Wat Bowonniwet Vihara
The temple where a prince spent 27 years as a monk — then left to rule Siam as Rama IV.
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Vajiralongkorn was ordained here in 1978; Bhumibol resided within these walls for 15 days after his ordination at Wat Phra Kaew; and Mongkut served as abbot here for 27 years before ascending the throne as Rama IV. The ashes of Rama VI and Rama IX rest inside the golden chedi. Mongkut also founded the Thammayut Nikaya reform order from these grounds in 1836.
What to look for
- T-shaped bot housing a Sukhothai Buddha cast in 1257 CE, made to celebrate freedom from Khmer rule
- Interior murals by monk-artist Khrua In Khong, who introduced Western perspective into Thai Buddhist painting
- The golden chedi holding the relics and ashes of Thai royals
Located in Phra Nakhon district; note that the two viharas are closed to the public, so focus on the bot and the chedi courtyard.
Wat Bowonniwet Vihara is one of 38 sights worth the detour in Bangkok, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Bangkok pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Bangkok
- Grand PalaceIn 1782 a king moved his entire capital from Thonburi to Bangkok and built this walled city — Thailand's seat of power for the next 143 years.
- Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)Every Thai king since 1783 has personally added to this temple — and the reigning king still presides over state ceremonies here today.
- Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)Named for Aruna — the Hindu charioteer who drives the sun at dawn — this riverside spire was built to face the light it honors.
- Baiyoke Tower IIBangkok's tallest hotel stacks an observatory, a bar, and a revolving roof deck across three floors at 309 metres.
- BTS SkytrainBangkok sits in chronic gridlock — three elevated lines run above it on 70 kilometers of track connecting the city end to end.
- Rajamangala National StadiumThailand's largest stadium swells like a concrete wave — narrow at each end, rising steeply until the stands crest exactly at the halfway line.