Wat Ton Son

Wat Ton Son takes its name from a pine tree that once grew on the grounds — “Ton Son” means pine tree, not the “high tree” some older listings claim. It serves Ban Laem, a fishing district on Phetchaburi’s coast, and stays active as a working neighbourhood temple rather than a curated sight. Entry is free.

The temple has carried several names over its history — Wat Sonthaya, Wat Nok, and Wat Nok Ton Son among them — before “Wat Ton Son” became the settled version. No record survives of exactly when it was founded, but temple documentation names Phra Athikan Khlam as the first recorded abbot, serving from roughly 1783 to 1804, which puts an established monastery here by the late 18th century.

Its best-known feature is Luang Pho Samrit, a bronze Buddha image with a story locals still tell in detail: in 1842, it’s said to have floated up and struck the boat of a betel-nut trader passing by. Decades later it was stolen and sold to a buyer in Bangkok, only for it to appear in a vision to the temple’s abbot at the time, Somphan Yang, who traced it, negotiated its return, and paid 340 baht to bring it home — a considerable sum for a rural temple in that era. Luang Pho Samrit has remained enshrined at Wat Ton Son since. Elsewhere on the grounds, a statue of Prince Chumphon (Krom Luang Chumphon Khet Udomsak) — widely venerated by Thai fishing communities as a protector at sea — stands close beside a Luang Pho Thuat statue, an unusual pairing that reflects Ban Laem’s identity as a fishing town as much as a Buddhist one.

Insider Tip: Ask whoever’s around about the Luang Pho Samrit recovery story before you look at the image itself — knowing the 1842-to-recovery timeline makes the bronze figure far more interesting than it looks at first glance.

Watch out: This is a working temple in a small fishing town, not a tourist circuit stop — expect limited English signage and no formal visitor facilities.

Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, and remove your shoes before entering any hall housing a Buddha image. The temple sits close to Wat Khao Takhrao and Wat Nai Klang, both also in Ban Laem district, making it easy to combine into a short temple loop around Phetchaburi’s coastal side.