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Wat Traimit — Temple of the Golden Buddha, Bangkok

The white marble Phra Maha Mondop of Wat Traimit with its gilded spire, which houses the Golden Buddha
Photo: Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
hall ≈ 40 baht, museum ≈ 100
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Hours
Daily, roughly 8:00–17:00
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
40 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Golden Buddha hall
About 40 baht for foreigners
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Chinatown Heritage Center
About 100 baht, separate; may close on Mondays
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Dress code
Shoulders and knees covered; shoes off at the hall door
Where
West gate of Chinatown (Yaowarat), by Odeon Circle
Transit
MRT Hua Lamphong — about 5 minutes on foot
Coordinates
13.73808, 100.51398YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

5.5 tthe weight of the Golden Buddha — Guinness World Records' largest solid-gold sculpture
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
≈ 3 mthe statue's height; 3.91 m from the base to the flame on top
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
≈ 200 yearsthe statue spent hidden under a layer of stucco and coloured glass
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
1955the plaster cracked during a move, revealing the gold beneath
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
1935the statue was brought to Wat Traimit from a nearby temple that had closed
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
2010the new marble mondop housing the statue was inaugurated
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
Sukhothaithe statue's style — hence its Thai name, Phra Sukhothai Traimit
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
≈ 260 mas the crow flies from MRT Hua Lamphong station
2 sourcesWikidataOSM

Entrance fee and opening hours

According to 2026 guides, entry to the Golden Buddha hall costs about 40 baht for foreigners, while Thai citizens enter free. The Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center and the exhibition on the statue's history on the lower floors cost about 100 baht — some sources say separately, others as a combined ticket. It's open daily from about 8:00 to 17:00; the museum may be closed on Mondays.

The temple has no working official website, so check prices at the desk. Cover your shoulders and knees and take your shoes off at the hall door.

What is Wat Traimit?

Wat Traimit is a temple at the west gate of Chinatown (Yaowarat), famous for its Golden Buddha. The Sukhothai-style statue, about 3 m tall and weighing 5.5 tonnes, is cast from solid gold; Guinness World Records calls it the largest gold sculpture in the world.

For almost 200 years the statue was covered in stucco and coloured glass, and no one knew it was gold inside. In 1935 it was moved here from a nearby temple that had closed, and in 1955, during another move, the plaster cracked to reveal the gold. Since 2010 the Buddha has sat on the top floor of a white marble mondop with a gilded spire.

What to see

  • The Golden Buddha on the top floor of the mondop.
  • The mondop — a white marble building with a golden spire.
  • The Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center — the story of Bangkok's Chinese community in models and dioramas.
  • The Golden Buddha exhibition — how it was found and what lay under the plaster.
  • The Chinese gate at Odeon Circle — Chinatown's landmark, a couple of minutes away.

How to get to Wat Traimit

Step-by-step directions are below; the map shows where you arrive.

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destinationStreet view

Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.

More tips

  1. By MRT (Blue Line) to Hua Lamphong — about 5 minutes west on foot.
  2. From MRT Wat Mangkon — through Chinatown along Yaowarat Road, about 15 minutes.
  3. By taxi or Grab to Odeon Circle with its Chinese gate; the temple is next to it.
  4. From the Grand Palace it's about 3.5 km — 15–30 minutes by taxi depending on traffic, or the MRT from Sanam Chai.
  5. Enter the mondop through the temple courtyard; a lift and stairs lead up to the Buddha.

How long do you need, and when to go?

Allow 20–30 minutes for the hall, about an hour with the Chinatown museum. The best time is late afternoon, just before closing, then walk on to Yaowarat Road, which turns into one of Bangkok's best-known street food strips in the evening.

The halls are cool by day and there are fewer groups than at the Grand Palace. The museum may be shut on Mondays, so pick another day if it matters to you.

Is Wat Traimit worth visiting?

Yes: seeing 5.5 tonnes of gold and hearing how it hid under plaster for 200 years is cheap and quick. It's also a good starting point for a Chinatown walk.

The YesGo take: the temple is small, with little beyond the statue and the museum. Don't cross town just for it — pair it with dinner on Yaowarat.

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Bangkok temples: compare and choose

Bangkok temples rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Wat Arun511 h≈ 200 baht2.8 km
Wat Pho501 h≈ 300 baht; children under 120 cm free41 min walk
Grand Palace492 h 30 min500 baht; children under 120 cm free2.7 km
Golden Mount371 hclimb ≈ 100 baht33 min walk
Wat Traimityou are here3640 minhall ≈ 40 baht, museum ≈ 100—

Chinatown and Silom in a day

Wat Traimit and its Golden Buddha in the morning, Lumphini Park in the afternoon, then the Mahanakhon SkyWalk for sunset. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Wat Traimityou are here40 min · hall ≈ 40 baht, museum ≈ 100
  2. 54 min walk from the previous stopLumphini Park1 h 15 min · free
  3. 29 min walk from the previous stopMahanakhon SkyWalk1 h 15 min · 500–1,200 baht depending on time

3 places · about 4 h 33 min with walks · 83 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Golden Mount

Bangkok, Thailand

1 h · climb ≈ 100 baht · 33 min walk

Jim Thompson House

Bangkok, Thailand

1 h · 250 baht; ages 10–21 150; under 10 free · 34 min walk

Mahanakhon SkyWalk

Bangkok, Thailand

1 h 15 min · 500–1,200 baht depending on time · 39 min walk

Wat Pho

Bangkok, Thailand

1 h · ≈ 300 baht; children under 120 cm free · 41 min walk

How to do it right

  • The best shot of the statue is from the hall entrance, centred.
  • In the museum, don't miss the story of how the gold was found.
  • In the evening, walk on to Yaowarat's street food.
  • The Chinese gate at Odeon Circle is a couple of minutes away.
  • After the temple: Lumphini Park by MRT.

Questions

How much is the Golden Buddha temple entrance fee?

About 40 baht for the hall and about 100 baht for the Chinatown museum (according to guides).

What are Wat Traimit's opening hours?

Daily, roughly 8:00–17:00; the museum may be closed on Mondays.

How heavy is the Golden Buddha?

5.5 tonnes; it's about 3 m tall.

Is it really solid gold?

Yes — Guinness World Records lists it as the world's largest solid-gold sculpture.

How do I get to Wat Traimit?

MRT to Hua Lamphong, then about 5 minutes on foot.

What is the dress code?

Shoulders and knees covered.

How long do you need?

20–30 minutes, or about an hour with the museum.

What's nearby?

Chinatown and Yaowarat Road with its street food.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • English Wikipedia — Golden Buddha: weight, height, history, 1935 and 1955, the 2010 mondop, Guinness record, Heritage Center
  • 2026 travel guides (Thai Holiday Guide, Khaosan Road and others) — hall and museum prices, hours (unofficial)
  • Wikidata Q2552433, OSM — temple and station coordinates
  • YesGo general facts for Thailand — payment, transport
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 08.11.2026 ·
How we checkedThere's currently no official website: the wattraimitr-withayaram.com domain was taken over by an unrelated blog by 08.11.2026. Prices come from 2026 guides: most give 40 baht for the hall and 100 baht for the museum, while some describe 100 baht as a combined ticket, so we give both and mark them unconfirmed. Most give 8:00–17:00 hours, some 9:00. The possible Monday museum closure comes from one source. Statue details are from English Wikipedia. The distance to MRT Hua Lamphong is a straight line between coordinates.

Top YesGo picks: Bangkok

Wat Arun

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1 h · ≈ 200 baht

Grand Palace

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2 h 30 min · 500 baht; children under 120 cm free

Lumphini Park

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1 h 15 min · free

Baiyoke Sky

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1 h · 450 baht incl. a drink

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