The best temples in Bangkok to visit
Exploring some of Bangkok’s temples is a fantastic way to get an insight into the heritage and culture of Thailand’s capital.
While there are some famous temples that are tourist attractions in themselves, the smaller local temples offer a different experience for tourists.
Buddhism is intertwined with the culture of Thailand, an important part of daily life in a way that always seems more harmonious than burdensome.
And so it’s natural that Buddhism is also intertwined with the streets of the Thai capital. As you explore, you’ll find plenty of temples in Bangkok – from small local shrines to grand royal temples.
Visiting Bangkok’s temples is an excellent way to get an insight into the culture of Thailand because, although some of the best temples in Bangkok are (rightfully) popular tourist attractions, many of them are also local places of worship.
When I visit Wat Phra Kaew (also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha) in the complex of the Grand Palace, it’s the grandeur of its interior that first captures my attention, dark murals covering the walls and the small emerald Buddha at the end.
But after I have looked around at the decoration, it’s the other people who are here that I find just as interesting. Local Thais come here every day to pay their respects, to pray, to make merit. It’s this interaction between the sacred and the spectacle that makes it even more significant.
At some of the best local temples in Bangkok, not as richly adorned as the famous ones, the spirituality is highlighted even more, with fewer visual distractions.
The less-visited Wat Hua Lamphong, for instance, is surrounded by a market-like collection of stalls where people ‘make merit’, which usually means donating money to improve your current and future lives. At this temple, that includes contributing money for the coffins of people whose family can’t afford one.
Visiting Bangkok’s best temples
For any first-time visitor to the city, I would recommend visiting a few of Bangkok’s temples to see this side of daily life for yourself. You may want to first visit one or two of the most famous temples in Bangkok, but then also see a couple of the less touristy ones.
If you’ve been to Bangkok before and seen the popular temples, perhaps considering seeing a couple of the ones that offer something different. I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes it can feel like Thai temples all look the same – but they do each…
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