Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha Temple)

Wat Pho is open daily from 08:00 to 19:30, foreign visitors pay 300 THB (Thai nationals and children under 120 cm go in free), and it holds the 46-metre gold Reclining Buddha. It sits on Sanam Chai Road beside the Grand Palace in Bangkok’s old city, and it is the city’s oldest temple and its largest by area, at 8 hectares.

The temple and its history

King Rama I rebuilt Wat Pho in 1788 on an older Ayutthaya-period site, and later kings added the chedis, courts and stone inscriptions. Rama III turned it into what is often called Thailand’s first public university, with medical, astronomy and literature texts set into the walls. The stone inscriptions are on UNESCO’s Memory of the World register, and the temple’s full name is Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Ratchaworamahawihan.

What to see

The Reclining Buddha is 46 metres long and 15 metres high, plated in gold leaf, and shows the Buddha at the moment before he entered parinirvana. The soles of the feet are inlaid with mother-of-pearl panels showing the 108 auspicious symbols. Along the far wall run 108 bronze bowls, and dropping a coin into each is a merit-making ritual that fills the hall with the sound of falling coins.

The rest of the compound holds more than 99 chedis, among them four large ones for the first four kings of the Chakri dynasty, tiled in colourful porcelain, and more than 1,000 Buddha images in the cloisters and halls. Stone rishi figures in yoga postures stand in the outer courts, and Chinese-style granite guardians watch the gates. The ordination hall (ubosot) is worth a look when the crowd at the Reclining Buddha is thick.

Insider Tip: Wat Pho stays open until 19:30, while Grand Palace tickets stop selling at 15:30. Do the palace first thing, then keep Wat Pho for the late afternoon, when the gold of the Reclining Buddha and the tiled chedis catch the low light and the day-tour groups have moved on.

Thai massage on site

The Wat Pho Thai Traditional Medical School runs a massage service inside the grounds, open 08:00 to 19:30. Thai massage and foot massage both cost 340 THB for 30 minutes, 520 THB for 60 minutes and 1,040 THB for 120 minutes. A Thai massage with balm is 680 THB for 60 minutes, and one with plai oil is 620 THB for 60 minutes. You pay the temple entry as well.

Dress code and temple rules

The temple asks for polite dress with no shorts, and trousers are fine. Women should avoid shorts above the knee, take shoes off and leave them on the shelf before entering any religious building, and keep out of areas set aside for monks. Women should not touch monks or novices. Photographs are welcome, but never step on or climb a Buddha image.

Watch out: If anyone outside says Wat Pho is closed for a ceremony, ignore them. It is a common line to steer visitors to another shop or tour. The gates are open from 08:00 to 19:30.

Getting there

The MRT Blue Line stops at Sanam Chai station, exit 1, a short walk from the gate. By river, take the Chao Phraya Express Boat to Tha Chang or Wat Arun pier and cross by the ferry to Tha Tien. Buses 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 25, 32, 44, 47, 48, 53 and 82 serve the area. Car parking is on Chetuphon Road at 20 THB an hour.

The Grand Palace is 600 metres away and Wat Arun is across the river, which makes Wat Pho the middle stop of the classic old-city loop.