Wat Matchimawat (Songkhla)

Wat Matchimawat — commonly seen misspelled as Wat Machimawas, and known locally as Wat Klang (“middle temple”) — sits in the heart of Songkhla Old Town. Entry to both the temple grounds and its museum is free. The temple grounds are open daily; the museum wing keeps stricter hours, Wednesday to Sunday, 09:00-16:00, closed Monday and Tuesday.

The temple dates to the 17th century, funded by Yai Sri Chan, a wealthy Songkhla noblewoman in the late Ayutthaya period, and was originally called Wat Yai Sri Chan after her. As two more temples were built nearby — Wat Liao to the north, Wat Pho to the south — locals started calling it Wat Klang simply because of its position between them. Prince Vachirayan Varoros gave it its formal name, Wat Matchimawat, during a visit to Songkhla in 1888. Inside the Ayutthaya-style ordination hall, well-preserved powder-paint murals cover the walls — scenes from the Buddha’s life, the Ten Birth Stories, assemblies of deities, and depictions of the mixed Thai and Chinese communities that have lived in Songkhla for centuries, painted in a style that blends central Thai and Chinese artistic influence.

Insider Tip: The Matchimawat National Museum, tucked inside the temple compound, was Songkhla’s first public museum (opened 1940) and is easy to miss if you only visit the ordination hall — its collection of antiques and Buddha images, largely donated from Sathing Phra district before WWII, is worth the extra 20 minutes.

Watch out: don’t confuse this free museum with the separate Songkhla National Museum a short walk away in the old town — that one occupies a different, colonial-era building and charges admission (30 THB Thai nationals, 200 THB foreigners). Wat Matchimawat’s own museum is free.

The temple sits within walking distance of the rest of Songkla Old Town and the Songkhla Old City Wall, making it an easy stop on a walking loop of the historic district rather than a standalone detour. Dress modestly, remove your shoes before entering the ordination hall, and avoid pointing your feet toward the Buddha images.