17 Top Tourist Spots in Bangkok

May 12, 2023 Madrid

5. Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew)[SEE MAP]

Also known as Wat Phra Kaew, it is famed for a fantastic dark green statue of the Buddha which is made out of jade. The Buddha is believed to date back to the 15th century. It was moved to various temples around the country for a few centuries, ending up in Bangkok in 1784. Housed in the most elegant and impressive building in the complex, only the Thai king is ever allowed to touch the sacred Buddha.

Apart from its famous resident, the architecture of Wat Phra Kaew’s many buildings is beautiful to behold; gold shines forth wherever you look and delightful Buddhist motifs can be seen carved alongside statues of mythological creatures.

4. Jim Thompson’s House[SEE MAP]

The infamous CIA operative Jim Thompson revived the Thai silk industry after World War II and had this house assembled from six traditional Thai-style houses. As Thompson was building his silk company, he also became a major collector of Southeast Asian art.

Jim Thompson’s House sits on a klong across from Bangkrua, where his weavers were then located. Tourists must take the guided tour through the buildings, which are given in plenty of foreign languages.

Located within the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew is the most important Buddhist temple in Thailand. As such, it is a very popular tourist attraction.

3. Wat Arun[SEE MAP]

Situated on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River , Wat Arun (“Temple of Dawn”) is one of the oldest and best known tourist attractions in Bangkok. The temple is an architectural representation of Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Buddhist cosmology.

Despite its name, the best views of Wat Arun are in the evening with the sun setting behind it.

2. Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho)[SEE MAP]

Wat Pho is famous for the huge Reclining Buddha statue it houses. It is one of the largest temples in Bangkok and also one of the oldest, constructed nearly 200 years before Bangkok became Thailand’s capital.

Wat Pho holds the distinction of having both Thailand’s largest reclining Buddha image and the largest number of Buddha images in Thailand. The gold-plated Reclining Buddha statue is 46 meters long and 15 meters high, and commemorates the passing of the Buddha into Nirvana.

1. Grand Palace[SEE MAP]

The construction of the Grand Palace started in 1782 when the capital of Siam was moved from Thonburi to Bangkok. The palace served as the residence of the Kings of Thailand until the mysterious death of King Ananda Mahidol in 1946. His brother King Bhumibol Adulyadej who succeeded him moved permanently to the Chitralada Palace.

Today the palace is a major Bangkok tourist attraction. Part of the palace compound is dedicated to a royal temple, Wat Phra Kaew, the most sacred temple of Thailand and home to the famous Emerald Buddha.