★★Worth it·Royal temple
Wat Ratchabophit
วัดราชบพิธ
Rama V's circular cloister wrapped around a golden chedi — Thai outside, Italian-Gothic inside. The most striking Old Town temple most visitors walk right past.
Rama V's circular cloister wrapping a golden chedi — Thai outside, Italian-Gothic chapel inside, soldier figures carved on the chapel doors. A short walk from Wat Pho and almost always empty. The old town's most elegant secret.
Kriengsak Jirasirirojanakorn CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kriengsak Jirasirirojanakorn CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized · tap to enlarge
Visiting
- Open
- daily
- Entry
- FreeNo ticket for the grounds, ordination hall or royal cemetery; parts of the hall may close for ceremonies
- Dress
- Shoulders and knees covered
- Allow
- 20–30 min
No official opening hours published — check on the day.
Checked 10 Oct 2026 against openstreetmap.org, commons.wikimedia.org, tourismthailand.org, timetravelturtle.com. Things change: closures for royal ceremonies and holidays are common.
Visiting a temple
- Shoulders and knees covered, for everyone. Sarongs are usually available at the gate, sometimes for a small deposit.
- Shoes come off before you step into an ordination hall — watch what everyone else is doing at the threshold.
- Most compounds open early, around 08:00, and close by 17:00–18:00; the major ones charge foreign visitors a small entry fee.
- Early morning is cooler, quieter and far better light than midday.
Check current entry fee and today's closing time when you arrive — we have no verified official site for this one.
Getting there
- Sam Yot·MRT Blue Line~9 min walk
- Sanam Chai·MRT Blue Line~10 min walk
- Tha Tien·Cross-river ferries~13 min walk
- Tha Tien·Chao Phraya Express Boat~13 min walk
Typical times, not a timetable · rail, boat and BRT routing runs right in the atlas.
While you're here
- Pig Memorial·Memorial~2 min walk
- Wat Ratchapradit·Royal chapel~3 min walk
- Trok Mor Morning Market·Morning market~4 min walk
- Saranrom Park·Park~4 min walk
The neighbourhood
Wat Ratchabophit sits in Old Town · Rattanakosin — Where Bangkok began.