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ThailandIn the article we talk about one of the most beautiful temples in Bangkok – the marble temple Wat Benchamabophit. You will find out what is interesting about this temple and how it stands out from others, how to get to it, and whether it is worth visiting. Well, if something remains unclear or you just want to talk about a holiday in Thailand or share your experience, we invite you to our 💬 Thailand travel chat.
Description and is it worth a visit
Marble temple Wat Benchamabophit (Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram or Marble Temple) is one of the most beautiful temple complexes in Bangkok, which we can safely recommend as one of the attractions that is definitely worth a visit in the capital of Thailand. The image of its facade can even be seen on a five baht Thai currency coin. In 2005, it was included in the list of candidates for consideration as a future UNESCO World Heritage Site, but so far no decision has been made on this.
Although the temple is called "Marble", in literal translation its name sounds like "The Temple of the fifth king, located next to the Dusit Palace." And this name is not accidental, because the temple was founded by order of King Rama V, and is really located with a complex of royal Dusit palaces. The architect was another member of the royal family, Prince Narisara Nuwattiwong. When designing, he was inspired by traditional Thai architecture, but also introduced some modern innovations from European architecture for that time. In particular, most of the temple was built of marble imported from Italy, and for this reason it became widely known as the "Marble Temple".
Inside the main ubosot (enlightenment hall) there is a statue of the golden Buddha, a copy of the famous statue of Phra Buddha Chinnarat from the Mahatat Temple in Pitsanulok. It was cast in 1920, and under it are the remains of King Rama V. There are 52 Buddha statues on display in the gallery surrounding ubosot, each of which depicts various mudras (signs) collected by Prince Damrong Rajanubhab for his king. You can freely enter the hall of enlightenment, but the entrance with open shoulders, in shorts and a short skirt is strictly prohibited.
In addition to the Hall of enlightenment, there is a throne room on the territory, a sacred tree grows, there is a canal with bridges and fountains, the territory is spacious and landscaped.
Previously, the entrance to the Marble Temple was free, but now there is a ticket office at the entrance and collect 50 baht from foreigners. However, if you fundamentally do not want or cannot pay, then you can enter the temple for free not through the main entrance from Rama V road, but through a small entrance also from Rama V Street (to the left of the main entrance), or through one of the two entrances from Thanon Si Ayutthaya Street.
🕐 Working hours
From 06:00 to 18:00, seven days a week.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
The entrance for foreigners is 50 baht (approximately 1.5 USD, see the currency of Thailand).
🚶 How to get there
The marble temple is located in the Dusit area a little far from other attractions, tourist areas and metro stations (marble temple on the map). The main entrance to the temple is from Rama V Street.
From the area of the tourist street Khao San Road to the Marble Temple can be reached on foot, but you will have to walk almost three kilometers. A taxi ride when ordering through the Grab or Maxim applications will cost from 100 baht. And if you get used to local city buses, you can get there in just 8-16 baht on buses No. 60, 509 or 516. It is convenient to use Google maps or the ViaBus application to plan a bus route.
From the Pratunam area, you can take a regular boat along the canal to the final pier of Panfa Leelard, and from there you can walk one and a half kilometers to the temple. It is more difficult to get here from other tourist areas of Bangkok: you will have to take a taxi (from 200 baht) or make transfers by public transport.
Learn more about you can read how to use Bangkok public transport in a separate article.
Friends, we remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Bangkok with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at options with online booking and reviews on these excursion aggregators: