Visit Wat Bowonniwet (Bangkok)

Wat Bowonniwet Vihara is a first-class royal temple located a 5-minute walk from Khao San Road. Wat Bowon for short, was founded in 1824. It is very important place in the royal and religious history of Thailand since several kings were monks there and some even abbot of the temple like King Rama IV, also known as King Mongkut and more recently King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX of his reign name, who was a monk there in 1956. Four of the Supreme Patriarchs of Thailand were also abbots of this temple.

Originally, Wat Bowonniwet was two different monasteries separated by a canal, Wat Mai (which means ''new temple'') and Wat Rangsee Suddhawas. As Wat Mai did not have an abbot, King Rama III (1824-1851) invited Prince Mongkut to become abbot in 1836. Later, during the reign of King Rama VI (1910-1925), both monasteries were gathered in one, Wat Bowonniwet.

The most visible element of the temple is obviously its golden chedi but the Bhuddha images inside its ordination hall are magnificent and the most important one contains in its base the ashes of the kings Rama VI and Rama IX (integrated on October 29, 2017, 3 days after his cremation). There is also a small Chinese temple in Wat Bowon Niwet.