Wat Phra Kaew: The Most Important Temple in Bangkok

Tucked inside the Grand Palace walls in Bangkok, Wat Phra Kaew sparkles with its shards of mosaics, golden spires, and the country’s most sacred emerald green statue — and if you skip it, you haven’t truly seen Bangkok.

The temple, also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, has been standing since Bangkok became Thailand’s capital city in 1782, so there is plenty of history to go with its ornate buildings.

If you’re a first-time visitor who wants to walk in with knowledge, not just a camera, you’re in the right place!

Grab a cup of hot chocolate and get cozy as I leverage my lifelong Bangkokian knowledge and share everything you need to know to visit Wat Phra Kaew, from what to wear, when to go, and how to appreciate what you’re seeing.

Note: I originally published this post in April of 2022. I’ve recently updated it to include more recent and relevant information for you.

Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace

There’s a reason why Thailand’s Tourism Board promotes Wat Phra Kaew to visitors a lot, and it’s not just because it glitters more than the others.

Wat Phra Kaew, situated inside the grand palace, was one of the first buildings erected by King Rama I when Bangkok first became the new capital city. He designated it as his royal chapel, where he would hold religious ceremonies for his family.

But first, did you know that there are 2 Wat Phra Kaews in Thailand? One in Bangkok and one in Chiang Rai. Avoid getting navigated to the wrong province and make sure to set your map for the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok!

Why Does It Have So Many Names?

It seems a proper introduction to explain how exactly the temple came to have 3 names. While Wat Phra Kaew is the most well-known, did you know its full name?

Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram

Thai language, we love… But stick with me for a couple of minutes here. I promise it’ll all make sense!

“Wat” means temple.

Phra Si Rattana Satsada means “The master jewel.” This brings us back to how Buddhism is structured around the Master (Buddha), the Teachings, and the Community. These 3 are referred to as “The 3 jewels of Buddhism.” The master jewel, then, refers to the Buddha.

“Aram” is a high Thai word for “monastery.” Combine this with the first word and you get a temple name that means “Temple of Master Jewel.” This is the most complete and formal name for Wat Phra Kaew.

Wat Phra Kaew

Because the formal name is a mouthful, people started calling the temple by its nickname.

The word “Phra” means monk, but is also a prefix for referring to someone of religious or royal titles. “Kaew” means glass or jewel. So this version shortens the original meaning to just “Temple of the Jewel Buddha.”

Temple of the Emerald Buddha

This one doesn’t need much explanation! It’s just a direct translation to Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram!

It Is Thailand’s Royal Chapel

Upon the establishment of Bangkok as the newest capital city of Thailand in 1782, King Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty ordered the construction of a temple that would become the royal chapel of his reign.

The intention was to build the temple inside the palace grounds, allowing visitors to worship the Emerald Buddha without having full access to the palace.

And so, the Grand Palace was planned with the Outer Court, the Middle Court, and the Inner Court… with the temple in the Outer Court.

Wat Phra Kaew was completed in 1784. Because the temple holds so much significance, it undergoes a total facelift once every 50 years, with routine maintenance happening here and there.

History and Architecture of the Temple

The construction plan divides the buildings in Wat Phra Kaew into 3 groups: The Ordination Hall, the Phaithi Terrace, and other decorative buildings.

Building Group 1: The Ordination Hall

Also known in Thai as “Ubosot,” this is the temple’s most sacred building. A low wall called “Kampaeng Kaew,” or the “barrier of jewels,” separates it from the rest of the temple.

Right outside the barriers, 12 open-air pavilions surround the hall. These pavilions were study halls, where palace staff would read religious texts to commoners visiting the temple on religious holidays.

Below are some etiquette points to remember when entering the ordination hall.

• Shoes and hats off before entering the hall.
• No photography is allowed inside.
• No smoking or chewing gum
• Be respectful and keep your voice down.
• Sit on your feet like the locals or tuck them behind your body, pointing towards the door. Do not leave your feet pointing toward the Buddha and the sacred statues.

Special History Scoop: The Emerald Buddha

Writing an article on Wat Phra Kaew without mentioning the Emerald Buddha is strange, so we’re not going to do that. Buckle up. Its history is long, but worth a read!

Ironically, the Emerald Buddha is NOT made of emerald… but a single piece of Nephrite Jade. People actually started saying emerald because of the bright green color.

The Discovery of the Emerald Buddha

Legend has it that the statue was made in Patna, Bihar, India, in 43 BC. No one knows where it went from there, but it first resurfaced in 1434 in Chiang Rai, then part of the Lanna Kingdom, in a local temple called Wat Pah Ya.

A bolt of lightning struck an old stupa down, revealing a concrete Buddha statue. The locals then placed it in the sanctuary for safekeeping and worship. After a few years, a piece of the concrete around the nose cracked and fell off, revealing jade.

The temple staff was then ordered to cleave the rest of the concrete off, revealing a brilliant green statue.

The Statue’s Journey: From Lanna to Laos

After spending nearly half a century in Chiang Rai, the statue then traveled back and forth within the Lanna Kingdom. The exact dates and reasons are now unknown to any living soul, but these are the best estimates I could put together.

• Chiang Rai (1391-1436)
• Lampang (1436-1468)
• Chiang Mai (1468-1553)
• Luang Prabang of Laos (1553-1565)
• Vientiane of Laos (1565-1778)

The Emerald Buddha Comes to Thailand

During the reign of King Taksin of Thonburi in 1778, an army general was sent to capture Vientiane. The general successfully did this and brought the Emerald Buddha back with him to Thonburi.

The king immediately put the statue in the royal chapel of Thonburi, Wat Arun. There it stayed until the fall of the Thonburi Kingdom in 1782.

That same year, the army general became King Rama I, the first of the Chakri dynasty. He moved the capital city across the river to Bangkok, along with the Emerald Buddha. And he put the statue in the new royal chapel inside his palace, where it has stayed for 240 years… at the time of writing.

Today, the locals have renamed Wat Pah Ya in Chiang Rai to “Wat Phra Kaeo” to commemorate its role in the discovery of the Emerald Buddha. A replica statue was made in 1991 and put there for Princess Srinagarindra’s (the previous queen mother) 90th birthday.

The Emerald Buddha Today

Now seated in the Ordination Hall of the temple in Bangkok, the Emerald Buddha statue is raised so high above the floor that its tiny frame (17 inches wide, 21 inches tall) is almost lost among the decorative artifacts.

Only the reigning king can touch the Emerald Buddha, and he does so 3 times a year to change the Buddha’s outfit pertaining to each season (isn’t that cute?) with the help of an assistant.

Sometime in March, the Buddha changes to his summer outfit. Then, in mid-July, he changes to the rainy season outfit. The winter outfit goes on in mid-November.

The Bell Tower

The bell tower is another building within the Ordination Hall group. It is common practice in temples to ring the bell when it’s mealtime or meeting time to signal the monks living in those temples.

But as there are no monks inside Wat Phra Kaew, this bell is only rung once every several years on very important occasions. The appointment ceremony of a new Supreme Patriarch (Sangharaja), for example.

Building Group 2: The Phaithi Terrace

Located right in front of the Ordination Hall, the Phaithi Terrace holds important religious artifacts and 3 significant religious buildings.

The Golden Stupa

Or Phra Si Rattana Chedi in Thai, this stupa was modeled after the triple stupas of Wat Phra Si Sanphet in Ayutthaya.

It holds the sacred relics of the Buddha. Legend has it that he blessed a part of his skeleton before he passed away. The portion kept in this stupa came from Sri Lanka.

The stupa was originally all concrete, like the ones it was modeled after. But in 1882, King Chulalongkorn ordered it to be covered in gold-colored mosaics to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Bangkok.

Phra Mondop, The Library

The building is home to all 84,000 chapters of Tripitaka, the Buddhist sacred text. Unfortunately, it’s closed to visitors at all times, but word has it carpet woven in silver covers the entire floor. I know… It’s a lot.

The Royal Pantheon

Or Prasat Phra Thep Bidon in Thai. Built in 1855, the building stands on a cruciform plan with a prang (Thai-style spire) on top.

It holds nine life-sized figures of all the previous kings of the Chakri dynasty, though it’s hard to see what the interior looks like because it’s not open to the public.

The only time anyone gets to enter is on April 6 of every year, which is the Chakri dynasty memorial day.

Building Group 3: Everything Else

There are so many other decorative and storage buildings around the temple grounds. This includes the White Sanctuary, the scripture hall, the decorative stupas, etc. They mostly hold Buddha figures and other religious scriptures.

The Grand Palace: Outer Court

After leaving the temple, you will find two magnificent buildings in the palace’s outer court on your way to the exit gate.

One is the old Royal Residence Chakri Maha Prasat, used for the first five kings of the dynasty, which became more of a museum in 1910.

Then the Dusit Maha Prasat audience chamber, which previous kings had used from time to time.

Visitors’ Information for Wat Phra Kaew

• Hours: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM daily
• Admission: 500 THB (US$15)

Your ticket includes access to the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew, and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles.

Get your ticket online at least 24 hours before arrival to avoid the line on site, or bundle it up with a walking tour at the same price.

How Should I Dress?

• Pants and skirts that cover the knees, nothing shorter
• No ripped jeans
• Modest, sleeved tops that cover the shoulders
• No flip-flops or sandals without a backstrap

You need to follow their dress code, or they’ll make you buy a t-shirt or sarong at the shop to comply before entering. Trust me when I say that those t-shirts are way overpriced. You don’t want to pay for that.

How to Get to Wat Phra Kaew

There are two ways to get to Wat Phra Kaew that I prefer. You can either arrive by the metro and walk 15-20 minutes, or arrive by boat and walk less than 5 minutes.

Learn more about how to navigate both forms of transportation in my Bangkok metro guide.

Arriving by the Metro

The closest metro station to Wat Phra Kaew is Sanam Chai Station on the blue line, which is about a 15-minute walk away. Use exit 1.

You can call a Grab Bike to take you there, or flag a tuk-tuk if that’s on your bucket list. The tuk-tuk ride from the station to Wat Phra Kaew should not cost you more than 80 THB.

Arriving by the Chao Phraya Express Boat

Staying close to a pier? Why not live that riverside life and ride the express boat? The closest pier to Wat Phra Kaew is Tha Chang, so that’s where you want to get off.

But Where is the Entrance to Wat Phra Kaew?

I know… There are multiple gates along the palace’s massive white walls. You can only access one of them.

The visitor entrance to the palace is the “Wiset Chai Si Gate,” located on Na Phra Lan Road. It will be the second gate coming up on your right-hand side as you skirt along the palace wall from the west.

Where to Eat Near Wat Phra Kaew

Below are some interesting (and good, of course!) culinary options around the area.

• Tha Arun
  • Good selection of authentic Thai dishes, the kind moms make for their children
  • Direct view across the river of Wat Arun
• Rongros
  • Right next door to Tha Arun
  • Chic interior decor, but a smaller space with fewer seats
  • The food makes up for it, though!
• Make Me Mango
  • My favorite dessert café, full of every possible way you could turn the deliciously sweet Thai mango into a dessert. Ice cream, pudding, custard, fresh with coconut milk, you name it!
• Blue Whale Café
  • Like the name, EVERYTHING is blue…
  • Famous for its beautiful blue Butterfly Pea Latte

Final Thoughts

Although most people are getting tired of being told they need to visit Wat Phra Kaew, there’s a good reason.

Not only is it the most overwhelmingly beautiful sight you’ll ever see, but it’s also culturally important and will help you make sense of the rest of your time in Thailand.

Luckily, because it’s close to other amazing sights of Bangkok like Wat Pho, Wat Arun, and Loha Prasat, you can easily integrate it into your plans!

Get Ready for Thailand!

While you’re bored waiting for your flight at the airport, why not study a bit of Thai to impress the locals, or learn the dos and don’ts to avoid embarrassing yourself while you’re here?

I also have a guide to understanding Thai culture at large, which will help you connect with the locals more easily.

Looking for more resources to plan your Thailand trip? I have everything you may need on my Thailand Travel page, from booking resources to guides for provinces across the country.

Where to Stay in Bangkok

I highly recommend staying right in Phra Nakhon to keep your focus on the culture. Got other ideas in mind? Triple-check with my guide on the best neighborhoods to stay in before making a decision.

My absolute favorite hotel to stay in is Baan Wanglang Riverside.

Since it’s across the river, a morning ferry ride became a ritual for my friend and me during our week in Phra Nakhon. The perks we got in return? The most local food market in the city was right on our doorstep.

Not feeling Baan Wanglang? Use this map to keep looking!

Common Questions

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