Wat Arun
A white spire across the river, best seen from the far bank at dusk
A fuller guide to this place, built from 5 sources, is written in Traditional Chinese.
Being there
Climb the central prang in the afternoon, then take the ferry back across and wait for it to light up from a riverside rooftop bar.
- 1The central prang is covered in coloured porcelain that forms flowers up close
- 2Climb its steep steps for the river and the Grand Palace across the water
- 3At dusk it's a silhouette from the far bank, then it lights up
Before you go
- Climb in the afternoon, then cross back to watch it light up
- The ferry from Tha Tien pier takes a few minutes
- Riverside rooftop bars on the far bank face it directly
- The prang's steps are very steep — hold the rail coming down
- Cover shoulders and knees to enter
The story
The temple stands on the west bank of the Chao Phraya. Its central spire is covered in coloured porcelain and broken crockery that forms flowers when you look closely. As the sun sets, the outline of the tower is reflected in the river.
