Wat Phrathat Wayo (Wat Huai Nam Sap)

Wat Phrathat Wayo (Wat Huai Nam Sap) centers on a 39-metre, three-tiered chedi in Sanam Chai Khet district, Chachoengsao — gold, blue, and white bands stacked with four naga staircases climbing from each direction. It’s free to visit, open daily from 8am to 5pm, and best known locally for Luang Pho Prot Nee, a Buddha image devotees visit specifically to pray for relief from debt.

What’s There

The chedi has three internal levels, each a different color and each holding its own set of Buddha images: the ground floor is gold-toned with five standing Buddhas, the second level has blue-tiled columns and more statues, and the top white level is normally closed, opening only on Buddhist holy days for panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. Behind the chedi, under a large bodhi tree, sits Luang Pho Prot Nee — a seated Buddha in the maravichai (subduing Mara) pose that draws a steady stream of visitors specifically asking for help clearing debt or improving business fortunes, a devotional niche unusual enough that it’s become the temple’s main draw. The grounds also hold a 29-metre standing Buddha (Luang Pho Yai Pran Phra), a monument to the site’s traditional founder Somdej Pho Sai Khum Fa, and small shrines to Ganesha and Guanyin.

Atmosphere and Timing

The temple started as a modest monk’s hermitage before local supporters, led by Mae Sujitra Panthong, helped formalize it as a full temple in 1985 — the chedi and most current buildings post-date that. Chachoengsao sits far enough east of Bangkok that this stays a Thai-visitor site rather than a foreign-tourist stop; expect the crowd to be locals making merit or praying at the debt-relief Buddha rather than sightseeing groups.

Practical Information

Insider Tip: Time a visit for a Buddhist holy day (wan phra) if you want access to the chedi’s third-floor viewing level — on ordinary days it stays locked and you only see the ground and second floors.

Watch out: This is deep in Sanam Chai Khet district, well off the main Chachoengsao town routes — a car or motorbike is the practical way in, since public transport options this far out are limited.