Wat Pho — Temple of the Reclining Buddha
Wat Pho (Wat Phra Chetuphon) is one of the largest and oldest Buddhist temple complexes in Bangkok, located on the Rattanakosin Island adjacent to the Grand Palace. Best known for its colossal gilded Reclining Buddha image, 46 metres long and 15 metres high, the temple was substantially rebuilt and expanded by King Rama I from 1788 and further enlarged by Rama III in the 1830s. Wat Pho is also celebrated as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage and as Thailand’s first public university, with stone inscriptions encoding traditional knowledge in medicine, literature and astrology still lining its cloisters.
- Address
- 2 Sanam Chai Road, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
- Period
- Founded before the Ayutthaya period; major reconstruction 1788 under Rama I; expanded 1832 under Rama III
- Style
- Thai Rattanakosin Buddhist architecture
- Location
- Rattanakosin Island, Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok
- Coordinates
- 13.7465° N, 100.4932° E
At a glance
- Type
- Royal Buddhist temple complex (Wat Luang, first class)
- Period
- Pre-Rattanakosin origins; rebuilt 1788–1832
- Style
- Rattanakosin (early Bangkok period)
- Patron
- King Rama I and King Rama III
- Current use
- Active temple; UNESCO Memory of the World inscriptions; traditional Thai massage school
Overview
Wat Pho occupies approximately 80,000 square metres south of the Grand Palace on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River, making it the largest temple complex in Bangkok by area. Its 91 chedis (stupas), four ordination halls, and dozens of subsidiary buildings represent an encyclopaedic accumulation of Thai Buddhist art across multiple reigns. The temple has been proposed for UNESCO World Heritage status as part of Bangkok’s historic centre, and its stone tablet inscriptions — recording traditional knowledge compiled by Rama III — were inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2008.
History
A temple existed on this site before Bangkok became the capital in 1782; the earliest structure is believed to date to the Ayutthaya period, though no pre-Rattanakosin fabric survives above ground. When King Rama I established Bangkok as his capital, he undertook a complete reconstruction of the complex between 1788 and 1801, bringing Buddhist sculpture from the old capital Ayutthaya and commissioning the main bot (ordination hall). His successor Rama III carried out the most extensive enlargement between 1832 and 1851, adding the Reclining Buddha chapel, the majority of the existing chedis, and the encyclopaedic stone inscriptions that earned the temple its reputation as Thailand’s first open university.
What you see
The dominant visual experience is the Reclining Buddha viharn: the image fills an elongated hall, its gilded surface gleaming under indirect light, with the soles of its feet inlaid with 108 auspicious mother-of-pearl panels. Around the main enclosure, four great chedis plated in coloured ceramic tiles rise above the roofline, each associated with the first four Chakri kings. The outer galleries are lined with 394 gilded seated Buddha images, and the southern courtyard gardens are dotted with Chinese stone sculptures — ballast from trading vessels — and topiary rock gardens. A working traditional Thai massage school occupies the temple’s outer precincts.
Cultural significance
Wat Pho holds a singular place in Thai cultural heritage as both a living religious site and a repository of codified traditional knowledge. Its stone tablet inscriptions on medicine, pharmacy, massage, astrology and literature represent the most comprehensive surviving compilation of pre-modern Thai scholarship, deliberately assembled by Rama III as a public educational resource. The temple’s traditional massage lineage is globally recognised as an intangible cultural heritage practice, and the school it houses remains the principal training institution for this tradition.
Practical information
- Address
- 2 Sanam Chai Road, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
- Opening hours
- Daily 08:00–18:30 (check official website for current hours)
- Admission
- Entrance fee applies; check official website for current prices
- Dress code
- Modest dress required; shoulders and knees covered
Getting there
From central Bangkok, take the MRT Blue Line to Sanam Chai station (exit 1), a two-minute walk to the temple’s south entrance. Alternatively, the Chao Phraya Express Boat stops at Tha Tien pier (N8), directly adjacent to the temple’s riverside gate. From the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho is a five-minute walk south along Sanam Chai Road.