Wat Pa Pradu

Wat Pa Pradu’s reclining Buddha is the reason to stop here — 11.95 metres long, 3.6 metres high, sheathed in gold leaf, and lying on its left side rather than the right, the pose almost every other reclining Buddha in Thailand uses. Entry is free, daily from 08:00 to 17:00.

The temple’s history stretches back to the Ayutthaya period, though the original structure had fallen into ruin by the time a monk named Tian took up residence inside it. Villagers who came to respect him helped rebuild the site and gave him a house to live in, and the community’s ongoing support eventually saw the temple raised to royal monastery status in 1980 — it was known before then as Wat Pa Lelai. The current reclining Buddha hall was completed the following year, in 1981.

Tradition holds that the left-side reclining pose depicts the Yamaka Patihariya, or Twin Miracle, in which the Buddha is said to have manifested duplicate images that faced each other, both lying on their left sides. Whatever the exact origin, it makes the statue instantly recognisable among Thailand’s reclining Buddhas, and generations of visitors gilding it with gold leaf have left the surface with a thick, worn patina. Several smaller prayer halls surround the main hall, with murals and Buddha images in a range of postures, and resident monks chant morning and evening.

Insider Tip: Bring a small square of gold leaf (sold at stalls near the entrance) to apply to the statue yourself — it’s the customary way to make merit here, rather than just photographing it.

Dress modestly and remove your shoes before entering the halls. The temple sits just off Sukhumvit Road on the edge of Rayong town, an easy stop by car, motorbike, or songthaew alongside nearby Wat Lahan Rai or Phra Chedi Klang Nam.