Wat Rai Khing

Wat Rai Khing sits on the Tha Chin River in Sam Phran district, Nakhon Pathom — about 30 kilometres west of Bangkok on Phetkasem Road — and is best known for Luang Pho Wat Rai Khing, one of the most visited Buddha images in the provinces around the capital. Entry is free, and the temple is open daily from 08:00 to 16:00.

The Buddha image itself is cast in Chiang Saen style, seated in the attitude of Subduing Mara, and temple history holds it was found floating in the river and brought here from Wat Sala Poon when the current sanctuary was established, according to temple records, in 1791. It’s credited to Lanna and Lan Xang craftsmen, and locals eventually shortened the temple’s formal name — Wat Mongkol Chinda Ram, granted by the senior monk Somdet Phra Phuttha Chan — to simply Wat Rai Khing, after the surrounding area. Today it draws a steady stream of Thai visitors making merit and, during festival periods, applying gold leaf to the image.

Insider Tip: Come on a Sunday and you get two experiences in one — the temple itself, and the market that sets up around it selling food and river produce. A short boat ride from the temple pier (around 60 THB return) also runs to Don Wai Market on the opposite bank.

Beside the temple, a stretch of the Tha Chin River functions as a protected fish sanctuary — buy a bag of bread or fish food at the pier and the water churns with catfish and other species drawn by the free meal. It’s a simple, low-key activity, but it’s genuinely popular with Thai families visiting on weekends, and it gives the riverside a livelier feel than the temple grounds themselves.

Watch out: The riverside market and fish-feeding area get genuinely busy on Sunday mornings and during the annual fair — arrive early if you want to see the main hall without a crowd.

Dress modestly for the ordination hall — covered shoulders and knees — and expect to remove your shoes before entering. If you’re staying in the area, Samphran Riverside is a short drive away for a longer riverside stop, and Don Wai Market across the river makes an easy combined trip, especially if you take the boat from the temple pier rather than driving around. Both sit within Nakhon Pathom province’s cluster of riverside attractions west of Bangkok.