Top twenty landmarks in Thailand

Answer 1

Wat Pho, Bangkok

Founded in the 17th century, Wat Pho in Rattanakosin is Bangkok's oldest and largest temple. It houses the impressive Reclining Buddha, which is 46 metres long and 15 metres high.

Grand Palace

Where: Bangkok

Bangkok's must see attraction is the Grand Palace in Rattanakosin. A dazzling display of intricate carving and colour, the palace contains the Wat Phra Kaew temple.

Wat Arun

Where: Bangkok

Wat Arun's spectacular 76-metre high tower, decorated with colourful ceramic tiles, rises up dramatically from its location on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok Yai.

Bridge Over The River Kwae

Where: Kanchanaburi

Immortalised by the star-studded war movie, the Bridge over the River Kwae in Kanchanaburi has become a symbol for the barbarity and suffering of war.

Wat Chalong

Where: Phuket

Wat Chalong is the most splendid of Phuket's Buddhist monasteries. Time your visit to coincide with a weekly holiday, according to the lunar calendar, when the monks chant Buddhist scriptures.

Wat Traimit

Where: Bangkok

The Wat Traimit temple in Bangkok's Chinatown houses a three metre high Buddha made of over five tonnes of solid gold! In 1957, the stucco shell of a Buddha statue being moved by crane cracked.

Ayutthaya Historical Park

Where: Ayutthaya

Built on an island at the junction of three rivers, Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand between 1350 and 1767. It was destroyed in the 18th century by the Burmese.

Si Thep Historical Park

Where: Phetchabun

Built during the prosperous Khmer period, the 1000-year-old Si Thep Historical Park was an important city in its early days. Today the site is an archaeological treasure that is rich in ruins.

Wat Phra Thong

Where: Phuket

Wat Phra Thong is one of Phuket's biggest temples, home to an enormous half buried Buddha. According to legend, the ancient Buddha is protected by a spell, which is believed to cause death.

Sao Lak Muang

Where: Bangkok

The belief goes that a lak muang (city pillar) acts as a gateway for heavenly influences and spiritual energies. Bangkok's Sao Lak Muang was raised in 1782 for the coronation of King Rama I.