Wat Ratchanatdaram (Loha Prasat)

Wat Ratchanatdaram is the site of Loha Prasat, or Metal Castle — a five-tiered pyramid crowned by 37 iron spires arranged in five concentric squares. Only two others have ever been built anywhere: one in India in the 6th century BC and one in Sri Lanka in the 2nd, neither of which survives. That makes the Bangkok example, commissioned by Rama III in 1846, effectively unique in the world. The 37 spires symbolise the 37 virtues that lead to enlightenment, and each one caps a small meditation cell built into the tiered structure.

You climb from ground level up an internal spiral staircase, passing through the cells on each of the seven floors — some contain small altars, some are used by monks for practice. The top floor holds a relic of the Buddha and gives you a 360-degree view: the golden Mount of Wat Saket almost due east, the roofs of the Grand Palace to the south-west, and the modern towers of Ratchadamnoen to the north. The tower itself is small; it is the concept and the panorama that make it memorable rather than any single object inside.

The rest of the temple is a working royal wat with a peaceful ordination hall and a small souvenir market outside the western gate selling brass Buddhas — one of the last such markets in Bangkok. The temple sits right on Ratchadamnoen Klang, the ceremonial avenue that leads from the Democracy Monument to the Golden Mount, so you can string together a walking tour of the Loha Prasat, Wat Saket and the Democracy Monument in a couple of hours.

Hours & entry

Grounds free; only the tower charges

Daily 8:00-17:00 · Tower stairs close 16:30

What to see

• Climb the Loha Prasat spiral — Central staircase from the ground floor of the metal castle
• Buddha relic on the top floor — Uppermost meditation cell, beneath the central spire
• Brass Buddha market — Along Maha Chai Road at the western gate of the temple

Tips from the ground

• Grounds are free — the $2 charge is only for entering the metal castle itself.
• Come at 15:30 for the best light on the black spires from the western terrace.
• The 25 THB bag of birdseed sold at the entrance is a scam; ignore anyone insisting you buy it for merit.