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Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan (Golden Buddha)

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 Bangkok, 10100

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Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan is the temple of the Golden Buddha, and the reason most visitors come is a single image: Phra Phuttha Maha Suwanna Patimakon, known in Thai as Luang Pho Thong Kham, enshrined in the Phra Maha Mondop, a white-and-gold hall on the temple grounds. The Tourism Authority of Thailand describes it as a Buddha image containing a large amount of pure gold, long regarded as priceless.

It suits anyone exploring Chinatown, and first-time visitors who want to see a celebrated Buddha image without the scale of the Grand Palace. The temple stands on the Charoen Krung side of Chinatown, near Hua Lamphong and Yaowarat, so it makes a natural first stop before walking on to the gold shops and street food of Yaowarat.

The Golden Buddha

The Golden Buddha is a seated image, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand records its size in traditional Thai units: a lap of 6 cubits 5 inches across and a height of 7 cubits, 1 khuep and 9 inches. It is an object of worship first, so the Mondop is a shrine where people come to pay respect, not a museum gallery. The image is solid gold, stands about 3 metres tall and weighs about 5.5 tonnes, and its gold was only revealed in 1955, when the stucco covering it cracked during a move. Entry to the hall costs 40 baht for foreign visitors, and the Chinatown Heritage Centre on the second and third floors of the same building charges 100 baht and closes on Mondays. The dress code is enforced: cover your shoulders and knees, skip sleeveless tops and short shorts, and take your shoes off inside the halls.

Luang Pho To and the old ordination hall

The temple has a second revered image. Phra Phutthathatsaphonyan, the principal Buddha of the ordination hall, is a stucco image lacquered with gold leaf and known locally as Luang Pho To or Luang Pho Wat Sam Chin. People bring jasmine garlands as offerings, and King Chulalongkorn is recorded as having visited and praised the beauty of its features.

A temple of Chinatown

The temple was originally called Wat Sam Chin, after a story that three Chinese men built it together, and it now holds second-class royal rank in the Worawihan grade. Its place on the edge of Bangkok's Chinese quarter still shapes a visit, and the temple works well as the start or end of a Chinatown walk.

Sources: Wat Traimit on Facebook, Tourism Authority of Thailand. Checked September 25, 2026.

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Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan (Golden Buddha)
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Location
661 Tri Mit Road
Bangkok, 10100

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About Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan (Golden Buddha)

Quick answer: Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan (Golden Buddha) is a temple at 661 Tri Mit Road, Bangkok, 10100. Home of Bangkok's Golden Buddha, enshrined in a tall white hall at the start of Chinatown, near Hua Lamphong and Yaowarat.

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Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan is the temple of the Golden Buddha, and the reason most visitors come is a single image: Phra Phuttha Maha Suwanna Patimakon, known in Thai as Luang Pho Thong Kham, enshrined in the Phra Maha Mondop, a white-and-gold hall on the temple grounds. The Tourism Authority of Thailand describes it as a Buddha image containing a large amount of pure gold, long regarded as priceless.

It suits anyone exploring Chinatown, and first-time visitors who want to see a celebrated Buddha image without the scale of the Grand Palace. The temple stands on the Charoen Krung side of Chinatown, near Hua Lamphong and Yaowarat, so it makes a natural first stop before walking on to the gold shops and street food of Yaowarat.

The Golden Buddha

The Golden Buddha is a seated image, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand records its size in traditional Thai units: a lap of 6 cubits 5 inches across and a height of 7 cubits, 1 khuep and 9 inches. It is an object of worship first, so the Mondop is a shrine where people come to pay respect, not a museum gallery. The image is solid gold, stands about 3 metres tall and weighs about 5.5 tonnes, and its gold was only revealed in 1955, when the stucco covering it cracked during a move. Entry to the hall costs 40 baht for foreign visitors, and the Chinatown Heritage Centre on the second and third floors of the same building charges 100 baht and closes on Mondays. The dress code is enforced: cover your shoulders and knees, skip sleeveless tops and short shorts, and take your shoes off inside the halls.

Luang Pho To and the old ordination hall

The temple has a second revered image. Phra Phutthathatsaphonyan, the principal Buddha of the ordination hall, is a stucco image lacquered with gold leaf and known locally as Luang Pho To or Luang Pho Wat Sam Chin. People bring jasmine garlands as offerings, and King Chulalongkorn is recorded as having visited and praised the beauty of its features.

A temple of Chinatown

The temple was originally called Wat Sam Chin, after a story that three Chinese men built it together, and it now holds second-class royal rank in the Worawihan grade. Its place on the edge of Bangkok's Chinese quarter still shapes a visit, and the temple works well as the start or end of a Chinatown walk.

Sources: Wat Traimit on Facebook, Tourism Authority of Thailand. Checked September 25, 2026.

Attractions Temples Chinatown Yaowarat Samphanthawong attractions
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Business Hours

Open daily · 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Amenities at Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan (Golden Buddha)

  • Golden Buddha hall
  • Heritage museum
  • Dress code enforced
  • MRT access

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the gold Buddha in Thailand real gold?
Yes. The Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit is solid gold: a seated image in Sukhothai style weighing 5.5 tonnes, the largest solid gold Buddha image in the world. The Tourism Authority of Thailand describes it as containing a large amount of pure gold and long regarded as priceless.
How much is the solid gold Buddha worth?
No official valuation exists: the Tourism Authority of Thailand describes the image as priceless, and as a consecrated object of worship it is not valued as bullion. What is documented is the material: 5.5 tonnes of gold in a single cast image, made in interlocking sections.
What are the opening hours?
The temple is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Chinatown Heritage Centre museum inside the same building is closed on Mondays.
How much does it cost to see the Golden Buddha?
The temple grounds are free. Entering the Golden Buddha hall costs THB 40 for foreign visitors; Thai nationals enter free. The museum in the same building is a separate THB 100. Pay at the gate; there is no online ticket.
Where is the Golden Buddha inside the temple?
On the top floor of the Phra Maha Mondop, the four-storey white-marble hall on the temple grounds. The Chinatown Heritage Centre museum occupies the floors below it.
Why was the Golden Buddha hidden, and how was it found?
The image spent roughly two centuries covered in stucco, believed to disguise its gold from Burmese forces. On 25 May 1955, while it was being moved by crane into a new hall, a cable snapped and the image fell; the plaster cracked and the gold showed through.
What else should I see at the temple?
Two things: Luang Pho To, the gold-leafed stucco Buddha in the ordination hall, where worshippers offer jasmine garlands; and the Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Centre, the museum on the middle floors of the Mondop telling the story of Bangkok's Chinese community.
How do I get to Wat Traimit?
The temple stands at 661 Tri Mit Road, Talat Noi, at the edge of Chinatown near Hua Lamphong. The nearest MRT Blue Line stations are Wat Mangkon and Hua Lamphong, and the Chao Phraya Express Boat piers at Marine Department and Ratchawongse are roughly 800 metres away.
What is the dress code at Wat Traimit?
It is enforced: shoulders and knees must be covered, with no sleeveless tops or short shorts. This is an active shrine, and shoes come off inside the halls.

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