Wat Nakhon Chum

This Wat Nakhon Chum sits in Mueang Kao subdistrict, about 10 kilometres south of Phichit town — not to be confused with the better-known Wat Phra Borommathat Nakhon Chum in Kamphaeng Phet province, a separate 14th-century temple founded by Sukhothai King Lithai roughly 80 kilometres away. Entry here is free, open daily 06:00-18:00, and the draw is one of the region’s older surviving ordination halls rather than a headline landmark.

The temple was founded during the Sukhothai period, likely in the 14th century, and remained a significant place of worship through the Ayutthaya era — for a time it was one of the principal temples of old Phichit town, whose historic site sits alongside the temple grounds. Its original ubosot still stands, notable for its age and construction: a thick base, two unusually narrow entrance doors, and small openings cut into the walls to let in interior light, with a lower structure of brick and mortar topped by wooden upper sections. Inside, thick columns lead the eye to an altar holding a large Sukhothai-style Buddha image known as Luang Po Phan — historically the statue before which Phichit’s residents and officials swore oaths of loyalty to the monarch, a Thai custom known as the water-of-allegiance ceremony. The temple’s most famous image, Luang Pho Phet, was once enshrined here too, before it was moved to Wat Tha Luang, Phra Aram Luang in Phichit town, where it remains the city’s principal Buddha image today. A modern viharn, rebuilt on the old foundations, now stands nearby — its exterior covered in silvered mirror mosaic, with interior murals depicting Buddhist stories.

Insider Tip: Combine the visit with the old city site next door — the historic centre of pre-modern Phichit sits right alongside the temple grounds, so you get two layers of the town’s history in one stop.

Watch out: Don’t confuse this temple with Kamphaeng Phet’s Wat Nakhon Chum when researching or navigating — they share a name but are roughly 80 kilometres apart in different provinces, with different founding stories.

Dress modestly with covered shoulders and long trousers, and remove your shoes before entering the ubosot. The temple sits just off the Phichit-Sam Ngam-Wang Chik road, easily reached by car or local transport from Phichit town centre — there’s no direct public bus route to the temple gate itself.