Song Sawoei Temple

Song Sawoei Temple in Wat Sing district owes its name to a royal visit rather than any architectural style. Founded originally as Wat Ban Nong Khaew, the temple was renamed around 1908 (BE 2451) after King Chulalongkorn — Rama V — stopped here to dine while inspecting the local canal network by rail. Villagers asked permission to add “Song,” a royal honorific, giving the temple its current name: roughly, “the temple where the king dined.” It remains an active monastery under the Mahanikai order, free to visit daily.

The temple’s ordination hall, built in 1937 and enclosed by a boundary wall, houses the principal Buddha image, Luang Pho Thong (Phra Phuttha Suwan Maha Chai Muni), regarded locally as sacred. Just as notable is the small on-site museum, which displays artifacts said to have belonged to Prince Uruphong Ratsamiphop, one of Rama V’s sons — an antique sword, a palm-leaf fan, an old lantern, a sampan boat, and a teapot, alongside other household items from the period. It’s a modest collection, but a genuine link to the royal visit that gave the temple its name, and rare among rural Chainat temples.

Insider Tip: Ask a temple caretaker to open the small museum room if it isn’t already — it isn’t always staffed, and the Rama V-era artifacts are easy to miss if you only walk the main courtyard.

Chainat itself sees relatively few foreign visitors, and the crowd at Song Sawoei Temple reflects that — mostly local devotees rather than tour groups, which makes for an unhurried visit. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered), remove shoes before entering the ordination hall, and keep voices low if monks are chanting.

The temple sits in Wat Sing district, roughly 30-45 minutes from central Chainat by car — a songthaew or motorbike taxi works from Wat Sing town itself, but there’s no direct public transport from Chainat city. Wat Singh Satit, another temple in the same district, makes a reasonable pairing if you’re already making the trip out to Wat Sing.