Wat Bowonniwet Vihara

Wat Bowonniwet Vihara is small in scale but immense in significance. It was founded in 1826 and became the founding monastery of the Dhammayuttika Nikaya order, the reformed strand of Thai Buddhism established by Rama IV during his own 27-year ordination as a monk here before becoming king. Every subsequent monarch of the Chakri dynasty — including the current king and his father Rama IX — has been ordained at this temple. Because of that royal connection it is a first-class royal wat and a quietly powerful place, though most tourists in nearby Khao San Road walk past without knowing it exists.

The main ubosot holds two important Buddha images: the Phra Buddha Chinnasi, a slender Sukhothai-style bronze cast in the 14th century and moved here from Phitsanulok, and the smaller Phra Suwanna Khet. Both are backed by murals painted in the 1830s by Khrua In Khong — remarkable for showing Western scenes, ships and landscapes at a time when almost no Thai artist had seen a photograph. Behind the ubosot, the temple's gilded chedi stands on a raised terrace shaded by tamarind trees where a few monks read in the afternoon.

Because Wat Bowonniwet sits three minutes' walk north of Khao San Road, it is an easy detour from the backpacker district and a welcome antidote to Khao San's bars. It is also the temple where the famous monk Ajahn Chah's Western students often stay. There is no ticket, no dress rental booth and no touts — just take off your shoes, dress modestly and go in. Morning alms procession on Phra Sumen Road at 6:15am is worth setting an alarm for.

Hours & entry

Free every day

Daily 8:30-17:30 · Ubosot closes 17:00

What to see

• Phra Buddha Chinnasi — Main altar of the ubosot
• Khrua In Khong murals — Interior walls of the ubosot behind the altar
• Golden chedi terrace — Behind the ubosot, up the marble steps

Tips from the ground

• Enter from the Phra Sumen Road gate; the Bowonniwet Road entrance is often used only by monks.
• Combine with a walk along Phra Athit Road to Santichaiprakan Park for river breezes.
• Photography allowed in the courtyard, but not inside the ubosot.