Wat Tham Mangkon Thong is a temple just outside Kanchanaburi, famous for its floating nun. A real nun performs a ritual in which she enters a small pool and floats. There are stands, and surprisingly, you have to pay to watch this ritual; you can't simply donate at the end (see price below). On weekdays, unless groups are present, the nun only floats for a fee as part of a private performance. Sunday offers the best chance of seeing the spectacle for free. Everyone will have their own opinion on this, but since I visited the temple on a Wednesday, I opted against a private performance and instead climbed the stairs to the temple cave. Inside, the first room contains several statues of revered monks. You then come to a fork in the path: to the left is a small room with a statue of a hermit, and to the right is a passage that forces you to quickly crawl on all fours before reaching a ladder leading outside. And there... you'll find three statues, easily accessible from the outside. Anyone who enjoys crawling through caves in adventure mode can certainly have fun here.

Entry is free. To see the levitating nun, there is a fee of 20 THB per person if at least 20 spectators are present. Otherwise, a private showing costs 200 THB. Sundays are significantly busier, so you will likely pay the regular entry price of 20 THB on that day.

The temple is located slightly behind Wat Tham Khao Laem.

Wat Tham Mangkon Thong 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 you get to Wat Tham Mangkon Thong? The temple is located slightly behind Wat Tham Khao Laem.