79 Buddhist Temples to Explore in Thailand

Wat Phra Dhammakaya is a Buddhist temple in Khlong Luang District, in the Pathum Thani Province north of Bangkok, Thailand. It was founded in 1970 by the maechi Chandra Khonnokyoong and Luang Por Dhammajayo. It is the best-known and the fastest growing temple of the Dhammakaya Tradition. Wat Phra Dhammakaya is one of the temples that emerged from this tradition and is part of the Mahanikhaya freternity.

Hat Yai Municipal Park is a popular tourist spot located near the Hai Yai city. It has many attractions include a statue of Kings of Thailand and temples of different Chinese deities.

Phimai historical park is the largest of all Khmer temples in Thailand, the rectangular complex measures over 1,000 meters long by almost 600 meters wide. It contains some of the finest examples of Khmer architecture in Thailand. It is now one of the famous attractions in Thailand.

One of the most important places for Buddhists in Thailand can be found in Nakhon Pathom, one of the oldest cities in Thailand. The Phra Pathom chedi, which means “Holy chedi of the beginning” is regarded the oldest Buddhist structure in Thailand. The very impressive chedi (stupa) with its orange roof visible from far away is with its 120 meters height the largest Buddhist chedi in the world.

Phra That Kham Kaen, located at Ban Kham village, in Khon Kaen Province, is a Thai Buddhist Chedi. Phra That Kham Kaen is located at Wat Chetiyaphum along Rural Road 4007, north of the village center. Kham Kaen means heartwood of the tamarind tree. The Phra That Kham Kaen is an important, revered chedi for the people of Khon Kaen and surrounding provinces because they believe that the chedi will protect their lives and bring peace and success.

Phra That Phu Pek is an ancient temple in Sakon Nakhon Province, in the Isan region of Thailand. This ancient Khmer ruin was built from sandstone, standing on a laterite base. This is a Buddhist temple ruin of Khmer origin in the form of a chedi, it was built in the 16th-17th Buddhist century. The ruin is special as it houses a solar calendar, a cube-shaped rock, in its stupa. The ancients used it for indicating the position of the sun, important for religious rites and agricultural seasons.

Phra That Si Song Rak temple was built on a hill beside the Man River in 1560, on the border of the kingdoms of Ayutthaya and Lang Xang. The temple is a symbol the resolve of the kings of these two kingdoms not to invade each other's territory, and to join forces against Burmese invaders. The temple style is similar to temples in Laos, with a 30-metre chedi.

Prang Sam Yod (literally, the 'Three Tower Temple') was a Mahayana Buddhist temple built by the powerful Khmer Emperor Jayavarman VII. This temple is renowned for its architecture and it is a tourist-friendly place. This temple is also home for hundreds of monkeys.

Wat Rai Khing, a civilian monastery built-in 1791, is located in Tambon Rai Khing, only 32 kilometers from Bangkok. It was named after the district by Somdej Phra Phuttha Chan. When the construction was completed, the Buddha image was brought from Wat Sala Poon and enshrined here, later the locals named the image "Luang Pho Wat Rai Khing".

The Sanctuary of Truth is perhaps the most iconic structure in Pattaya. Intricately carved entirely from teak wood, the awe-inspiring 105-metre-tall hall on the headland to the north of Wongamat Beach is a one-of-a-kind structure in the whole world. Neither temple nor palace, despite looking like a hybrid of both, it was commissioned by a local business tycoon to act as a place of appreciation for philosophy, art, culture and faith, without being tied to a single religion.

Located in the heart of the city, this iconic shrine is a place that embodies the place, culture, and arts. The place is filled with the art of Shrivijaya that has similarities to the Chaiya relics.

Wat Phra Kaew is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Thailand. Located in the historic centre of Bangkok and within the grounds of the Grand Palace, the temple enshrines Phra Kaew Morakot, the highly revered Buddha image meticulously carved from a single block of jade.

Phra That Kong Khao Noi is an ancient stupa. It is a structure that enshrines holy Buddhist relics. Built during the 18th-20th century in the Ayutthaya period. It is 9 kilometers away from Yasothon town.

Wat Saket in Bangkok Old Town is an Ayutthaya-era shrine with a gleaming gold chedi in Bangkok. Also called the Golden Mount, it occupies an 80-meter-tall manmade hill that was built during the reign of King Rama III. The temple welcomes worshippers year-round, though it’s busiest during its annual temple fair in November, during Loy Krathong. The temple grounds have mature trees and typical Buddhist structures such as a main prayer hall, ordination hall and library.

A sacred site, known for tinger paw prints, tall Budha statues, and flight of stairs to reach the summit.

Tiger Temple, or Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua Yanasampanno, was a Theravada Buddhist temple in the Sai Yok District of Thailand's Kanchanaburi Province in the west of the country. It was founded in 1994 as a forest temple and sanctuary for wild animals, among them tigers, mostly Indochinese tigers. A "commercial" temple, Tiger Temple charged an admission fee.

Wat Aranyik is a historic temple in Phitsanulok, Thailand. On the temple grounds, there is a modern temple with a monastery and modern temple buildings. There is also a large area of ruins where the old temple of the Sukhothai period once stood. Still standing from the original temple's construction are a historic chedi and a number of Buddha images. A unique feature of the temple is that it is surrounded by moats.

Wat Arun, locally known as Wat Chaeng, is a landmark temple on the west bank of the Chao Phraya river. It’s easily one of the most stunning temples in Bangkok, not only because of its riverside location but also because the design is very different from the other temples you can visit in the Thai capital. Wat Arun is partly made up of colourfully decorated spires and stands majestically over the water.

Wat Bang Kung is an ancient temple in Samut Songkhram, Thailand. It was built in the Ayutthaya period. It is one of the historic sites and memory of the battle. Archaeological evidence currently remains in the Ubosot which was built in the Ayutthaya period. It is covered with roots of four plants are Pho, Sai , Krai, and Krang. These roots help the hall to stay stable. It is one of the beautiful attractions in this area.

Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai is located on the banks of Khlong Samrong, Tambon Bang Phli Yai. The temple was formerly known as Wat Phlapphla Chai Chana Songkhram built to commemorate King Naresuan the Great’s victory over the Burmese. Later, a large bronze Buddha image of the Sukhothai style in the gesture of subduing Mara, with open eyes, was taken to be enshrined as the principal image of Phra Ubosot.