Wat Chaiyo Worawihan or Wat Ket Chaiyo

Wat Chaiyo Worawihan, also called Wat Ket Chaiyo, is a second-class royal temple on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River in Ang Thong. It houses Phra Maha Phuttha Phim, known locally as Luang Pho To — a seated meditation-posture Buddha 16.10 metres across the lap and 22.65 metres tall, one of the largest Buddha images in the central plains. Entry is free, and it’s open daily from 06:00 to 17:00.

The original statue was commissioned during King Rama IV’s reign by the monk Somdet Phra Phutthachan (To Phrommarangsi) of Wat Rakhang in Thonburi. It collapsed in 1887 while the ordination hall’s foundations were being laid. King Rama V ordered a replacement modelled on the Luang Pho To at Wat Kalayanamit, and restoration took eight years, finishing in 1895. A three-day consecration — theatrical performances, fireworks, the works — marked its unveiling on 5-7 October that year, said to be the grandest celebration Ang Thong had seen up to that point.

The statue sits inside its own image hall, with a separate ubosot facing the river in front of it. Murals painted during King Rama V’s reign, depicting scenes from the Buddha’s life, cover the ubosot’s interior walls. The Buddha itself received a full re-gilding starting in 1988, carried out under the Fine Arts Department’s supervision, and most of the gold surface visible today dates from that restoration.

Insider Tip: Time a visit for the morning almsround, before tour buses from Bangkok arrive around midday — the image hall is quieter and the light through the doors better for photos.

Watch out: As with any working temple, cover shoulders and knees before entering the image hall or ubosot; sarongs aren’t always available at the gate here, unlike at bigger tourist temples.

Most visitors combine Wat Chaiyo with Wat Pa Mok Worawihan, home to Ang Thong’s giant reclining Buddha, a short drive south along the river road — both are stops on the same riverside pilgrimage route. Wat Muang, with the province’s tallest seated Buddha, is another nearby option if giant Buddha images are the theme of your day. There’s parking on site and no dress-code enforcement beyond the usual temple etiquette.