Open: Daily 8.30 am - 3.30 pm,

Admission Fee: Foreigner 200 Baht for both the palace and the temple

Wat Suthat and the Giant Swing ***

This is one of the more important impressive of Bangkok’s many temples and a chance to experience a temple compound without too many tourists. Nearby is the recently renovated Giant Swing - a bizarre and unique sight used in Brahman rites festivals. In the Grand Palace vicinity near the Democracy monument.

Location: Rattanakosin

Open: Daily 8.00 am - 6.00 pm

Admission: free

Wat Mahanat

Located on Na Phrathat Road near Thammasat University, the temple houses Mahachulalongkorn Buddhist University, one of the two highest seats of Buddhist learning in Thailand and also offers meditation classes for foreigners.

Location: Rattanakosin

Open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m..

Golden Mount and the Wat Saket ***

This was once the highest point in the city until skyscrapers arrived in the second half of the twentieth century. Built on the remains of a collapsed giant pagoda, this elevated temple offers magnificent views of the city, and is attached to Wat Saket, it supposedly holds a Buddha relic.

Location: Rattanakosin

Open: Daily 8.00 am - 5.00 pm

Admission: 10 baht.

Wat Arun (temple of Dawn) ***

With its spectacular river side location and the soaring 82 meter spire set right in the centre of the temple, Wat Arun is another of Bangkok’s top attractions. It’s also one of the oldest, pre-dating the founding of Bangkok when the original capital was set up in Thon Buri across the river. Makes an excellent sunset backdrop from river boats. Located opposite Wat Po, catch boats from Tha Tien pier behind the Grand Palace.

Location: Thonburi & Riverside

Open: Mon-Tue, Thu-Sun 8.30 am - 5.30 pm, Close: Public Holidays

Admission Fee: 10 Baht.

Wat Rakhang (Temple of the Bells) ***

Formerly known as Wat Bang Wa Yai, situated on Arunammarin Road. The front of the temple is on the bank of the Chao Phraya River. This temple was built during the Ayutthaya period, later it was reconstructed and upgraded as a Royal Temple by King Tak Sin. The name "Wat Rakhang" which means "Temple of the Bells", is due to the discovery of a huge bell at this temple in the reign of King Rama I. This significant second category Royal Temple was the residence of many supreme patriarchs of the Rattankosin period including “Somdej Toah”, the highly respected monk in the reign of King Rama V. Things of note are the beautiful mural paintings in the ordination hall, the image hall and the bell tower.

Location: Thonburi & Riverside

Wat Kalayanamitr ***

situated on the mouth of Bangkok Yai canal on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River opposite Rajinee School. It is also close to Kudichin old community and Santa Cruz Church. This Royal Temple was named after Chao Phraya Nikornbodin, a noble man of King Rama III who donated his own residence and bought a piece of land to built a temple. Wat Kalayanamit is well known for a large Buddha image named “Phraputtatrirattananayok”, which is 15.44 meter tall and 11.75 meter wide. This image is also called "Sampokong" by the Chinese-Thai race worshippers. Every day during the Chinese New Year festival, this temple is crowded by thousands of the Chinese Thai visitors. Other interesting items in this temple are the Chinese style ordination hall, which was the previous residence of Chao Phraya River.

Location: Thonburi & Riverside

Wat Bowon ***

Wat Bowonniwet Vihara is a first class royal monastery located on the northeast side of Rattanakosin island.

Wat Bowon is a major Buddhist temple in Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok, Thailand. The temple is a center of the Thammayut Nikaya school of Thai Theravada Buddhism and has been a major temple of patronage for the Chakri dynasty. It is the shrine-hall of Phra Phutthachinasri which was moulded in about 1357.

Location: Rattanakosin

Wat Chana Songkhram ***

This is probably one of the best know temples among foreign visitors as it is located right opposite the famous Khaosan Road. This temple is Wat Chana Songkhram Ratchaworamahawihan, another second-class royal temple built in the pre-Rattanakosin era.

The main chapel of Wat Chana Songkhram houses the buddha image, Phra Buddha Norasee Trilokachet Mahetthisak Puchaniyachayantakhodom Boromsasada Anaworayan.

Location: Rattanakosin

Wat Intrawat

A temple located on Thanon Wat Inthrawat road and a canal, in the Bang Phrom section of the Taling Chan district, is up the road from the nearby "open" market in (nearby) Bang Ramat.

Location: Thonburi & Riverside

Wat Prayoon

Beautiful white temple at the Chao Phraya river. It can best be photographed from the Memorial Bridge at dusk or night, when it is illuminated. Before 5PM, you might want to visit the Khao Mor Cemetery next to it, as it is an interesting walk up a hill.

Location: Thonburi & Riverside

Wat Kok Poe Ram

A temple located on a side road of Phutthamonthon Sai 1 road, in the Taling Chan district.

Location: Thonburi & Riverside

Wat Suwannaram

33 Charansaniwong Road. A big Royal Temple on the banks of the Bangkok noi canal built during the reign of King Rama I and renovated during the reign of King Rama III. Inside are murals depicting the Jutaku, deities and the Buddha image in subduing the mara posture. These works of art of the early Rattanakosin period (19th century) are considered as the best survival mural paintings in Bangkok.

Location: Thonburi & Riverside

Wat Poe

A temple located on Phutthamonthon Sai 1 road in the Bang Ramat section of the Taling Chan district, near the Southern Bus Terminal ("Sai Tai Mai").

Location: Thonburi & Riverside

Wat Traimit Witthayaram (Temple of the Golden Buddha)

This temple is one of the highlights of Chinatown, but it is not part of China's cultural heritage. It's an impressive white structure with a golden spire and can even be seen above some of the higher buildings in the area. The is yet another temple, noted for its 5 tones, three meter tall solid gold Buddha which curiously lay hidden beneath a stucco cover for centuries, saving it from marauding Burmese. The gold was accidentally discovered 40 years ago while it was being moved and became damaged. Gets busy with tourists. Near Hua Lampong station (Metro station).

Location: Chinatown

Open: Daily 8.00 am - 5.00 pm

Admission: free

Wat Ga Buang Kim

Definitely an off-the-beaten-path temple, it shows how local residents practice their religion. Most interesting is the Vegetarian Hall with miniature gold characters reappearing several times in different moods and positions.

Location: Chinatown

Wat Chakrawat

The temple is actually not that remarkable, but travelers like to visit this place for it's animals. Crocodiles live in the small pond beside the temple, and there are plenty of dogs, birds and even monkeys around.

Location: Chinatown

Wat Kanikapon

Created by a woman who used to own a brothel.

Location: Chinatown

Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (Dragon Flower Temple)

Take the entrance from Thanon Charoen Krung and you will be amazed by the impressive multi-tiered gateway. It is a Mahayana Buddhist temple, the school of Buddhism that most Chinese follow, therefore it has mixed with other Chinese practices like Confucianism and and Taoism. There are plenty of statues and shrines inside, most interesting is the part right after the second entrance. Four golden statues will greet you, each with a symbolic object: a parasol, a pagoda, a a snake's head and a mandolin.

Location: Chinatown

Wat Ratchaburana

This temple is located at the foot of the Rama I Memorial Bridge on the Bangkok side. Built in the late Ayutthaya period by a Chinese merchant, it is otherwise known as Wat Liap and is one of the 3 principal temples of the capital which include Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Ratchapradit and Wat Mahathat. It had been regularly restored since the reign of King Rama I through to the reign of King Rama VII, except in the sixth reign. Some of the temple’s principal buildings, especially Phra Ubosot – the ordination hall – which houses mural paintings by Khrua In Khong, were badly damaged by bombing during World War II. The buildings were later restored to their good condition as they appear today.

Location: Chinatown

Open: Daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Admission: Free