WAT PHANAN CHOENG

Wat Phanan Choeng's official name is Wat Phanan Choeng Worawihan and you can find it at the southeast corner just over the river from Ayutthaya’s old city. It is a riverside temple which is near where the Pa Sak River and Chao Phraya River meet. Get the Ayuttaya tourist map, or view the active map (below) for exact location.

The temple has been active since the 14th century and remains an important temple for the locals. One of the more interesting things with this temple is that it has a strong Chinese influence with gold and red colored decorations, Chinese-style lanterns and warrior statues, flower offerings and a distinctly Chinese style temple. The temple complex includes a revered Kuan Yin statue in a covered hall, which is especially important to Chinese devotees.

One of the must-see attractions is the enormous seated Buddha image known as Luang Pho To in the main Viharn. You will need to be dressed modestly, talk in a low tone, and take your shoes off if you plan to enter any temple. There are also donation boxes around the grounds where you can show your appreciation and help with the upkeep of the temple.

The best time to visit if you want to take some great photos and enjoy the calm surroundings, is in the morning before the tour groups arrive. Avoid the weekends and Thai holidays where it can be much busier with local worshippers.

See below for map and directions to Wat Phanan Choeng.

Easiest way to get here is by one of the many tuk-tuks that are available for the tourist. Many drivers provide a tour service where at a fixed price they can take you on a day tour, but if you want to take your time over a few days to see the sites, then they can just drop you off at the location, although a tour would work out to be cheaper.

There is also the Pasak River boat tour that circumnavigates the old Ayutthaya city and this temple is usually one of the stops. It makes seeing all the river-side famous attractions easier. They drop you off at the temple pier and you will need to return within a set time.

Get the Ayutthaya tourist map which has all the main tourist spots, including riverside temples.