Wat Saket
Wat Saket is home to Phu Khao Thong, better known as the Golden Mountain. The large, man-made hill has a golden chedi on top said to contain a relic from Buddha.
Climbing the 344 stairs to the chedi and viewing platform is rewarded with a panoramic view of Bangkok. People ring bells and sound gongs along the way for merit. Wat Saket is often less crowded and easier to enjoy than Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kaew.
- Location: About a 20-minute walk from Khao San Road past Democracy Monument and the white Mahakarn Fort.
- What to Know: Beat the sun by going early. The entrance fee for foreign tourists is 50 baht.
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Wat Traimit
Wat Traimit is often referred to as the “Temple of the Golden Buddha,” because it’s the new home of one of the most valuable (in monetary terms) Buddha statues in the world. The Golden Buddha, made of 18-karat gold, weighs in at 11,000 pounds. The value of the gold itself is somewhere around $250 million.
No one knows for sure how old the Golden Buddha statue is. Theories suggest it dates to the 13th or 14th centuries. Fascinatingly, the Golden Buddha was discovered by accident in 1955. The statue had been covered in plaster and stucco to conceal its actual value. When crews tried to relocate the statue, the extreme weight broke the ropes. The fall caused some of the plaster to chip off and reveal the true composition to everyone’s surprise!
- Location: On Trai Mit Road in Bangkok’s Chinatown area
- What to Know: Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ADDRESS:
661 Charoen Krung Road, Khwaeng Talat Noi, Khet Samphanthawong, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10100, Thailand