The Buddhist temple Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen is best known today as the home of Bangkok's Big Buddha. It was founded in 1610 during the Ayutthaya period in a much more modest form than its current one. The royal temple is located in the Phasi Charoen district, on the banks of several of Bangkok's canals, including the Khlong Phasi Charoen. The temple's full name is rarely used; Bangkok residents usually refer to it as Wat Paknam. Paknam means riverbank (or waterfront) in Thai, in this case, a canal. The temple gained prominence through the meditation master Luang Pu Sodh Candasaro, who served as abbot in the first half of the 20th century. While previously known mainly to Thais, it has become increasingly popular with foreign tourists since the construction of a massive stupa in 2012, called Maharatchamongkhon, particularly due to the impressive vaulted ceiling on the top floor. However, it was the Big Buddha that achieved worldwide fame, with countless photos and videos shared during and after its construction. Construction of the 64-meter-tall Buddha statue in front of the stupa began in 2017 and was completed in 2021. It is the tallest Buddha statue in Bangkok, making Wat Pak Nam Phasi Charoen an increasingly popular destination for Bangkok sightseeing tours. However, it still falls far short of the 95-meter-tall Buddha statue in Thailand. Many traditional longtail boat tours on the klongs (canals) travel along the canal surrounding the Big Buddha of Bangkok and sometimes stop there to visit the Buddhist temple. There are also photo spots for capturing the Big Buddha, added by users on Google Maps, as well as two cafes that have become very popular due to their views of the Big Buddha: the Hidden Cafe and the Uruea Cafe. Wat Pak Nam belongs to the Maha Nikaya brotherhood, the origin of the Dhammakaya movement, which is quite controversial in Thailand.

Free entry. As mentioned earlier, Wat Pak Nam in Bangkok is often discovered on boat tours along Bangkok's canals, known as khlongs. Tours depart from piers such as Ta Tien or Tha Chang near the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, or from Sathorn Pier, to name just a few, or on weekends from the Taling Chan floating market. You can also take a short boat trip from the Khlong Bang Luang floating market to admire the Great Buddha of Wat Pak Nam (preferably on weekends, as you will likely need to hire a private boat otherwise, which is more expensive).

To reach Wat Pak Nam Phasi Charoen by public transport, the best option is to take the MRT subway to Bang Phai station. From there, it's about a ten-minute walk to the temple. Alternatively, you can hire a motorbike taxi for 10 THB.

Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen 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 Paknam Phasi Charoen? The easiest way to reach Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen is by public transport. Take the MRT subway to Bang Phai station. From there, it's about a ten-minute walk to the temple. Alternatively, you can hire a motorbike taxi for 10 THB.