# Red Temple, Koh Samui (Wat Sila Ngu) > The Red Temple is the hall of Wat Ratchathammaram (Wat Sila Ngu) south of Lamai, built of unpainted red clay and stone and covered in relief carving. A golden stupa stands by the sea nearby. Entry is free; cover shoulders and knees. It's about 20 minutes from Chaweng on the ring road, and the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks are 1 km away. Web page: https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/wat-sila-ngu - City: [Koh Samui](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui), Thailand - YesGo score: 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free; donations welcome - Hours: Daily, roughly 8:00–17:00 - Hall: Unpainted red clay and stone, relief carving - Stupa: The golden Phra That Sila Ngu by the sea - Dress: Shoulders and knees covered; shoes off at the door - From Chaweng: ≈ 12.5 km, about 20 minutes - Coordinates: 9.45111, 100.03111 - Facts checked: 08.11.2026 ## Key facts - **Sila Ngu** — Thai for 'snake stone' — the temple's popular name (source: travel guides) - **Ratchathammaram** — the temple's official name (source: Wikidata) - **Clay** — the hall is built of unpainted red clay and stone (source: travel guides) - **Reliefs** — carving covers the walls — scenes and patterns (source: travel guides) - **Nagas** — serpent-guardian railings on the stairs (source: travel guides) - **Golden stupa** — stands by the sea within the temple grounds (source: travel guides) - **≈ 1 km** — to the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks (source: OSRM) - **0 baht** — to get in (source: travel guides) ## What is the Red Temple? The **Red Temple** is what visitors call the ordination hall of **Wat Ratchathammaram**, known locally as **Wat Sila Ngu** ('temple of the snake stone'). It stands on the ring road in the village of **Ban Hua Thanon**, south of Lamai beach. What sets the hall apart is its material: it's built of **unpainted red clay and stone**, and the walls are covered in fine **relief carving**. In the sun the building glows terracotta, and the stairs have naga-serpent railings. In the same grounds, closer to the sea, stands the **golden stupa** of Phra That Sila Ngu. > **Dress and behaviour** Wat Sila Ngu is a working temple with resident monks. Cover your shoulders and knees, and take your shoes off before entering the hall. Don't touch the carving — the clay reliefs are fragile. Speak quietly, and if a service is under way, wait outside. ## How the temple works The grounds are small: the Red Hall, the monks' quarters and the golden stupa by the sea. Entry is **free**, with donation boxes. Guides give different hours — most often roughly 8:00 to 17:00. Sources disagree widely on the temple's age, so we leave it out. The red hall itself looks new, and the carving on its walls is hand-made and very detailed — it's worth a close look as you walk round the building. ## What to see - **The Red Hall** of unpainted clay and stone. - **The wall carving** — relief scenes and patterns. - **Naga railings** on the stairs. - **The golden stupa** of Phra That Sila Ngu by the sea. - **Sea views** from the stupa. - **Hua Thanon village** nearby — a Muslim fishing village with boats. ## How to get to the Red Temple 1. **From Chaweng** — ≈ 12.5 km south on ring road 4169, about 20 minutes by taxi or scooter. 2. **From Lamai** — 5–10 minutes south on the ring road. 3. **From the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks** — ≈ 1 km, 2–3 minutes. 4. **From the airport** — ≈ 17.6 km, about 25 minutes. 5. **By songthaew** — the blue shared trucks run along the ring road; ask to stop at Wat Sila Ngu. ## The Red Hall or the golden stupa | | Red Hall | Golden stupa | | --- | --- | --- | | Highlight | Carving in red clay | Sea views | | Where | By the ring road | Closer to the shore | | Inside | Yes, shoes off | Viewed from outside | | Best light | Morning and evening | Morning | ## How long do you need? Allow **20–30 minutes** for the Red Temple. It's easy to combine with other sights in the south: the **Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks** (1 km), **Wat Khunaram** (about 4 km west) and the **Na Muang waterfalls**. A loop of the island's south takes half a day. Start with the waterfalls in the cool of the morning and leave the temples and rocks for the afternoon. ## Is the Red Temple worth visiting? Yes: it's one of Samui's most photogenic temples — carved red clay looks nothing like the usual white-and-gold temples. Entry is free and it's on the way south. The YesGo take: the temple is small and not worth a long trip on its own. But on a loop of the south — with the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks and the waterfalls — it rounds off the day nicely. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Clothes covering shoulders and knees - [ ] Shoes that slip off easily - [ ] Small change for a donation - [ ] The Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks next - [ ] Morning or evening for soft light ## Temples of Koh Samui: compare and choose Temples and shrines on Koh Samui rated by YesGo. - [Big Buddha](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/koh-samui-big-buddha) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · free - [Wat Plai Laem](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/wat-plai-laem) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · free - [Red Temple (Wat Sila Ngu)](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/wat-sila-ngu) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free - [Wat Khunaram (Mummified Monk)](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/wat-khunaram) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · free ## Southern Samui in half a day The Na Muang waterfalls in the morning, then Wat Khunaram, the Red Temple and the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Na Muang Waterfalls](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/na-muang-waterfalls) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Na Muang 1 free; Na Muang 2 ≈ 30–50 baht 2. [Wat Khunaram (Mummified Monk)](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/wat-khunaram) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · free 3. [Red Temple (Wat Sila Ngu)](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/wat-sila-ngu) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free 4. [Hin Ta and Hin Yai (Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks)](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/hin-ta-hin-yai) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free ## Good to know Samui's Red Temple is not the red temples of China or Chiang Rai's coloured temples (the White and Blue Temples). Its official name is Wat Ratchathammaram. ## Tips - Don't touch the clay carving. - Walk all the way round — every wall is carved. - The stupa by the sea has water views. - Combine it with the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks. - Nearby: [Hin Ta and Hin Yai](https://yesgo.io/thailand/koh-samui/hin-ta-hin-yai), 1 km. ## Questions ### How much does the Red Temple cost? Entry is free. ### Why is the temple red? The hall is built of unpainted red clay and stone. ### What is the temple's official name? Wat Ratchathammaram; locals call it Wat Sila Ngu. ### What should I wear? Cover shoulders and knees; shoes come off at the door. ### Where is it? In Ban Hua Thanon, south of Lamai, on ring road 4169. ### What are the opening hours? Daily, roughly 8:00–17:00 (sources vary). ### How long do you need? 20–30 minutes. ### What's nearby? The Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks 1 km away, and Wat Khunaram. ## How we checked There's no official website or Wikipedia article. The hall's material, carving and stupa are from guides. Sources put the temple's age anywhere from 'a few years ago' to 'over 250 years' — we leave it out. Hours: 7:00–17:00, 8:00–17:00 or 9:00–17:00 — we give roughly 8:00–17:00 and mark it unconfirmed. Distances are from OSRM: 12.5 km from Chaweng, 17.6 km from the airport, 1 km to the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks, about 4 km to Wat Khunaram. ## Sources - Travel guides (Love Thailand, Khaosan Road, Nasha Planeta and others) — hall, material, carving, stupa, entry, hours (unofficial) - Wikidata Q55497295 — official name, coordinates; OSRM — road distances - YesGo general facts for Thailand — payment, transport --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.