★Local·Temple & poet's museum
Wat Thepthidaram
วัดเทพธิดารามวรวิหาร
Rama III's temple for his favourite daughter, where the poet Sunthorn Phu lived as a monk.
King Rama III built the temple in 1836–39 for his eldest daughter, Princess Apsorn Sudathep, and its Chinese-influenced halls are guarded by carved stone figures, most of them women. Sunthorn Phu, Thailand's best-loved poet, lived here as a monk in 1840–42, and his former cell is kept as a small museum. It's next door to Wat Ratchanatdaram's Loha Prasat, so see both in one stop.
Visiting
- Open
- Daily
- Dress
- Shoulders and knees covered
- Allow
- 30–45 min
No official opening hours published — check on the day.
Checked 10 Oct 2026 against openstreetmap.org, commons.wikimedia.org, wikidata.org. 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
- Phanfa Leelard·Khlong Saen Saep Boat~6 min walk
- Sam Yot·MRT Blue Line~13 min walk
- Talad Bobae·Khlong Saen Saep Boat~20 min walk
- Sanam Chai·MRT Blue Line~24 min walk
Typical times, not a timetable · rail, boat and BRT routing runs right in the atlas.
While you're here
- Loha Prasat·Metal castle~1 min walk
- Wat Saket · Golden Mount·Temple~4 min walk
- Rattanakosin Exhibition Hall·City museum~4 min walk
- Mahakan Fort·City fort~5 min walk
The neighbourhood
Wat Thepthidaram sits in Old Town · Rattanakosin — Where Bangkok began.