Wat Saket

Wat Saket is a community temple on the Chao Phraya’s east bank in Chaiyaphum subdistrict, Chaiyo district, Ang Thong — not the Golden Mount temple of the same name in Bangkok, roughly 100 km away. Entry is free and the grounds are open daily 08:00–17:00. Records place the temple’s founding before the Ayutthaya period, and it remains an active Mahanikaya-sect monastery rather than a tourist landmark.

The temple was originally named Wat Sao Thong Hin. Temple tradition holds that in the late 16th century, during the wars between Ayutthaya and Burmese-allied forces, King Naresuan the Great routed an enemy army near Ban Saket — in what is now Chaiyaphum subdistrict — and rested his troops at the temple afterward, washing his hair at its pond. That act of “sa ket” (hair-washing) gave the temple its present name. The story is separate from, and predates, Bangkok’s unrelated Wat Saket by centuries. In 1970, King Rama IX and Queen Sirikit visited to make merit in honour of King Naresuan, a visit still noted locally as the temple’s most significant modern event.

Watch out: Giving a taxi or ride-hailing driver just “Wat Saket” risks sending you to the Golden Mount in Bangkok. Specify Chaiyo district, Ang Thong, or share the coordinates directly.

Visits here are unhurried — there’s no ticket booth, no dress-code enforcement beyond normal temple etiquette, and few other tourists. The grounds work best as a stop alongside other Chaiyo-district temples rather than a destination on their own; Wat Chaiyo Worawihan and the reclining Buddha at Wat Khun Inthapramun are both within the same stretch of Ang Thong.

Insider Tip: Pair the visit with Ang Thong’s other Chaiyo-district temples on the same outing — they sit close enough together along the river road to cover in a single half-day loop, and Wat Saket rarely sees a crowd to work around.

Getting There

Wat Saket is located at Chaiyo, Ang Thong. View on Google Maps.

Tips for Visitors

• Dress modestly — cover shoulders and knees. Sarongs may be available at the entrance.
• Remove your shoes before entering any building.
• Keep your voice low and your head below any Buddha images when seated.
• Avoid pointing your feet at Buddha images or monks.