Wat Mahathat Yuwarat Rangsarit

Wat Mahathat Yuwarat Rang Sa Rit Racha Woramahawihan is one of the ten first-class temples in Bangkok. The temple is located 500 meters north of the Grand Palace, between the Sanam Luang Park and Maharat Pier on Chao Phraya River, in the old area of Rattanakosin Island. The temple was built during the Ayutthaya Kingdom and was originally named Wat Salak. The current name was given by Rama I in 1803 when temple became the residence of some Supreme Patriarchs and of few Buddha’s relics during the early Rattanakosin Period. Wat Mahrgat was renovated in 1783 by Prince Surasinghanart, the younger brother of King Rama I, and it was renamed initially Wat Nipphanaram. In 1788 King Rama I renamed it in Wat Phra Sri Sanphechayadaram and then later in Wat Mahathat, following the Ayutthaya's tradition of giving this name to the temples that housed the sacred relics of the Buddha.  The name Yuwarat Rangsarit was added by Rama IV in honour of Prince Vachirunnahis. The temple has long been used for Royal ceremonies and funerals. The main structures of the temple include the Phra Ubosot, a Phra Mondop, the Phra Vihara, where are the relics of the Buddha, a Vihara Noi, where lived the King Rama IV when he was a monk, and the Akarn Watthu, or Red Building, which once was house of the first library in Bangkok. Within the complex of Wat Mahathat is the Maha Chulalongkrorn Rajavitthayalai University, which is the oldest higher education institution in Thailand to Buddhist monks, divided into faculties of Humanities, Social Sciences, and graduate international program.
Admission fee & Opening hours: Wat Mahathat is open daily from 07:00 until 17:00. Admission is free.
Getting there: The temple is located 500 meters north of the Grand Palace. There are no Skytrain or Subway stations nearby, so the best way to get there is by metered taxi. An pleasant alternative is to use the BTS Skytrain until Saphan Taksin station of Silom line, then by foot up to Sathorn Pier and from there take a boat of Chao Phraya River Express until Maharaj Pier located a couple of hundred meters from the entrance.Read More