The construction of Wat Niwet Thammaprawat was commissioned by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, his royal name) from the Italian architect Joachim Grassi. It was intended to be the royal temple of the opposite Bang Pa-In Palace. The king desired a building whose architecture would evoke European churches, even though it was to be a Buddhist temple. Thus, in the neo-Gothic Wat Niwet Thammaprawat, Buddha statues can be found in places usually reserved for Christian crosses and images. Wat Niwet Thammaprawat Ratchaworawihan was completed in 1878, as indicated by the date on the clock tower. Besides the main building, the grounds also contain other structures in the European style. Another unique feature of Wat Niwet Thammaprawat is its accessibility. Because it is located on an island opposite the Royal Palace and separated from it by a branch of the river, a small cable car was installed. Its lower station is located in the Royal Palace parking lot.

This temple is not located in Ayutthaya, but in Bang Pa In. Entry is free, but donations to help cover the cable car's operating costs are welcome. I recommend combining your visit to the Grand Palace and Wat Niwet Thammaprawat temple. There's a convenient train connection from either Bangkok or Ayutthaya. It's best to check the timetables beforehand, as you don't need to buy tickets in advance. Purchasing them at the station shortly before departure is sufficient and offers some flexibility for your return journey. However, allow at least two hours for the Grand Palace and one hour for the temple.

The journey to Bang Pa-In train station from Bangkok takes between 1 hour and 1 hour 45 minutes, depending on the train connection (see Bangkok – Bang Pa-In timetable), or about 15 minutes from Ayutthaya (see Ayutthaya – Bang Pa-In timetable). Directly in front of the station, you will find shared taxis (songthaews) that will take you to Bang Pa-In Grand Palace for 15 THB, or motorbike taxis (20 THB). Alternatively, you can reach the Grand Palace car park, from where the cable car to the temple departs, in just 20 minutes on foot.

Wat Niwet Thammaprawat is a temple. When visiting a temple in Thailand, there are some rules to observe: appropriate clothing (knees and shoulders should be covered), remove shoes upon entering the building, be quiet, no hugging or kissing, do not point your feet at the Buddha statue, and do not smoke.

How to get there

How do I get to Wat Niwet Thammaprawat? The journey to Bang Pa-In train station takes between 1 hour and 1 hour 45 minutes from Bangkok, depending on the train connection (see Bangkok – Bang Pa-In timetable), or about 15 minutes from Ayutthaya (see Ayutthaya – Bang Pa-In timetable). Directly in front of the station, you will find shared taxis (songthaews) that will take you to the Bang Pa-In Grand Palace for 15 THB, or motorbike taxis (20 THB). Alternatively, you can reach the Grand Palace car park, from where the cable car to the temple departs, in just 20 minutes on foot.