Wat Tham Phra Phothisat in Saraburi
If the chaos in Bangkok makes you long for inner peace of mind, you can visit Wat Tham Phra Phothisat in Saraburi – two hours from Bangkok – to surround yourself with tranquillity amid greenery and to feel calm by paying respects to sacred statues in the caves.
Here’s what you can expect from the place.
Sightsee a white hall surrounded by greenery
Image credit: @panhna_
When you go through the entrance, you’ll see a big white pagoda with a stairway featuring a golden snake pattern on the bannisters.
Image credit: @natta_prince
Keep walking further until you pass a white Guan Yin statue after which you’ll see a mini-waterfall where you can snap pics or play in.
Image credit: @bangsaenm
The next attention-grabbing establishment is a large white hall with a backdrop of giant limestone mountains. You can check with a monk if the hall is open for visitors to enter when you are there, as it’s usually not accessible.
Image credit: @bangsaenm
Near the white hall sits a white Buddha statue with a gold leaf decoration framing his head. You can also come to pay respects to him before trekking uphill to discover caves behind the temple.
Explore Phra Phothisat Cave with Buddha statues, a shrine & carvings on the wall
Image credit: @nantamay_phi
You can take loads of steps leading to Phra Phothisat Cave, which is a major cave here. Along the way up there, you’ll find a viewpoint where you can take a break and admire a view of green mountains.
Image credit: @tokyo_banana11
If you enter the cave, you’ll see a golden shrine full of small Buddha statues. On the wall above the shrine, there’s a carving of Buddha and Hindu gods in the midst of preaching.
Image credit: @cholook123
You’ll also find many Buddha statues sitting in many spots in the cave. Besides Phra Phothisat Cave, there are other caves here that you can explore and see stalagmites and stalactites in different sizes.
Getting to Wat Tham Phra Phothisat
If you’re looking for an interesting place near Bangkok to explore and get away from the pollution, you might wanna keep this temple on your radar. It only takes about a two-hour drive from Bangkok and is free of charge to visit.
Address: Ban Num Pu, Moo 10 Thap Kwang, Kaeng Khoi District, Saraburi 18260
Entrance fee: free
Contact: +66 8 6400 9895 | Google Maps
Other places you can visit on holiday:
- Khao Chi Chan is a Buddha-carved cliff in Pattaya
- Khun Dan Prakan Chon has boat rides to forested waterfalls
- Fun Fly Paramotor in Chiang Mai offers a scenic paramotor ride
Cover image adapted from: @oats_pancharut, @wannisa_sa1987, and @satita_1994