whole of Bangkok, Thailand. The full name of this temple is Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit Rajaworamahavihara and the temple is highly revered. The temple houses the precious relics of Buddha. This temple was built during the period of the Ayutthaya Kingdom even before the city of Bangkok was founded in 1782 and was known as the Wat Salak then.
Ticket Cost in THB
The entry ticket to Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit is just 50 baht.
How Much Time is Needed to Explore
You should devote at least an hour admiring the beauty of the temple. The temple of Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit is quite impressive with several elegant Khmer-style towers. In the olden days, the temple was an important centre of Buddhism of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and is still the home to innumerable precious relics that were found during later excavations.
Distance From Pratunam & Sukhimvit
The distance from Pratunam to Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit is around 7.2 kilometres and takes around 14 minutes to reach by road. The other taxi route is of 8.2 kilometres and takes around 14 minutes and the third route of 9.2 kilometres takes 16 minutes. The time range to reach Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit via bus is 40 minutes to about an hour.
The distance from Sukhimvit to Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit is around 12.1 kilometres and takes approximately 27 minutes to reach by road via taxi and around 35 minutes via the other longer route of 8.9 kilometres and 35 minutes via the third route of 8.7 kilometres. By bus, it takes from 45 minutes to around a bit more than an hour.
How to Reach (Bus, Taxi, Included in City Tour), Any Tips & Suggestions
The cheapest way to get from Pratunam Market to Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit is to travel by bus which will cost 10 – 35 baht and will take about 32 minutes. The quickest way to get from Pratunam Market to Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit is to travel by taxi which costs 110 – 140 baht and takes approximately 7 minutes of travel time. There are direct buses departing from Pantip Pratunam and arriving Opposite Kong Salak. These buses depart every 15 minutes and operate daily with a journey time of approximately 12 minutes.
The cheapest way to get from Bangkok to Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit is to take a bus which costs 10 – 35 baht and takes around 35 minutes, if you catch the 511 Inbound Bus. The next cheapest route would be via Thailand Life in 47 Outbound that takes around 42 minutes by paying equal fare. The MRT blueline charges 25 – 60 baht and takes around 38 minutes to reach. Hiring a taxi is the fastest way to cover the distance in 9 minutes by paying charges amounting to 125 – 150 baht. You just have to take an orange or green flag boat and get off at Tha Chang pier.
Combine the best of temples, food, and markets in the Ayutthaya region by visiting the various remarkable attractions such as the reclining Buddha statue image of Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, the finest prangs of Wat Chaiwatthanaram, elegant carvings and sculptures of mythical animals of Wat Ratchaburana, the gilded Buddha statue of an incredible 19 meters at Wat Phanan Choeng, Grand Buddha image of Wat Phanan Choeng, the fascinating architecture of Bang Pa-In Palace, beauty of Wat Phra Si Sanphet and impressive Wat Lokayasutharam. All these attractions together with Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit make for a lovely full-day Bangkok trip.
I hope that the information provided was really helpful for anyone who is planning a visit to Thailand. For more information on places to visit, things to do, best time to visit or any other information on Thailand please visit :https://www.thailand-tourism.net/thailand-honeymoon-packages/
