Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)

About this place

One of Bangkok's oldest and largest temples, directly south of the Grand Palace and ranked in the highest grade of Thailand's royal temples. It was rebuilt by King Rama I, founder of the current dynasty, and became his principal temple. Its most famous sight is the enormous Reclining Buddha, some forty-six metres long and covered in gold leaf, the soles of its feet inlaid with mother-of-pearl in fine designs. Around it are broad courtyards with hundreds of statues and colourful stupas clad in porcelain, and the temple is also considered the birthplace of traditional Thai massage, with a school that still teaches it. Tickets for foreigners are about three hundred baht, and it opens daily from eight in the morning to half past seven in the evening. Modest dress is required, as at the Grand Palace. Combine it with the Grand Palace in one morning, then cross the river by the small ferry to Wat Arun opposite. For Arab visitors it is more an architectural and artistic stop than a religious destination, and an hour or two is enough.