Visit Wat Kalayanamit (Bangkok)

Located in the historic district of Thonburi, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River (the one opposite the Grand Palace), Wat Kalayanamit Woramahawihan, as it is fully known, is a royal Buddhist temple in Bangkok of great importance. Less well-known than Wat Arun or Wat Pho, it is nonetheless impressive and worth a visit for its colossal Buddha statue and to observe Buddhist rituals, as worshippers flock there throughout the day.

Founded in 1825 by Chao Phraya Nikon Bodin, a wealthy Chinese merchant who became a minister under King Rama III, the temple was gifted to the king, who transformed it into a royal monastery. Wat Kalayanamit thus embodies the fusion of Siamese and Chinese influences, visible in particular in the architectural style of its ubosot (ordination hall) which houses the Phra Phuttha Trai Rattananayok, one of the largest seated Buddhas in Bangkok at 15 meters high. This is obviously nothing compared to the Big Buddha of Bangkok which rises to 64 meters in the courtyard of Wat Pak Nam.. Its large bell located in the courtyard is said to be the largest in Bangkok. Wat Kalayanamit Woramahawihan is part of my suggested Walking Tour in Thonburi, a walking route through this authentic Bangkok neighborhood rarely visited by foreign tourists.