Wat Traimit Temple is best known for its golden Buddha and is therefore also called the "Temple of the Golden Buddha." Dating from the Sukhothai period, the statue, weighing 5.5 tons, is the largest solid gold statue in the world. Curiously, it was rediscovered by chance. In 1954, a new building was constructed to house the large Buddha, and the following year it was moved to its new location. During the final attempt to lift the statue from its pedestal, the ropes snapped, and the statue crashed to the ground. This caused a section of plaster to chip away, revealing the gold beneath. The plaster was presumably used to conceal the statue and protect it from theft. Architecturally, the temple that now houses the three-meter-tall Buddha is not the most interesting in Bangkok. However, it does contain two museums: one dedicated to the discovery of the statue and the other to the history of Chinatown, the district where Wat Traimit is located.

Open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission: 100 THB per person for the temple and 200 THB for temple + museum.

Wat Traimit is located in Chinatown, just a short walk from Hua Lamphong Station. It is accessible by MRT (Bangkok Metro); get off at Hua Lamphong Station.

Wat Traimit 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 I get to Wat Traimit? Wat Traimit is located in Chinatown, just a short walk from Hua Lamphong subway station. You can reach it by taking the MRT (Bangkok Metro) and getting off at Hua Lamphong station.