Wat Bang Phra

Wat Bang Phra is a Buddhist temple located in Bang Kaeo Fa Subdistrict, Nakhon Chai Si District, Nakhon Pathom Province, west of Bangkok. It is nationally known as a center for Sak Yant traditional tattooing and the annual Wai Khru tattoo festival. The temple complex includes an ubosot, viharns, Buddha images and shrines dedicated to former abbot Luang Por Phern, attracting visitors interested in Thai Buddhism and tattoo culture.

Visitors can expect a working Buddhist temple compound with an ordination hall (ubosot), prayer halls, Buddha statues, murals and shrines. The grounds are open and landscaped with temple buildings, monk quarters and areas where Sak Yant tattoos are traditionally given by monks. On regular days the atmosphere is calm for merit-making and sightseeing, while during the annual Wai Khru festival the temple becomes crowded with devotees receiving blessings and displaying tattoos.

Wat Bang Phra is a historic Buddhist temple in Nakhon Chai Si believed to date to the late Ayutthaya to early Rattanakosin period. It was restored and developed over time and became widely known in the 20th century under the abbacy of Luang Por Phern Tidtakuno, who popularized Sak Yant tattooing as a spiritual practice at the temple.

The temple is a major center for Sak Yant, traditional Thai sacred tattooing believed to provide protection and blessings, performed by monks and ajarns. Its annual Wai Khru ceremony, where devotees pay respect to masters and receive blessings, is one of Thailand's most famous tattoo festivals and reflects living Buddhist folk traditions.