Wat Yotha Nimit

Wat Yotha Nimit is Trat town’s own royal temple, not - despite what older listings for this page claimed - a monastery on Koh Chang island. The two are about 20 km apart across open water; this temple sits on the mainland in Mueang Trat district, a short walk from the town centre. It’s a third-class royal temple of the ordinary type, one of a small handful with that status in the province, and entry is free.

The temple’s founding date is recorded as 1772, with its ordination-hall boundary formally consecrated in 1969, though local tradition pushes its story back further. Trat residents say King Taksin the Great gathered his forces near this spot after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, before marching to retake the kingdom - the grounds now include a monument depicting him on horseback. There’s no documentary proof pinning Taksin’s exact camp to this site, so it’s best treated as a strongly held local tradition rather than settled history. What is documented: the temple served as the venue for the royal water-oath ceremony - where provincial officials swore loyalty to the crown - through King Rama III’s reign, and a royal decree in 1877 funded further construction here as part of wider development of the town.

Insider Tip: The temple’s real draw is the old ordination hall, built in an Ayutthaya architectural style that predates the city’s second fall in 1767. Its murals tell the Vessantara Jataka, the story of the Buddha’s penultimate life - look for these in the older hall rather than the newer one used for present-day ceremonies, which has separate murals of Buddha’s life story.

The grounds also hold a chedi, a small botanical garden, and a collection of Buddha footprint replicas and ceremonial water vessels tied to the temple’s history as a site of royal oath-taking.

Watch out: Because this page previously (and incorrectly) described the temple as being on Koh Chang, don’t plan a Koh Chang day out around visiting it - you’ll need to be in Trat town itself, before or after the ferry crossing, not on the island.

Dress modestly and remove shoes before entering either ordination hall. The temple sits off Thetsaban 4 Road in central Trat, an easy stop if you’re already exploring the old town.

Other Mueang Trat temples worth pairing with a visit include Wat Bubpharam (Wat Plai Khlong) and Wat Khiri Wihan, both a short drive away, plus the Trat City Pillar Shrine for more of the town’s founding history.