Wat Pho

Wat Pho is the temple many visitors end up loving more than the Grand Palace. It is older, larger and far less formal, and it holds the most photographed Buddha image in Bangkok: the Reclining Buddha, forty-six meters long and fifteen high, covered in gold leaf and lying on its right side in a hall barely big enough to hold it. The pose represents the Buddha passing into final nirvana, and the soles of the feet, three meters tall, are inlaid with mother-of-pearl in 108 auspicious symbols. Along the wall behind the figure, a row of bronze bowls lets visitors drop small coins for luck and merit; change for the purpose is sold at the door. But the great hall is only the start. Wat Pho is one of the oldest temples in the city, rebuilt and expanded by the early Chakri kings, and its grounds are a maze of courtyards: four great tiled chedis dedicated to the first kings of the dynasty, cloisters lined with gilded Buddha images rescued from ruined temples in Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, rock gardens with Chinese stone guardians that arrived as ballast on trading ships, and the serene ordination hall. King Rama III made the temple a public university, carving inscriptions on medicine, astrology and massage into its walls, and that heritage lives on in the Wat Pho Thai Traditional Medical School, which runs massage pavilions inside the grounds. A Thai massage or foot massage here, at fixed and fair prices, is one of the best experiences in the city. The temple is open from 8am to 7:30pm, well after the palace closes, and the entry fee, currently 300 baht for visitors, is modest. The dress code is relaxed compared with the palace but still respectful: no short shorts or above-the-knee skirts, and shoes off in the halls.

The best way to see Wat Pho is in two parts. Start in the hall of the Reclining Buddha, which is busiest in the late morning when tour groups arrive straight from the palace; if you can, come later in the afternoon, when the light warms the gold and the crowds thin. Walk the length of the figure slowly, then spend time at the feet, where the mother-of-pearl panels repay close attention. From there, head deeper into the compound, away from the crowds. The Phra Maha Chedi courtyard, with its four tall chedis tiled in green, white, yellow and blue, is one of the most photogenic spots in Bangkok, and the galleries around the main ordination hall are lined with nearly four hundred seated Buddha images in quiet rows.

The massage school is the other reason to come. The pavilions inside the temple grounds offer traditional Thai massage and foot massage by the half hour and hour, with prices posted clearly (a thirty-minute session is currently a few hundred baht). It is first come, first served at busy times, so put your name down early and explore while you wait. The massage is firm and traditional, with stretching and pressure points rather than oils; tell the therapist if you want it gentler. For a deeper dive, the school runs certified courses for students from around the world at a separate training centre nearby.

Wat Pho sits just south of the Grand Palace, on the walk to Tha Tien pier, and the two combine naturally. Cross the river from Tha Tien on the short ferry to Wat Arun, then come back for dinner at one of the rooftop bars along Maharat Road, which look straight across the water to Wat Arun lit up at night. The nearest MRT station is Sanam Chai, a few minutes away. The temple is an active monastery with resident monks: women should not touch monks or hand them objects directly, and visitors should never point their feet at a Buddha image or climb on any structure.