Founded in 1825 by a Chinese nobleman, the temple needs Thailand's tallest vihaan to house its largest indoor sitting Buddha (15 metres/49 feet high). It...

This temple by Khlong Prakhanong holds a shrine to Mae Nak, who died in childbirth over 150 years ago while her husband was at war. In a much-filmed legend,...

Less handsome than its neighbours, this large monastery is nonetheless important and more of a 'working' wat. All Thai capitals have ritually required a...

Fronted by a terrapin pond, this tranquil wat, undergoing restoration, houses superlative murals and the ashes of Prince Mahidol, father of Kings Rama XIII...

This vast, mellow temple rewards wandering, despite some touristy aspects. Its popular name derives from the 16th-century Wat Photharam, which was rebuilt...

Fenced in with English-made cast iron, this family temple of the powerful Persian-descended Bunnag clan features Bangkok's first Sri Lankan-style chedi....

This delightful riverside temple was restored by King Taksin and is famed for its red hor trai, a teak scripture hall where Rama I stayed before his reign...

With a fruit market at the side and schoolchildren playing in its grounds, this seldom-visited but fabulously ornate temple is most lively in late...

The only version of this step-pyramidal tower style still standing, the Loha Prasat ('Metal Palace') is modelled on a Sri Lankan metal temple from the third...

Less grandiose than its neighbours, this pretty, little, grey marble temple has an inviting, contemplative atmosphere. Another East-West hybrid, it was...

Looming behind the Giant Swing, Bangkok's tallest vihaan houses the awe-inducing 8m (26ft) Phra Sri Sakyamuni Buddha. One of the largest surviving...

Art students flock to the wat's Ayutthaya-era bot (ask a monk to open it) to sketch the Rama III-era murals by Thai artist Thongyu (primarily jataka tales...

At this relatively recent temple, natio-nal artist Chakraphan Posyakrita, master painter and puppeteer, continues to paint one of the most ambitious murals...

King Rama I first restored this Ayutthaya-era temple, and later King Rama III added a chedi platform that is shaped like a Chinese junk, complete with eyes...