Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai

Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai in Samut Prakan houses Luang Pho To, a 3-metre gilded bronze Buddha cast in Sukhothai style that legend says surfaced floating in Khlong Samrong canal during the Ayutthaya period. Entry is free, the temple opens daily 08:00–17:00, and it sits behind the Old Bang Phli Market off Thepharak Road.

The temple dates to the middle Ayutthaya period and was originally called Wat Phlapphla Chai Chana Songkhram — built, according to local record, to commemorate King Naresuan’s victory over a Burmese army in this area. It now holds the rank of third-class royal temple. Luang Pho To sits in the main viharn, its open-eyed gaze and subduing-Mara pose distinguishing it from more common Buddha postures. Folklore ties the statue to four other revered Buddha images said to have floated down separate rivers to five different brothers — sibling statues are venerated today at Wat Sothon in Chachoengsao, Wat Rai Khing in Nakhon Pathom, and Wat Ban Laem in Samut Songkhram, among others. Whether or not you follow the legend, the statue draws a steady stream of worshippers who come to gild small squares of gold leaf onto the image and leave lotus buds at its base.

Insider Tip: Pair a visit with the Old Bang Phli Market next door — a wooden shophouse market that’s stood for more than a century, with noodle stalls and river-facing teak houses worth the extra half hour.

The temple’s best-known event is Rap Bua, the Lotus Receiving (or Throwing) Festival, held over 7 to 9 days around the 11th lunar month — usually late September into early October, timed to the end of Buddhist Lent. A boat carrying a Buddha image is paddled along Khlong Samrong while onlookers lining the banks throw lotus flowers aboard as it passes, a gesture unique to this temple among Thailand’s Buddhist festivals.

Watch out: Rap Bua draws large crowds and heavy traffic around Bang Phli — if you’re visiting purely for the temple itself rather than the festival, go on an ordinary day instead.

Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, and remove shoes before entering the viharn. The temple works well combined with a stop at Wat Bang Phli Yai Klang, a short walk away, or the Old Bang Phli Floating Market for lunch before heading back toward Samut Prakan.