Sacred architecture and living communities.
Thailand has working Buddhist temples, royal wats, old ruins, Chinese and Hindu shrines, mosques, and churches. Each has its own past and place in local life.
The life of a wat
A Thai wat has more than one role. Its halls may be used for prayer or for rites in which men become monks. A chedi holds sacred remains. Other buildings house monks or keep holy texts. Local people also gather in the grounds. The style changes across Thailand: old brick ruins in the central plains, Lanna temples in the north, and richly adorned royal wats in Bangkok.
These are places of worship. Cover your shoulders and knees. Speak quietly and take care around sacred images and rites. Give people room to pray.
Temples around Thailand
Bangkok temples
Royal monasteries, neighborhood wats, shrines, and the sacred geography of the capital.
Chiang MaiChiang Mai temples
Lanna architecture and monasteries within and beyond the old city.
AyutthayaAyutthaya temples
The monasteries and ruins of the former Siamese capital.
SukhothaiSukhothai temples
Early Thai art and the temple landscape of the historic kingdom.
PhuketPhuket religious places
Buddhist temples and Chinese shrines shaped by the island's communities.