Wat Bang Thong: is this Krabi’s most Photogenic Temple?
Scribbled by Claire ⬩ 06 September 2026
Krabi’s Wat Bang Thong is one of the most impressive and imposing Thai temples I’ve ever seen. Find out how to visit, some quirky info, and check out about a billion photos to see if it’s worth a trip for you!
It’s no big secret that Thailand’s insanely photogenic Buddhist temples are very much my jam. They’re just so ostentatious, brilliant, ornate and, occasionally, a bit bizarre.
I have visited literally hundreds of Thai temples in my time, from obscure mountain top ones in the north to the famous grand temples of Bangkok, and when someone asks me what my favourites are (this happens a weird amount), Wat Bang Thong in Krabi is always at the tippy-top of my list.
This visually astounding temple is *straight-up* magnificent, and sees almost no foreign tourists.
I wasn’t even expecting much when I visited, to be honest. I stopped in while driving between Khao Sok’s Cheow Lan Pier and Phang Nga, intent on spending twenty minutes looking around, but accidentally stayed for several hours.
I feel like southern Thailand can be a bit hectic, busy, and gentrified in places, so exploring a temple as photogenic as this, in relative peace, felt like I’d won the lottery.
I loved it so much, I’ve written a tiny post about why it’s worth a visit, with some interesting facts and a few logistics, but mainly it’s just photos. I guess it’s more of a photo journal of my visit, which I hope inspires yours!
IN THIS GUIDE //
Krabi’s Epic Golden Temple
What is so Special about Wat Bang Thong?
– Specific Architecture
– Royal Temple Status
– What’s in a Name?
– Buddha Relics
What’s in the Complex?
– Interior of the Pagoda
– Statues
– Elephant Issues
How to Get To Wat Bang Thong
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to Next?
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What is so Special about Wat Bang Thong?
I don’t have loads of information on Wat Bang Thong, but below is the information I coddled together from my visit (and a bit of research afterwards).
It’s always more interesting to know a little about the Thai temples – it gives your visit a little more depth!
1. Specific Architecture
The most fascinating thing to me about Wat Bang Thong is the intentional pagoda design that is based on the very well-known Mahabodhi Temple in Gaya, Bihar, in India.
The UNESCO designated temple in India is where the Buddha was said to have attained enlightenment and is a sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists, who visit in their many thousands from all over the world.
Wat Bang Thong’s main pagoda design is a direct imitation of the Mahabodhi Temple. It’s literally exactly the same, but the Thai version is more shiny and gold (as per typical ornate, glam Thai temple design). It’s also nearly twice as tall as the original temple in India, at 95 metres high.
In fact, this golden pagoda is one of the tallest in Thailand, apparently, and almost certainly the tallest in the southern part of the country.
2. Royal Temple Status
On 26th March 2025, the Wat Bang Thong complex was designated a third-class royal temple (an ecclesiastical title rarely give to temples in Thailand) to honour King Vajiralongkorn’s (better known as King Rama X) 72nd birthday.
This means it’s recognised and sponsored, at least in part, by the royal family, and joins just 310(-ish) other royal temples in Thailand with that special designation.
3. What’s in a Name?
The temple is named Wat Bang Thong after the local area ‘Bang Thong’, but is now officially called Wat Mahathat Wachiramongkol.
This new name has been in effect since November 2006, when it was named by the then-King Bhumibol in honour of Prince Vajiralongkorn (the current Thai King).
The name’s meaning:
⬩ ‘Wat‘ means temple
⬩ ‘Mahathat‘ means ‘great relic’ – many important Thai temples have this in their name (like at Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, for example) because they are dedicated to, or enshrining, a Buddha relic.
⬩ ‘Wachiramongkol‘ is an interesting one: ‘mongkol’ means auspicious or blessed and appears in quite a few Thai temple names, and ‘Wachira’ is another spelling of the King’s name ‘Vajira’ which means thunderbolt or diamond and is an obvious reference to the King.
So the name in full means something like ‘temple of the great relic, in honour of the auspicious Vajira(longkorn)’ from my basic Thai understanding.
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4. Buddha Relics
In 2024, Wat Bang Thong was one of only four temples chosen in Thailand to temporarily house relics of the Buddha from India, timed for the King’s birthday. This was a project called Dhammayatra: Buddha Relics of the Ganges-Mekong and was a significant moment for the temple to temporarily host bone fragments of the Buddha and his two main disciples.
For four days, the relics remained at Wat Bang Thong and during this time there were parades, elephants, dancers and, apparently, 90,000 visitors! It was a huge deal and would have been cool to see.
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What’s in the Complex?
The entire complex is far more than just the photogenic golden pagoda at its centre. There are several enormous statues, the manicured gardens in the pagoda courtyard, another pagoda dedicated to Guanyin located next to a lake, some Monastery housing, several ornate gates, some smaller temples, and more.
Interior of the Pagoda
The interior of Wat Bang Thong’s giant golden pagoda is super impressive (although I don’t have great photos of it). The ceilings are super high (almost to the point where you can’t really make them out), with large crystal chandeliers, and characteristically elaborate and opulent.
The walls are lined with intricate, colourful murals depicting the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, teaching, and death. I’ve seen quite a lot of these types of murals now, and I’d argue that this might be the most impressive example so far. Many of them were actually three-dimensional and I spent ages looking at them.
A statue of ‘Phra Phuttha Metta’ – an honorific name for the Buddha (Phra Phuttha) of Compassion (Metta) – is the main feature of the temple, surrounded by the Chinese zodiac animals. I didn’t hang out here long though, because the central statues in Buddhist temples are where people pray and I feel like a dick getting in the way or taking photos.
The internal decorations use red as an emphasis, which makes the enormous space feel kind of warm. I can’t really explain it, but it’s like the vast space has been colour-washed because the floor reflects the red.
Statues and Buildings
The whole temple complex at Wat Bang Thong is worth a wander – there’s loads of stuff to see beyond the pagoda:
⬩ There are several enormous statues on the grounds, including a Buddha in the standing-style Pang Poet Lok posture. This translates to the ‘posture of opening worlds’ – named after a particular moment in the Buddha’s life when he descended back to Earth from heaven (I’m simplifying a little because it’s complicated).
⬩ There’s also a massive seated image of Luang Pu Thuad, a venerated monk in southern Thailand.
⬩ You’ll also see a giant blue Chinese-style pagoda decorated with the typical intricate nagas, dedicated to Guanyin.
Elephant Issues
So, the one thing I did not expect to see when visiting Wat Bang Thong was an elephant.
After I left, I Googled it and noticed other people have also seen one there – although they had reported seeing a chained up baby, whereas I think the one I saw was an adult (although I’m not an elephant expert).
The elephant was chained up and pretty miserable-looking to me. I have no idea why it was there, either, because there were neither any tourists nor did anyone try to get us to pay to interact with it.
It’s a real mess, because I would never fund anything elephant-related in Thailand unless it was super well-researched and intentional on my part. So, seeing this chained up little dude just standing by the car park in the middle of this otherwise incredible complex was jarring. I’ve seen this kind of thing a few times in Thailand: like at Pattaya’s Sanctuary of Truth where they inexplicably offer elephant rides and the same in Ayutthaya, too.
Honestly, I have no idea why those places had them either. I also have no idea if our meagre entry fee helps pay for the elephant’s upkeep or if it encourages the presence of the elephant. I really hope it’s nothing to do with it.
How to get to Wat Bang Thong
Wat Bang Thong is best visited by car as there is no direct public transport option. The roads are easy to drive, all paved, and not particularly busy. There are gas stations the entire way and it’s well signed (and also quite a scenic route!).
The temple is not really near anything, but is conveniently located between some of the more popular spots in southern Thailand:
⬩ If you are driving between Phuket and Ao Nang, the temple is only a ten-minute diversion.
⬩ Alternatively, if you’re driving between Khao Sok’s lake at Cheow Lan Pier to Phuket or Ao Nang, it’s also on the way.
⬩ Finally, if you’re driving between Surat Thani and Phuket, it’s literally right on the route.
Some specific driving distances to Wat Bang Thong:
⬩ Phuket Airport: 1.5 hours, 95 kilometres
⬩ Ao Nang: 1 hour, 70 kilometres
⬩ Phang Nga: 35 minutes, 35 kilometres
⬩ Khao Lak: 1.5 hours, 85 kilometres
⬩ Cheow Lan Pier: 1 hour, 60 kilometres
⬩ Surat Thani: just under 2 hours, 120 kilometres
As you can see, it’s easy to reach Wat bang Thong if you’re on a road trip between any of these places (we highly recommend driving in Thailand. It’s easy and super freeing, honestly. Also, aircon, you know?).
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⬩ Planning your trip
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To get the highest quality, most sophisticated photos from your travels, you’ll need to perfect all three (plus a tiny bit of luck).
So, we’ve written a lot of country-specific guides about planning trips to various destinations, and also collated our absolute top tips for taking photos on location. We’ve also written a dedicated post on how to take cool black and white travel photography. Check them out if you’re interested!
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A Few Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a dress code for Wat Bang Thong?
Yes, Wat Bang Thong has all the usual clothing rules of Thai temples:
shoulders and knees covered, no dodgy slogans or logos, and you have to take off your shoes when going inside anywhere.
I wore leggings with a jumper tied around my waist and that was fine.
Is there an entry fee for Wat Bang Thong?
Yes, there’s an entry fee for foreigners of 50 baht, but only to enter the golden pagoda and its courtyard. The rest of the complex is free to wander around.
Is there parking at Wat Bang Thong?
There is masses of free car parking at Wat Bang Thong!
What facilities are there at the temple?
The temple complex has a nice cafe called ‘5.00 Coffee‘ – although it’s marked at the wrong place on Google Maps. It’s actually by the car park – you won’t be able to miss it.
There are bathrooms, although we didn’t use them, and the temple also has sarong hire if you rock up in inappropriate clothes.
What are the opening hours?
The main temple is open from 8am—6pm (although I think you can wander around the outside at anytime).
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Where to Next?
I’m not totally sure how helpful this post technically is, but I really hope, at minimum, it’s persuaded you that Wat Bang Thong is super beautiful and worth visiting!
If you’re interested in visiting more temples, take a look at our favourite, most unique temples from across Thailand – there are loads more lesser-visited ones, just like this!
Alternatively, if you’re spending more time in southern Thailand, take a look at our Thai island itinerary – it’s a thoughtful guide through Thailand’s most over-touristed region.
I hope you have a fantastic trip!
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