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The 5 Most Impressive Buddha Images in Bangkok

Thailand is a well-known destination for Buddhist temples, statues and various other monuments influenced largely by the Theravada tradition of Buddhism.

The SE Asian nation has a wide variety of amazing, and sometimes downright huge statues of the Buddha that are worthy of a visit. These can be anything from ancient relics, gold-plated or rustic, massive or relatively small, but each Buddha statue bears its own significance in some particular way.

Many of the big Buddha statues across the whole nation of Thailand are in fact important cultural highlights and popular landmarks, and the Thai capital of Bangkok is not without its own significant additions to these representations of the Buddha.

Image by anandajoti bhikku from wikimedia commons

It’s probably fair to say that the majority of tourists in Bangkok, or at least first-time visitors, will take some time out to see some of the impressive Buddhist temples (wats), some of which date back to the 15^th century or beyond, although there are also a good few more recent additions that are well worth a visit.

It can be difficult to know which ones to see if you are not familiar with the city (check out our previous post on the top ten temples in Bangkok), but one way to decide which temples to visit is to follow the Buddhas – whether they be big or small Buddhas, reclining Buddhas, emerald Buddhas, or just downright huge Buddhas.

There are at least three really famous ancient Buddha statues in Bangkok, with another recent (in fact, just completed) addition being the biggest in the city.

Image by farang rak tham from wikimedia commons

Whether you want to simply hit the major spots in Bangkok or investigate some of the lesser known aspects of Thai-style Buddhist culture, there’s no denying that these images are a familiar sight across the landscape of both the city and the country.

So read on to find out where to see some of the most impressive Buddha statues in Bangkok in case you are planning to check out these beautiful monuments to Buddhism and Thai culture on your next visit.

1. The Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho)

The full, formal title of this famous Buddha statue in Bangkok – more commonly referred to as The Reclining Buddha – is Phra Buddhasaiyas.

This huge, gold-leaf-covered brick-and-plaster, horizontal representation of the Buddha dates back to 1832, and is important in that the reclining image is said to represent the Buddha in the last moments of his life.

Image by diego delso from wikimedia commons

The total length of the statue is 160 feet (49 meters), and the giant, mother-of-pearl feet are one of its main features.

Although there are literally thousands of reclining Buddha images to be found in Thailand, this particular example housed at Wat Pho in Bangkok, is one of the most, if not the most revered statue of the Reclining Buddha in the country.

This is partly due to the sheer size and grandiosity of the image, but also because the temple is one of the oldest and largest of Bangkok’s Buddhist constructs.

Image by diego delso from wikimedia commons

The temple in fact covers an area of 80,000 square metres, and also contains over 1,000 images of the Buddha. Wat Pho is a temple which played a big part in the development of traditional Thai massage, and today contains a school for learning the art that is accessible to both locals and foreign visitors.

Location: Maharat Road, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Hours: Daily from 8.30am to 6.30pm

Tel: +66 (0) 2 226 0335

2. The Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew)

In terms of size, this Bangkok Buddha image is one of the smallest famous ones around, measuring in at a mere 66 cm. The Emerald Buddha (Phra Kaeo Morakot), however, is definitely one of the most well-known in Thailand. It is also arguably the most revered and sacred.

Image by Jan S. Peterson from wikimedia commons

Although you might be forgiven for assuming that this majestic little image of the Buddha is made from emerald, it is, in fact, crafted from natural jade, and gets its name more from the deep, green colour rather than the actual materials involved.

The statue found its way to Wat Phra Kaew towards the latter-half of the 18^th-century, and although its origins are thought to have been in India, about 500 years after the death of the Buddha, it is almost certain that the image came from Cambodia prior to finding its way into Thailand.

The Emerald Buddha resides in a shrine in The Grand Palace, resplendent in golden robes, and is seated high above ground level on a tall altar-like structure. The statue plays a part in many ceremonies every year in Bangkok, including a garment-changing ceremony in which the golden robes are changed by the nation’s king.

Location: Na Phra Lan Road, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Bangkok 10200

Hours: 10 am – 5 pm

Contact: (+66) 2 224 3290

3. Phra Si Ariya Mettrai (also known as Luang Pho To)

Luang Pho To is basically a statue depicting the Buddha out on an alms trip, complete with a begging bowl. This is a 10-metre wide brick and stucco structure, impressively gilded with 24-carat gold, which apparently took around 60 years to put together until its completion in 1927. 

Image sourced from creativecommons.org

The uppermost top-knot of the Buddha’s hair (ushnisha) apparently contains an important Buddhist relic that was a gift from Sri Lanka.

This impressive Bangkok Buddha image is quite close to the famous Khao San Road region of the city, about 1km in a northern direction, and is a landmark of sorts in that area of the old town..

Location: 144 Wisutkasat Road, Bang Khun Phrom, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200

Hours: Daily from 6 am to 6 pm

Contact: +66 (0) 2 282 3173

4. The Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit)

Wat Traimit in Bangkok’s Chinatown is the home of The Golden Buddha, which is impressive on a number of counts.

To begin with, it is actually the largest golden Buddha image in the world, standing at 15 feet, nine inches (4.8 meters) from top to bottom.

Image by by marcel konsek from wikimedia commons

It is also the most valuable, weighing in at a staggering 5.5 tons of pure gold with an estimated value somewhere in the region of $250  million!

The statue’s exact point of origin is somewhat sketchy to say the least, although it is thought to have been cast over 700 years ago, throughout the Sukhothai period of Thai history.

Amazingly, the entire statue was at one point covered with plaster, possibly in order to conceal its value during times of tyranny, invasion and marauding by Thailand’s neighbouring enemies.

It wasn’t until the Golden Buddha had found its way to Bangkok, and was apparently dropped during an attempted move due to some renovations going on in the temple in 1955, that its true glory became apparent.

Its rough plaster coating broke off in some areas, exposing the value that lay underneath an otherwise unremarkable Buddha image — quite a discovery in terms of historic images of Buddhism in Bangkok.

Location: 661 Charoen Krung Road, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100

Hours: 10 am-5 pm

Contact: (+66) 089 002 2700

5. Thep Mongkol Buddha Statue (Wat Paknam)

Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen is one of Bangkok’s ‘royal’ temples, which was established in 1610 and is located near the banks of the Chao Phraya River in the Phasi Charoen district of the city.

This particular temple, unlike the majority in Bangkok, is rooted in the Maha Nikaya fraternity and is the origin of the Dhammakaya tradition. It is a large and impressive temple that is popular with locals, and is well-supported by prosperous members of the local community.

This is not one of the usual temples found on the tourist trails – or at least it wasn’t until recently – and it is something of a centre of Buddhist studies with hundreds of resident monks, lay workers, and even Thai ‘nuns’ (Mae Chi) who are not strictly nuns as such due to the rule that still exists in Thai Buddhism about women being ordained.

In 2020, the temple became home to what is now the city’s tallest Buddha figure, a 69-metre-tall Dhammakaya Thep Mongkol Buddha statue with a 40-metre-wide lap.

Image by supanut sourced from wikimedia commons

The image took around 3 years to complete and apparently cost somewhere in the region of 100 million Thai baht (around 3 million dollars).

It is well worth a visit as the temple itself has undergone much restoration in recent years and consists of a 5-story, 80-metre-high, 12-sided stupa which was completed just a decade previously. There is also a glass chedi, a main hall, and a museum, which have all made it one of the most prominent centres of Buddhism in Bangkok in recent times, making it much worth a visit by anyone even remotely interested in either Buddhist philosophy of any slant.

Image by farang rak tham from creativecommons.org

Although the statue and temple are not exactly right next to any transportation system, the MRT subway station at Bang Phai will leave you with just a 15-minute walk or a 5-minute motorcycle ride if you are not too feint-hearted.

: 300 Ratchamongkhon Prasat Alley, Soi Pak Nam, Pak Khlong Phasi Charoen, Phasi Charoen, Bangkok 10160

Hours: 8 am-6 pm

Contact: (+66)

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