Wat Phrao

Wat Phrao, on Pho Phraya Road in Mueang Suphan Buri, is known locally for two things: a pair of mondops built in Burmese architectural style rather than the central-Thai style common elsewhere in Suphan Buri, and a colony of hundreds of thousands of fruit bats roosting in the trees behind the temple. Entry is free, and the grounds are open daily from early morning.

The larger of the two mondops houses four carved stone Buddha footprints dating to around 1905, reproductions in the Myanmar style rather than the Thai wihan design you’ll see at most temples in the province. Older still are the red sandstone boundary markers (bai sema) and Buddha images from the late U Thong period scattered around the compound — evidence the site was in use well before the current buildings went up. Wat Phrao was registered as a national historical site in 2005.

The temple has gone by three names across its history. It started as Wat Pho Phra, named for the local area, then became Wat Kaew Phrao, before settling on Wat Phrao — a name that comes from the phrao (coconut palms) planted around the pond next to the main hall. Luang Pu Muan, an abbot who led the temple from 1887 to 1929, is credited with much of its development and is honoured with statues around the grounds. Once a year, during the twelfth lunar month, the temple holds a gilding ceremony for one of its sacred images — worth timing a visit around if you want to see the temple at its most active.

Watch out: The bat colony, sheltered in a section of the grounds called Vang Khang Khao, is large enough that the trees beneath it smell exactly like you’d expect. It’s a genuine wildlife spectacle at dusk, but not somewhere to linger directly underneath.

Wat Phrao sits about 9 km from central Suphan Buri, close enough to Wat Phra Non to combine both in one trip, with the Pho Phraya market nearby for food afterwards. Dress modestly — covered shoulders and knees — and remove your shoes before entering the mondops or main hall.