Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
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Wat Pho predates Bangkok itself. Founded in the 16th century, it was expanded by Rama I and later became Thailand's first public university under Rama III, who had medical, scientific, and literary knowledge inscribed on stone tablets throughout the grounds. The temple's star attraction is the 46-metre-long, 15-metre-high Reclining Buddha, covered in gold leaf and filling nearly the entire length of its chapel. The soles of the statue's feet are inlaid with 108 mother-of-pearl panels depicting auspicious symbols from Buddhist cosmology.
Admission costs 300 THB (about 8 EUR) and includes a free bottle of water. The compound also houses the Wat Pho Thai Traditional Massage School, the oldest and most respected institution of its kind in the country. A one-hour traditional Thai massage on the temple grounds costs 260 THB - far less than commercial spas. The temple opens at 08:00 and closes at 18:30 daily. With over 1,000 Buddha statues and 91 chedis (stupas), you could easily spend two hours here without retracing your steps.
Pro Tip: Visit after 16:00 when tour groups thin out. The late afternoon light turns the gold-leaf chedis a deep amber, and the massage school rarely has a queue at that hour.
