Phra Borommathat Wora Wihan Temple

Wat Phra Borommathat Worawihan predates most of central Thailand’s better-known temples, built during the period when Khmer power extended across the Chao Phraya River basin, long before Ayutthaya became the capital. Its chedi enshrines a Buddha relic, and the temple carries a role most visitors don’t expect from a quiet Chainat riverside wat: it’s one of the sites nationally where sacred water is drawn for the Nam Apphisek ceremony, the water-blessing rite performed for every Thai monarch’s coronation.

The main ordination hall houses a large stucco Buddha image seated in the Mara-vanquishing pose, alongside a sandstone Buddha image on a naga throne — a style showing Mahayana influence rare this far from Thailand’s older Khmer-era sites. A nine-chambered vihara nearby holds the spring the temple draws its ceremonial water from, reckoned to be some 700 years old. The temple’s history runs deep enough that King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit chose it for their first official visit to Chai Nat province, on 27 September 1955 — a detail local guides still point to as evidence of the site’s standing.

Morning is the quieter time to visit, before the heat builds along the Chao Phraya riverbank where the temple sits in Moo 6, Tambon Chai Nat. It functions as a working temple rather than a tourist stop, so expect ordinary devotional activity — locals making merit, monks going about the day — rather than a curated visitor experience.

Insider Tip: Ask about the 700-year-old spring inside the nine-chambered vihara — it’s easy to walk past without realising its role in national coronation ceremonies, since nothing marks it as prominently as the main chedi.

Dress modestly (covered shoulders and knees), remove shoes before entering any building, and avoid pointing your feet toward Buddha images. The temple sits in Mueang Chai Nat district and is reachable by local transport from Chainat town centre; having your own car or motorbike gives more flexibility given the modest public transport options in the area. If you’re touring Chai Nat’s temples, Wat Mahatat Chainat is another historic site worth pairing it with.