Thailand’s major religion is Buddhism – specifically, Theravada Buddhism, the oldest recognized school. As a result, instead of churches everywhere you will find temples all over when exploring the country. Some of these – like some Catholic churches in Europe – are hundreds of years old, and have become well known tourist attractions in their own right.
Any visit to Bangkok should include some time exploring the city’s famous (and, if you get a chance, some not-so-famous) temples – ours was no exception. Over a few days we got to visit the Grand Palace (not exactly a temple, but filled with them), the Golden Mount, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun. We also took the time to wander, and discovered several other smaller temples around the city as well – there are actually over 400 throughout the city, ranging from huge complexes to one-room buildings.
When entering a temple, you must always take off your shoes. Additionally, many request you don’t take photographs inside. Most are decorated with elaborate paintings on the walls, and imagery of the Buddha at an altar. The outsides are also typically very decorative, with mythical (and real) beasts guarding the entrances and a lot of gold/jeweled accents. We took a lot of photographs while visiting Bangkok’s temples, and share them here for your pleasure – enjoy!
Grand Palace:
Golden Mount:
Wat Pho (a.k.a. Temple of the Reclining Buddha, for obvious reasons):
Wat Arun:
Additional Temples discovered via exploring:
