Wat Benchamabophit

This wat’s most distinctive feature is the beautiful ordination hall built from white imported Italian Carrara marble. This contrasts wonderfully with the red Thai roof, ornate gold gables and window frames. It was built by Rama V in 1899 and is often shortened to Wat Bench or known as The Marble Temple. The interior of the hall has some strong European influences in there in the Thai style, the splendid stained-glass windows are a good example. There is also a great collection of over 50 Buddha images in the hall. The result makes this a very distinctive wat. The grounds include some nice peaceful gardens with a lovely small canal filled with lotus and crossed by quaint bridges, combined with this being a relatively quiet wat it makes it a nice place for a leisurely stroll. There’s usually an ice-cream vendor nearby to take full advantage of this oasis of calm. If you’re an early riser, at 6:00am you can see the locals offering food to the orange-robed monks on the street. Entrance: 20B, open daily 8:00am – 6:00pm Address: 69 Nakornpathom Rd, Bangkok