Wat Bang Pla

Wat Bang Pla sits on the bank of the Tha Chin River in Ban Ko subdistrict, Samut Sakhon, founded in 1904 during the reign of King Rama V. Entry is free and the temple is open daily 08:00–16:30. Its best-known feature is a hand-carved wooden pavilion commissioned by Prince Chumphon Khetudomsak, still standing along the entrance walkway.

The temple holds a royal footnote: on 31 July 1905, Rama V stopped here while travelling upriver and took his morning meal at the temple, an event recorded in the royal chronicles. The old ordination hall is the architectural centrepiece — a brick structure with curved-base sema boundary stones and decorative stucco moulding featuring dragon-chasing-pearl motifs. Inside the old viharn, murals roughly 200 years old depict scenes from the Buddha’s life, painted by Sri Lankan and European artists. The compound also houses four reliquary urns containing the ashes of revered former abbots: Luang Pu Nut, Ajarn Plian, Luang Pu Khaek and Luang Pu Songkhon.

Wat Bang Pla is registered as a historic site by Thailand’s Fine Arts Department and serves as a gathering place for the local Mon Buddhist community, particularly during Visakha Bucha and the Vassa retreat season — expect more monks, more merit-making trays, and a fuller car park on those dates. Outside festival periods it’s a quiet working temple. The canal in front of the temple is a fish sanctuary, with large striped catfish visible in the water along the bank; locals often stop to feed them on the way in.

Insider Tip: Bring bread or fish food from a shop near the Ban Ko turn-off to feed the catfish in the canal — a common local habit, and the water churns with fish within seconds of the first handful going in.

Watch out: the old ordination hall and viharn are working prayer spaces, not photo backdrops — Mon community members often visit to make merit, especially around Visakha Bucha, so keep voices low and ask before photographing anyone at prayer.

There’s no direct public transport to Wat Bang Pla; a car, taxi, or motorbike from central Samut Sakhon is the easiest way in, and the temple has free parking. Pair the visit with Wat Chetsadaram in Maha Chai or the ordination hall at Wat Yai Chom Prasat, both a short drive away.