Wat Uphaiphatikaram

Wat Uphaiphatikaram, almost always called Wat Sam Po Kong locally, isn’t built in the classical Thai style the name suggests — it started life as a Chinese temple and is now run as a Vietnamese Mahayana monastery in Chachoengsao town. Entry is free, and the grounds are open daily from 08:00 to 19:00.

It was founded during King Chulalongkorn’s reign (1868-1910) by a wealthy father and son from the nearby Talat Mai market, who were devoted to the giant Luang Pho To Buddha image at Wat Phanan Choeng in Ayutthaya. They funded a smaller version here, modelled on that image and installed under a Chinese-style pavilion. Thai and Chinese-Thai visitors alike know the figure as Chao Pho Sam Po Kong; it’s the largest Buddha image in Chachoengsao province, and one of only three Sam Po Kong images in Thailand.

The interior reads more like a Chinese shrine than a typical Thai ubosot — red lanterns, incense coils, and the low ceiling of a pavilion rather than the tiered roofline of a Thai temple. A newer ordination hall in applied Rattanakosin style has replaced the original building, but the small Sam Po Kong pavilion remains the reason people visit. Weekends bring a steady stream of Thai-Chinese families and, according to locals, Chinese tour groups making a specific pilgrimage to pray for prosperity.

Insider Tip: If you already know Wat Phanan Choeng in Ayutthaya, the connection is worth seeking out here — this is a scaled-down homage to that temple’s famous Buddha, not an independent design.

The temple sits near Talat Mai market and Chachoengsao’s old town, an easy stop alongside Baan Mai Riverside Market, the same market community that funded the temple over a century ago, or Wat Sothonwararam, home of the province’s most revered Buddha image, Luang Pho Sothon. Dress modestly and remove shoes before entering the pavilion; a small donation is customary if you light incense.