Wat Pho: the Reclining Buddha and the home of Thai massage

A giant golden Buddha lying at rest, a maze of chedis, and a massage school that has trained healers for generations.

Area

Old town

Start from

Central Bangkok

Distance

next to the Grand Palace

Time needed

2–3 hours

Best season

All year; early morning or late afternoon

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Boat to Tha Tien pier, MRT Sanam Chai

Tickets & rules

Entry ticket; covered shoulders and knees

Why go

Wat Pho is right next to the Grand Palace yet feels calmer, more lived-in, more like a real temple. Its most famous resident is the Reclining Buddha, about 46 metres long, so big that the hall seems to have been built around it, which it was.

Walk to the feet and look at the soles, inlaid with mother-of-pearl in a pattern of auspicious symbols. Then wander the grounds: hundreds of Buddha images in the cloisters, four great chedis decorated with ceramic tiles, Chinese stone guardians, quiet courtyards with bonsai.

Finish with a massage at the temple's own school. It's not luxurious, but it's the real thing.

The story

The temple is older than Bangkok itself; it was rebuilt and greatly expanded under King Rama I and later King Rama III. Rama III turned it into something like a public university, with inscriptions on medicine, history, literature and astrology carved into stone tablets around the grounds. These inscriptions are recognised on UNESCO's Memory of the World register.

Some of the inscriptions show massage points on the human body, which is why Wat Pho is considered the birthplace of the traditional Thai massage school that still teaches here today.

The stone giants at the gates came to Bangkok as ballast on Chinese trading ships, then stayed as guardians. Their Western-looking hats and beards are a fun puzzle for visitors.

Getting there

Take the Chao Phraya boat to Tha Tien and walk two minutes, or ride the MRT to Sanam Chai station, which has its own beautifully decorated platform.

From the Grand Palace, it's a ten-minute walk around the walls.

A suggested plan

1. StartEnter from the side gate near Tha Tien and go straight to the Reclining Buddha before groups arrive.
2. GroundsWalk the cloisters, the four great chedis and the inscription pavilions.
3. MassageBook a traditional Thai or foot massage at the temple's massage pavilions; queues are shorter early.
4. AfterCross to Wat Arun by ferry or have lunch in Tha Tien's shophouses.

Where to stay

Small boutique hotels in old shophouses around Tha Tien have rooftop views of Wat Arun.

Good to know

• Drop a few small coins into the row of bronze bowls behind the Buddha; it's a merit-making tradition and the sound is lovely.
• Shoes off when entering halls; carry them in a bag.
• Late afternoon light on the chedis is beautiful and the crowds are thinner.