Lyle’s Flying Foxes at Wat Chantaram

Wat Chantaram, a village temple in Khok Phutsa subdistrict of Pho Thong district, is better known locally as Wat Ban Chang for the colony of Lyle’s flying foxes roosting in its trees — reportedly numbering in the thousands and established here for generations, according to local news reports. Entry is free, daily 08:00-17:00.

The bats are Lyle’s flying fox (Pteropus lylei), a large fruit bat with a wingspan approaching a metre, protected under Thailand’s Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act. During the day they hang in clusters from the tall trees inside the temple compound, dark shapes visible against the canopy without needing binoculars — though a zoom lens helps for photos, since the roosts sit high. Villagers say the colony has never caused problems for the temple or the community; monks go about daily routines with the bats overhead, and the arrangement has become something of a local point of pride rather than a nuisance to be managed.

Beyond the bats, this is a working village wat rather than a major architectural sight — a modest ordination hall and the usual mix of shrines and outbuildings found at rural Ang Thong temples. The draw is entirely the wildlife: watching a colony this size settle in near-silence during the heat of the day, then start shifting and calling as the light fades toward evening feeding time.

Insider Tip: Arrive in the late afternoon, an hour or two before sunset — the bats are still mostly at rest so you can watch them clearly, and you may catch the start of the evening stir before they head out to feed, without needing to time a dawn or dusk visit exactly.

Watch out: This is a functioning temple, not a wildlife park — there’s no visitor centre, signage, or facilities built around the bats. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) as you would at any Thai temple, and keep noise down; sudden loud sounds can spook a colony this size into flight.

Pho Thong district sits inland from Ang Thong town, in the same general area as Wat Khun Inthapramun and its reclining Buddha. If you’re already touring Ang Thong’s temple circuit, the bat colony makes an easy, unusual add-on that takes twenty minutes rather than a dedicated trip.