Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawihan, commonly known as Wat Prayoon or Wat Khao Tao (Turtle Mountain Temple), is a second-class royal Theravāda Buddhist temple in Bangkok’s Thonburi district. It sits near the Memorial Bridge on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River.
The temple was founded in the reign of King Rama III (1824–1851) by Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Prayurawongse (Tish Bunnag), who donated his former coffee estate for the site and named it after himself. It is an active monastery located close to the river, possibly on an old stop used by Zheng He’s fleets in the Ayutthaya period.
Its most distinctive feature is Khao Mo, a large artificial rock mountain in the middle of a pond that represents Mount Meru in Buddhist cosmology. Built around 1828, it is Thailand’s oldest and largest such replica. The rock garden includes miniature chedis, stupas, small pavilions, and rare plants. The surrounding pond is home to many sacred turtles and soft-shelled turtles, which give the temple its...
Wat Phuttha Prommayan, also known in fuller form as Wat Phuttha Prom Yan Phitcharam, rises as a contemporary Theravada Buddhist sanctuary on the quiet island of Ko Lat in the Bang Pakong River within Chachoengsao Province.
This relatively young temple took shape in recent decades through the determined vision of its abbot, Phra Palad Ekalak Panyakhamo, who first came to the undeveloped river island guided by deep devotion to the teachings and lineage of Luang Pho Reusi Ling Dam, also known as Phra Ratchaprommayan of Wat Tha Sung. Making a solemn vow upon the land, he resolved that if merit allowed he would transform the isolated plot into a place of beauty and practice dedicated to the Buddha and to that revered teacher.
What followed has been a rapid flowering of faith and architecture, supported by generous lay devotees whose offerings, including substantial Kathin ceremonies, have helped raise striking structures amid the water.
Accessible only by a short boat crossing from the mainland pier, ...
Khlong Suan 100 Years Market ตลาดคลองสวน 100 ปี is a historic waterfront marketplace that offers a glimpse into Thailand’s canal-side trading past. Dating back to the reign of King Rama V (late 19th to early 20th century), it was originally a bustling hub for travelers and traders along the Khlong Prawet Burirom canal, which connected Chachoengsao to Bangkok via boat services like the one run by Nai Loet (later known as Lert Sresthaputra, namesake of Bangkok’s Nailert Park). The market declined with the rise of roads and cars but was revived in 1999 and rebranded to highlight its century-old heritage. Today, it’s a “living museum” popular with local Thais for its authentic vibe, though it remains off the radar for most foreign tourists.
Unlike touristy floating markets, this one is a traditional land-based affair along the canal banks, with wooden shophouses in Sino-Thai style perched precariously on stilts. It spans both sides of the canal, connected by the ...
Đồng Xuân Market, known in Vietnamese as Chợ Đồng Xuân, traces its origins to the early nineteenth century when, in 1804 under the Nguyễn Dynasty, a market was established on the southern bank of the Tô Lịch River to support riverine trade.
By the late 1800s the Old Quarter contained two principal open-air markets on Hàng Đường and Hàng Mã streets. In 1889 the French colonial administration closed those sites, filled in sections of the river and nearby lake, and consolidated commerce into a single covered marketplace in what became Đồng Xuân Ward.
Construction of the original structure began around 1889–1890; the French called it Les Halles Centrales or Grand Marché, though locals retained the name Đồng Xuân, meaning “Spring Field.” The building covered roughly 6,500 square meters and featured five interconnected halls with distinctive arched entrances and dome-like roofs of corrugated iron on a steel frame, each dome rising about 19 meters high. It quickly became ...
