Wat Sangkatan

Wat Sangkatan, also spelled Wat Sangkhathan, is a forest-style meditation temple in Nonthaburi’s Bang Phai subdistrict, built across a large, shaded 25-rai plot rather than any riverside setting. It’s best known for Ubosot Kaew, an octagonal, two-storey glass ordination hall that took a year and a half to build, and for Luang Pho Toh, the temple’s large principal Buddha image enshrined inside. Entry is free, open daily 06:00 to 18:00.

The temple’s own history is layered. Records suggest it was originally called Wat Sarikho, built during the late Ayutthaya period by craftsmen trained in the Sri Lankan-influenced style that shaped Sukhothai-era temples. By 1968 it had fallen into ruin — when the monk who’d go on to lead its revival, Luang Pho Sanong Katapunyo, found the site, little remained besides the Luang Pho Toh Buddha image and an old zinc-roofed sala standing in what had become an orchard. He rebuilt it as a place for serious Dhamma practice rather than a stop on the temple-hopping circuit.

Insider Tip: Wat Sangkatan runs regular temporary-ordination (buat nekkhamma) programmes and weekend meditation retreats open to Thai and foreign visitors alike — check with the temple office in advance if you want to join rather than just visit, since retreat participants are asked to wear white.

That practice focus is still the temple’s identity today. The grounds stay shaded and unhurried even this close to Bangkok, and inside the glass ordination hall’s upper floor — used for ordinations, chanting, and sitting meditation — the atmosphere is markedly quieter than at Nonthaburi’s more photographed river temples. The lower floor holds a donation office and a small library.

Watch out: Because the emphasis here is genuine practice rather than sightseeing, a loud or hurried visit draws disapproving looks from resident monks and long-term retreat-goers — keep voices down and phones on silent inside the hall.

Getting there from central Bangkok means the MRT Purple Line to Bang Yai or Bang Phlu station, then a 10 to 15-minute taxi, songthaew, or motorcycle-taxi ride. Dress modestly, covered shoulders and knees, remove shoes before entering any building, and avoid pointing your feet toward the Buddha image.

For a contrasting stop nearby, Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat Worawihan sits directly on the Chao Phraya in the same district, and Nonthaburi’s museum covers the province’s wider history — both pair naturally with a visit here, and Nonthaburi itself is an easy add-on to a Bangkok trip via the MRT.