Located in the Chinatown district, Wat Traimit is one of the most famous temples of Bangkok. It is known for the huge golden statue of Buddha which is housed in the temple. The statue of golden Buddha is 3 meters high and weighs more than five and a half tons. It is the largest solid gold statue in the world. The King Rama III brought the statue to Bangkok and it was installed in a temple which fell down in 1931. Then the statute was moved to the Wat Traimit Temple. It is one of the most visited temples in the country.
Wat Traimit Witthayaram Worawihan – The Temple of Golden Buddha
Posted on: 18th February 2016
The History of Wat Traimit
The statue of the Golden Buddha was built in the thirteenth century in the ancient capital of Thailand, Ayutthaya. In the seventeenth century, the gold statue was covered with thick layer of clay to hide it from the Burmese invaders. The monks who know this secret were killed in by the invaders but the statue was safe. The secret was hidden from everyone until 1955 when an attempt to move this invaluable statue to a new temple by crane put some cracks in it. The value of the statue is estimated to be more than 250 million US dollars. Today, the golden Buddha is one of the most important religious icons of Thailand.
Practical Information
The temple is located on Yaowarat Road near Hualamphong Railway Station at the end to Chinatown. It is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. A car rental from Bangkok Airport is the easiest way to reach the Wat Traimit Temple and other popular attractions in the city.