Presentation
The vast Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen temple was created in 1610, during the Ayutthaya period, in a smaller version than its current form. It is a royal temple located in the Phasi Charoen district, on the banks of several Bangkok canals.
Paknam in Thai means riverfront. The temple became popular thanks to the meditation master Luang Pu Sodh Candasaro, who was its abbot during the first half of the 20th century. Mostly known to Thais, it has become a little more popular with foreign tourists since the construction in 2012 of a big stupa named
Maharatchamongkhon with a superb vault on the top floor. In 2017, began the construction of a large 64-meter tall Buddha image in front of the stupa. It will be the tallest Buddha image in Bangkok and should be completed in the middle of 2020 (I will keep you informed on the Thailandee.com Facebook page) and make Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen a more popular visit among foreign tourists. For now, only the head and part of the bust are completed.
Wat Paknam belongs to the Mahayana Nikaya brotherhood which is at the origin of the quite controversial Dhammakaya movement.