Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
A 46-metre reclining Buddha fills an entire hall — and this same temple invented traditional Thai massage.
Coming soon on iOS — be first to walk Bangkok offline.
King Rama I rebuilt Wat Pho as his personal royal temple; some of his ashes are enshrined here. It holds Thailand's largest collection of Buddha images and was the country's first centre for public education. Its wall inscriptions are in UNESCO's Memory of the World register, and a working school of Thai medicine still operates on the grounds, where traditional Thai massage is also taught and practised.
What to look for
- The 46 m (151 ft) reclining Buddha — the centrepiece of Thailand's largest collection of Buddha images
- Wall illustrations and inscriptions placed here for public instruction, recognised by UNESCO Memory of the World
- The school of Thai medicine on the grounds, where traditional Thai massage is still taught and practised
On Rattanakosin Island, directly south of the Grand Palace — easy to walk between both in one outing.
Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) 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.