Wat San Chao Floating Market is a small floating market north of Bangkok next to the Chaophraya River in Pathum Thani. It’s not a floating market with lots of small boats that you envision but more of a riverside market.
Floating markets in Thailand are very traditional. In the past the dense jungle made travel by land very difficult so people would use the many rivers and canals to transport their goods. Along the waterways markets would develop for people to exchange their goods. The markets would be built on the land and serve as a meeting point. So most of the floating markets are more of riverside markets instead. Wat San Chao is this type of floating market.
What it lacks in boats it makes up for in food. It features the normal Thai food as well as regional favorites. In addition to the shopping there is a Mon style temple and 2 small Chinese temples in the market area for the local Thais to make merit while here.
It’s located about an hour north of Bangkok and not on the ...
Wat Klang Khlong Sra Bua (วัดกลางคลองสระบัว), often translated as “Monastery in the Middle of the Lotus Pond Canal,” is an active Theravada Buddhist temple of the Maha Nikaya sect located approximately 5 km northwest of Ayutthaya’s historic city island. Situated on the east bank of the ancient Khlong Sra Bua canal in the Thung Kaeo (Crystal Field) area, it forms part of Ayutthaya’s northern cluster of temples, a region rich in Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351–1767) heritage. The temple’s name reflects its central position along the canal, a vital waterway dug in the early Ayutthaya period to connect the royal palace to Khlong Chang, serving as a key transportation route for royal barges and trade.
Origins and Construction
The temple’s founding is rooted in the Ayutthaya era, though precise dates are elusive due to the destruction of records during the Burmese sack of Ayutthaya in 1767. Based on architectural analysis and historical maps, it likely dates to the mid- to late...
Wat Mai Chumpol (also known as Wat Mai Prachumpol or simply Wat Mai by locals) is a historic Buddhist temple affiliated with the Maha Nikaya sect, located on the east bank of the Pa Sak River in Nakhon Luang District, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand. It sits near the ancient Prasat Nakhon Luang ruins, forming part of a cluster of Ayutthaya-era sites that attract visitors seeking a quieter alternative to the more crowded historical parks in central Ayutthaya.
The temple’s origins trace back to the Ayutthaya Kingdom with construction estimated around 1610–1629. Local legends and historical accounts vary slightly: one tradition holds that it was built during the reign of King Song Tham (1610–1628) to accommodate the royal entourage during a river journey to worship the Buddha’s footprint at Phra Phutthabat in Saraburi Province, as the Pa Sak River served as a key travel route at the time.
The temple complex was significantly restored in 1893 during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), reflecting ...
The Si Mahosot Buddha footprints are Thailand’s oldest replica footprints, carved into a large laterite slab. They feature a central Dharmachakra (Wheel of Dharma) with a swastika-shaped hole, an ancient auspicious symbol. Housed in an open pavilion, they are among the largest in Thailand and are venerated with offerings like flowers, incense, and gold leaf.
These carvings mark the spread of Theravada Buddhism from Sri Lanka to Thailand during the decline of Khmer influence. Discovered in modern times (post-20th century) in Dong Si Mahasot, they reflect a shift from Mahayana to Theravada traditions, symbolizing the Buddha’s presence in an aniconic form.
The Khmer hospital temple (likely part of the Noen Phra or nearby ruins) is a laterite and sandstone structure typical of Khmer architecture. It was one of the 102 arogayasala (hospital temples) built by King Jayavarman VII (1181–1218) across the Khmer Empire to provide medical care and spiritual healing.
Constructed in the 12th–13th centuries, ...
