Thailand - Bangkok Temple Hopping 3 - Wat Arun

Wat Arun is a Buddhist temple located at the Thonburi side or west bank of Chao Phraya River. The full name of the temple according to wiki is Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan, named after Aruna, the Indian God of Dawn. Needless to say, don't bother memorizing the complete name since you can easily locate the temple using its shortened name because it is one of the most visited temples in Bangkok.

What makes Wat Arun unique and special among Bangkok's other famous temples is The Khmer style main pagoda encrusted by fragments of colorful porcelains while the four corner and smaller pagodas are decorated by seashells and bits of porcelains; they are also supported by demons and monkeys. Moreover, from the peak terrace of Wat Arun, you can easily pinpoint the location of other famous Bangkok's temple due to its locator or arrow showing the direction of each temple.

grand palace and wat pho at the back

I visited this temple when I was in Nappark hostel within Khao San area. It took me around 45 minutes of walking until I reached Tha Tien pier. This pier is located within a hundred meters away from both Grand Palace and Wat Pho temple. There are two berthing stations at Tha Tien pier, one is for Chao Phraya boats and the other is dedicated for crossing the river. I paid 3 Baht to cross the river.

Entrance fee for foreigner is 50 Baht while locals are free. Quite cheap isn't it? The temple is open from 8 to 5 pm. There are several eateries and souvenir shops around the temple. However, take extra precaution when climbing the uppermost terrace of the main pagoda since the stairs are very steep and narrow; they could be slippery when wet.

You may check my Bangkok temple hopping posts:

- Bangkok Temple Hopping 1 - Wat Po (Temple of The Reclining Buddha)
- Bangkok Temple Hopping 2 - Wat Saket (Temple of Golden Mount)
- Bangkok Temple Hopping 3 - Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
- Bangkok Temple Hopping 4 - Wat Ratchanatdaram (Loha Prasat)
- Bangkok Temple Hopping 5 - Wat Traimit (Temple of the Golden Buddha)