Wat Saphran is located in Nakhon Pathom province, 40 kilometers west of Bangkok and 25 kilometers from the city of Nakhon Pathom. It is one of Thailand's most famous and easily recognizable temples thanks to its large red tower embraced by a life-size dragon. (Well, life-size, if dragons existed ;). This building contains numerous symbolic elements. Its height of 80 meters symbolizes the age of Buddha at his death. The 16 stories represent the 16 material levels of Brahma Loka (Brahma Loka is the name of the highest heavenly realm and is derived from the creator god Brahman and the Sanskrit word "loka," meaning "level of existence." In Theravada Buddhism, which is prevalent in Thailand, Brahma Loka consists of 16 lower and four upper realms). The dragon's body encircling the building symbolizes the ascent from hell to paradise and spiritual development through meditation. The choice of a dragon with a long, serpentine body symbolizes strength and good fortune in China and is reminiscent of the legendary "Phya Nag," the Great Naga, in Thailand. With the elevators leading to the top undergoing years of "renovation," it's more interesting to ascend the tower via the long corridor inside the dragon's body (access is from within). There are no stairs, only a ramp leading upwards. The bare facades were presumably meant to be decorated with colorful murals, like those typically found in dragon-themed temples, but they were never painted. Once at the top, the upper platform (there are two levels) offers a magnificent view of the surrounding area. The floors between the ground floor and the top are inaccessible (I'm not sure if they even have floors; they seem more symbolic than real). The park surrounding the tower, often criticized by visitors, is also well worth seeing. It offers a pleasant little circular walk through a wooded area on paved paths. You can start the walk at the back of the tower or at the large tortoise statue located at the far end of the parking lot, almost directly opposite the temple entrance on the road. During your walk, you'll encounter statues of a white elephant, a rabbit, a peacock, and more. There's also another building with a terrace where a Buddha statue sits, but access was closed during my visit to Wat Samphran.

Wat Samphran is open from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM (especially the tower, which closes promptly at 6:00 PM). Entry is free, but a donation of 80 THB is requested to cover the electricity costs for the ascent into the tower tunnel.

There is no easy way to reach Wat Samphran from Bangkok or Nakhon Pathom using public transport. While the bus route seems like the most convenient option, it can be complicated for someone unfamiliar with public transport due to the transfers. For example, you would need to take bus 124 to the Borommaratchachonnani Soi 121 stop, transfer to bus To.1 to the Nakhon Pathom Provincial Social Insurance Office, and then walk 250 meters. I advise against this option unless you are adventurous or familiar with Bangkok's bus system. Alternatively, you could take the train from Thonburi or Hua Lamphong stations in Bangkok and get off at Nakhon Chai Si station, which is 12 kilometers from the temple. From there, you could try to negotiate a tuk-tuk or motorbike taxi, but finding one is uncertain as the station is small. And it's probably not much cheaper than booking a ride directly in Bangkok using the Grab app. The temple is a 40-minute drive from Bangkok and a 25-minute drive from Nakhon Pathom.

Wat Samphran (Dragon Temple) is a temple, and when visiting a temple in Thailand there are some rules to follow: appropriate clothing (knees and shoulders should be covered), take off your shoes when entering the building, be quiet, do not hug or kiss, do not point your feet at the Buddha statue, do not smoke.

How to get there

How do you get to Wat Samphran (Dragon Temple)? There's no easy way to reach Wat Samphran from Bangkok or Nakhon Pathom using public transportation. While taking the bus from Bangkok seems like the most convenient option, it can be complicated for someone unfamiliar with public transport due to the transfers. For example, you would need to take bus 124 to the Borommaratchachonnani Soi 121 stop, transfer to bus To.1 to the Nakhon Pathom Provincial Social Insurance Office, and then walk 250 meters. I only recommend this option if you're adventurous or familiar with Bangkok's bus system. An alternative is to take the train from Thonburi or Hua Lamphong stations in Bangkok to Nakhon Chai Si station, which is 12 kilometers from the temple. From there, you could try haggling for a tuk-tuk or motorbike taxi, but finding one isn't guaranteed as the station is small. And it's probably not much cheaper than ordering a ride directly in Bangkok using the Grab app. The temple is a 40-minute drive from Bangkok and a 25-minute drive from Nakhon Pathom.