Wat Luang Phrommawat

Wat Luang Phrommawat’s most distinctive feature isn’t in the ordination hall — it’s overhead. A large colony of giant fruit bats, known locally as ค้างคาวแม่ไก่ (flying foxes), has roosted in the temple’s trees for more than a hundred years, and watching them stir at dusk is as much a reason to visit as the temple itself. It’s a genuine, long-running feature of the site rather than anything arranged for tourists.

The temple itself, in Wat Luang subdistrict of Chonburi’s Phanat Nikhom district, dates to around 1714 by local record — roughly three centuries old, and home to 14 abbots across that span. It once played a specific role in Siamese administration: officials would gather here for the water oath ceremony (thue nam phiphat sattaya), drinking consecrated water as a pledge of loyalty to the king, a rite that gave the temple standing well beyond an ordinary village monastery. Today it functions as a regular working temple — an ordination hall, resident monks, the daily routines of merit-making — set back about 700 metres from Highway 315, the Phanat Nikhom-Chachoengsao road.

Insider Tip: Late afternoon is the best time to see the bat colony active — they roost quietly through the heat of the day and stir as the light drops, which also happens to be the coolest, most comfortable time to walk the grounds.

Dress modestly — shoulders and knees covered — and remove your shoes before entering any of the halls. A car or taxi from central Phanat Nikhom is the practical way in; there’s no direct public transport route to the temple. It pairs well with Ho Phra Phanatbodi and Wat Tai Ton Lan, both in the same district, if you’re making a half-day of Phanat Nikhom’s older sites.