About Wat Phanan Choeng
Wat Phanan Choeng is a historic Buddhist temple in Khlong Suan Phlu, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Ayutthaya, located at the confluence of the Chao Phraya and Pa Sak rivers. Built in 1324, 26 years before the founding of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, it is renowned for its 19-meter-high seated Buddha image, Luang Pho Tho. The temple remains an active place of worship and a major cultural landmark within the Ayutthaya area.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect an active riverside temple complex centered on a large viharn housing the massive gilded Luang Pho Tho Buddha image. The grounds include historic architecture, smaller shrines including a Chinese shrine dedicated to Princess Soi Dok Mak, courtyards, and river views at the confluence of two rivers. Visitors can walk through the main hall, observe merit-making and worship activities, view murals and votive offerings, and explore the temple grounds and riverside area.
Key highlights
- 01
Luang Pho Tho - 19-meter high, 14-meter wide gilded seated Buddha image from the Ayutthaya period
- 02
Temple founded in 1324 (B.E. 1867) before the establishment of Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1350
- 03
Location at the confluence of the Chao Phraya and Pa Sak rivers in southern Ayutthaya
- 04
Historic viharn and Chinese shrine associated with legend of Princess Soi Dok Mak