Wat Pho in Bangkok – What essential things do you need to know about Wat Pho?
Located by the Chao Phraya Riverside, Wat Pho is one of the most tourist attractions in Bangkok. With the official name of Wat Phra Chetuphon, it is the oldest temple in Bangkok and the first national university in Thailand. After many years, Wat Pho is still keeping its fame as a traditional medical school and massage technique. It will be a pity if you miss this place on your travel bucket list.
The Reclining Buddha Statue – The centerpiece of Wat Pho
Basic information about Wat Pho
- Opening hours: 08:00 AM – 06:30 PM
- Opening hours for massage: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Address: 2 Sanam Chai Rd, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200 (See map)
- Entrance fee: 200 THB/person
How to get to Wat Pho?
- By boat: The easiest and cheapest way to get to Wat Pho is by boat:
- You can take a sky train to Sapan Taksin Station.
- After that, you take a boat to Tha Tien pier, the staff will tell you when the boat reaches the pier.
- From the pier, you will walk for 5 minutes to reach Wat Pho
- Boat fee: 15 THB
- Be careful not to mistake with s a Hop-in Hop-off boat, which offers you the ticket to Wat Pho at 60 THB
- By bus: You can also reach Wat Pho by bus:
- The normal buses without air-conditioner: 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 25, 32, 44, 47, 48, 53, 82
- The air-conditioner buses: 1, 6, 7, 8, 12, 44, 48
- By MRT: MRT is also a good choice to get to Wat Pho. Stop at MRT Sanam Chai and walk for 300 meters, you will see the temple entrance.
- Other ways: Other ways to get to Wat Pho is by taxi, motorbike taxi, tuk-tuk, or grab a bike. However, this may take you a lot more money in comparison with going by boat or by bus. If you go by taxi, make sure that the taxi driver turns on the meter. If you go by tuk-tuk, make sure you check out for tuk-tuk tips to avoid scammers.
What is Wat Pho known for?
The highlight of Wat Pho is the reclining Buddha statue. The statue is 46 meters long and almost 15 meters high. As such, it is one of the biggest and the most important reclining Buddha statues in the world. The reclining attitude is known for portraiting the final moment of Gautama Buddha on earth before going to nirvana.
Besides, massage service is a must-try thing in Wat Pho. You can book a schedule for a massage session after the temple tour. The price of massage service in Wat Pho is as below:
- Thai massage: 260 THB/ 30 mins and 420 THB/ 1 hour
- Foot massage: 280 THB/ 30 mins and 42 THB/ 1 hour
It is so good when you have a massage session after walking in a 20-acre temple complex.
Additionally, on visiting Wat Pho, you will have a chance to enjoy the Thai temple architecture, which can be found in many temples all over Thailand.
Last but not least, you can get to Wat Arun – The Temple of Dawn from Wat Pho by taking an 8-THB boat to cross the river. As a result, you can combine your trip to Wat Pho and Wat Arun together. It will help you save a lot of money for traveling.
Tips when visiting Wat Pho
Wat Pho is a religious site, please adhere to the below tips and rules when visiting this temple:
- Dress modestly and politely
- Always take off your shoes when entering each building
- Do not speak loudly or make noise
- Do not touch monks or novices if you are women
- Do not climb up any statue or religious areas
- Never trust invitation from Tuktuk or taxi or motorbike driver
You can check it out for more details on which manners you should do and should avoid in Thailand at Do and Don’t things in Thailand.
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