Wat Thammikarat

Ayuthaya


The most prominent features of this ancient and presently active temple is not the large wí·hăhn lŏo·ang (royal assembly hall) but the modest stupa in front of it that's surrounded by 52 singha (guardian lion) sculptures. Also have a look at the beautiful, 12m-long reclining Buddha. It's speckled with gold leaf atop faded paint, actually looking all of its 500-plus years.

Local people believe the temple predated the Ayuthaya period, a claim unsupported by architectural evidence. It was first mentioned in written records in the mid-16th century.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ayuthaya attractions

1. Old Royal Palace

0.2 MILES

The field north of Wat Phra Si Sanphet full of brick foundations, walls and little else was once the royal palace compound of the Ayuthaya kingdom. There…

2. Wat Na Phra Men

0.33 MILES

Featuring a gorgeous 6m-high Buddha flanked by maroon columns, this active temple was one of the few to escape the wrath of Burma's invading army in 1767;…

3. Wat Phra Si Sanphet

0.33 MILES

At this captivating ruined temple, three wonderfully intact stupas form one of Ayuthaya's most iconic views. Built beginning in 1448, this was a private…

4. Wat Phra Ram

0.34 MILES

Wat Phra Ram's tall main prang (Khmer-style spire) isn't in the best condition, but it's definitely worth a visit. The temple was constructed on the…

5. Wat Ratchaburana

0.39 MILES

The prang (Khmer-style spire) in this large temple complex is one of the best extant versions in the city. There are giant stucco-sculpted Garuda on the…

6. Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit

0.41 MILES

Next to Wat Phra Si Sanphet, this sanctuary hall houses one of Thailand's largest bronze Buddha images, dating to the 15th century, most likely. Coated in…

7. Wat Mahathat

0.43 MILES

Ayuthaya's most photographed attraction is in these temple grounds: a sandstone Buddha head tangled within a bodhi tree's entwined roots. Founded in 1374,…

8. Pratu Khao Pluak Fortress

0.51 MILES

Part of Ayuthaya's old defenses, this now-decrepit fortress wall still has traces of the crenellations where soldiers once crouched during battle.

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "thailand/ayuthaya-province/ayuthaya/attractions/wat-thammikarat/a/poi-sig/481060/357639",
      "destination": "Ayuthaya",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Thailand",
      "city": "Ayuthaya",
      "position": "superzone"
    }