Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen – Luang Pho Sot and Bangkok's Giant Buddha
Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen is a famous Thonburi temple where you can pay respect to Luang Pho Sot and see the 69-meter Phra Phuttha Dhammakaya Thep Mongkhon Buddha.
Meeting Point Management Team
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Quick answer
Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen is at 300 Soi Ratchamongkhon Prasat, Phasi Charoen, Bangkok. A third-class royal temple from the mid-Ayutthaya period, it's known for meditation teaching, Luang Pho Sot's statue and preserved body, and the 69-meter-tall Phra Phuttha Dhammakaya Thep Mongkhon Buddha. Reach it via BTS Wutthakat or Talat Phlu, MRT Tha Phra, boat or blue songthaew.
Key takeaways
- Third-class royal temple from the mid-Ayutthaya period, on a moated rectangular island
- Luang Pho Sot (Phra Mongkhon Thep Muni) became abbot in 1916 and started meditation teaching
- Pay respect to his statue and his preserved body in the hall on the 2nd floor
- Phra Phuttha Dhammakaya Thep Mongkhon: 69 m tall, 40 m lap width – like a 20-storey building
- Get there by BTS Wutthakat/Talat Phlu, MRT Tha Phra, boat from Wat Mai Yai Nui or blue songthaew
Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen – pay respect to Luang Pho Sot and see the giant Buddha at one of Bangkok's most famous temples
As the year draws to a close, Meeting Point wants to invite you to make merit at a temple. Today we're taking you to Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen to pay respect to Luang Pho Sot and see its magnificent giant Buddha – a famous Bangkok temple you should visit at least once.
Wat Paknam, also called Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen, is in Phasi Charoen district on the Thonburi side, at the mouth of Khlong Dan where it meets Khlong Bangkok Yai, part of the Chao Phraya River delta. The grounds cover 20 rai 88 square wa. The temple sits on a rectangular island surrounded by water on all sides, right in the middle of the community, and it's also very well known for teaching vipassana meditation.
Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen is a third-class royal temple of the ordinary (saman) grade, built in the middle Ayutthaya period. Records from the early Rattanakosin era state that King Rama I traveled by royal barge to present the royal kathin robes here. Under King Rama III, the temple was extensively restored while keeping its Ayutthaya-style architecture, and it was restored again under King Rama V. By the reign of King Rama VI, however, the temple had fallen into serious disrepair and had no abbot, so the ecclesiastical authorities sent Phra Samu Sot Chandasaro – Luang Pho Sot – from Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho) to become abbot in 1916. From then on, the temple became a spiritual center for Buddhists for many years.
Luang Pho Sot introduced the teaching of samatha-vipassana meditation, promoted the study of the Buddhist scriptures, set up schools for Dhamma and Pali studies, and built what was then the most modern Buddhist scripture school. The temple grew steadily into a center for meditation practice and Pali study. He was granted royal ecclesiastical titles as a senior monk in the meditation stream and was promoted over time, with his final title being Phra Mongkhon Thep Muni – though most people know him as Luang Pho Wat Paknam.
The key highlight when you arrive at Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen is paying respect to the cast statue of Luang Pho Sot, the temple's former abbot and a famous, deeply revered monk. The temple provides flowers, incense and candles for making offerings and wishes for good fortune. On the second floor is the Mongkhon Thep Nimit hall, which enshrines Luang Pho Sot's body, and visitors can go up to pay respect and make wishes there too.
Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen also has many other important structures and interesting areas, including the giant Phra Phuttha Dhammakaya Thep Mongkhon Buddha, the Maha Ratchamongkhon Great Chedi, the scripture hall in the middle of the pond, gardens and riverside areas for relaxing, and spots for feeding birds and fish.
Prayer to Luang Pho Sot of Wat Paknam
(Recite "Namo" three times), then chant:
Yo dha Chandasaro Dhamma Kayassa
Kusalo Varo Gunadhiko Mahathero
Sirenatang Namamihang Namakaranu
Bhavena Sada Sotthi Bhavantu Me
(Finish with "Samma Arahang" three times.)
Don't miss the magnificent Phra Phuttha Dhammakaya Thep Mongkhon. Anyone passing by is bound to see this huge Buddha image in the meditation posture with a lotus-bud topknot. It has a lap width of 40 meters and stands 69 meters tall – about the height of a 20-storey building – gleaming golden and visible from far away. Made of copper, it was built according to Luang Pho Sot's vision, with relics of the Buddha enshrined inside the topknot. It was built as an offering to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, to uphold the nation, religion and monarchy, and to honor Luang Pho Sot.
Getting to Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen
It's easy to get here from central Bangkok. By car, you can park at Wat Ratchaorot or Wat Mai Yai Nui and take a boat from the pier to Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen – the boat ride takes about 1 hour. By train, take the BTS to Wutthakat station or the MRT to Tha Phra station, then walk to the boat pier at Wat Mai Yai Nui (about a 1-hour boat ride), or walk to the temple – it isn't too far. Alternatively, get off at BTS Talat Phlu or near The Mall Tha Phra and take the blue songthaew marked "Wat Paknam", which stops right in front of the temple.
Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen – details (Facebook)
Location: 300 Soi Ratchamongkhon Prasat, Pak Khlong Phasi Charoen, Phasi Charoen, Bangkok 10160
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/yhNLcuLHPkpYVtLe6
Phone: 02-467-0811
FAQ
Where is Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen?
At 300 Soi Ratchamongkhon Prasat, Pak Khlong Phasi Charoen, Phasi Charoen, Bangkok 10160.
Which BTS station is near Wat Paknam?
Wutthakat station (then a walk or boat), or Talat Phlu station, where you can take the blue songthaew marked 'Wat Paknam' to the temple gate.
How tall is the giant Buddha at Wat Paknam?
The Phra Phuttha Dhammakaya Thep Mongkhon is 69 meters tall with a 40-meter lap width – about the height of a 20-storey building.
Who was Luang Pho Sot?
Luang Pho Sot (Phra Mongkhon Thep Muni) became abbot in 1916 and made the temple a center for meditation and Pali study.
Where can I pay respect to Luang Pho Sot's body?
In the Mongkhon Thep Nimit hall on the temple's 2nd floor.
The Meeting Point management team loves eating, travelling, temple visits and lifestyle. We pick the restaurants, cafes, stays, attractions and temples we have visited ourselves and write about them honestly.
