Visit Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen (Bangkok)

The Buddhist temple Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen is best known today as the home of the Big Buddha of Bangkok.

It was established in 1610, during the Ayutthaya period, in a much more modest version than its current form. It is a royal temple located in the Phasi Charoen district, on the banks of several Bangkok canals, including Khlong Phasi Charoen. The temple's full name is rarely used; Bangkokians more commonly call it Wat Paknam. Paknam in Thai means riverfront (or any waterfront), in this case, a canal. The temple became popular thanks to the meditation master Luang Pu Sodh Candasaro, who served as its abbot throughout the first half of the 20th century.

Previously known mainly to Thais, it has become more popular with foreign tourists since the construction of a massive stupa in 2012, named Maharatchamongkhon, notably due to the stunning vault on the top floor. However, it is the Great Buddha that truly brought it to widespread fame, with countless photos and videos shared during and after its construction. Construction of the 64-meter-tall Buddha statue in front of the stupa began in 2017 and was completed in 2021. It is the tallest Buddha statue in Bangkok. This has made Wat Pak Nam Phasi Charoen an increasingly common stop on Bangkok sightseeing itineraries. Yet, it remains far from the 95 meters of the tallest Buddha in Thailand. Many traditional longtail boat tours on the klongs (canals) pass along the canal bordering the Big Buddha of Bangkok and sometimes stop there to visit the Buddhist temple.

There are also photo spots for capturing the Big Buddha that have been added by people on Google Maps, as well as two cafés that have become very popular for their views of the Great Buddha of Bangkok: Hidden Café and Uruea Café.

Wat Paknam belongs to the Maha Nikaya fraternity, which is the origin of the Dhammakaya movement, which is quite controversial in Thailand.