Wat Ampharam Temple (Wat Hua Hin): Why the City's Main Temple Is More Than Just a Shrine

Why Wat Ampharam Temple Is More Than Just a Temple

Wat Ampharam Temple (the main temple of Hua Hin), also called Wat Hua Hin, is the city's main temple and monastery, and one of the main attractions in central Hua Hin. Architecturally, it doesn't stand out in any remarkable way; you could even say it's one of the most ordinary temples in Thailand, but in terms of practical use, the temple is very important. It serves simultaneously as a temple, a monastery, a crematorium, and a cemetery. Of course, the cemetery here isn't in the sense you might expect. In Thailand, cremation is customary; the ashes are buried in urns and walled into the temple buildings.

The temple grounds are quite large and consist of several buildings. You can walk around here completely freely, enter any buildings, and no one will say anything to you. It's only important to follow the traditional rules of behavior: take off your shoes at the entrance, don't enter the temple in mini-skirts, short shorts, or with bare shoulders.

Anyone can visit the temple regardless of faith. Early in the morning, monks near the temple accept donations from residents, and you can participate in this too.

Interestingly, the temple is practically right next to the most debauched district of Hua Hin, where bars with girls operate all night long. It's also surprising that practicality has won out over Thai religiosity, and they've organized the city's main car parking lot on the temple grounds.

Photo Gallery: Wat Ampharam Temple