In Bangkok, there are a few must visit temples such as Wat Pho, Wat Arun, and the reclining Buddha. There are also the “must” visit parks such as Lumphini that I wrote about earlier. However, there are so many wonders in the area that sometimes we miss and we only focus on the main ones. This time, I am introducing some recommendations that you can check out if you are into discovering beyond the tourist trail when visiting Bangkok. One of the ways to enjoy Bangkok and explore it within a budget is definitely relying on public transportation. There are many points of interest that are accessible by MRT. To find places that are not normally visited by tourists, you can simply hop on an MRT and explore the surrounding area which are filled with Wats or sometimes Shopping malls. Another thing that you may have to know is that the MRT in Bangkok offers another attraction as well. Some of them are beautifully designed, reflecting the culture of Thailand.

I have heard that people go to Bangkok for a short while and leave as the place is considered “soulless” but the thing is, there are really many places to visit and Bangkok has a “soul” that goes beyond the tourist trail. There are many places to check out other than the tourist temples. If you are a history buff and enjoy peeking into the remnants of history, Bangkok is one of the places to discover it. There are many grand temples from the 16th to 17th centuries surrounding the area.

This journey started the other day when I walked with my newly found friend from the hostel. We seemed to get along pretty well and she has similar interests as mine. Both of us are also first timers in Thailand and we view this city with much curiosity as opposed to people who have been here a couple of times. Perhaps that was the charm because everything is novelty. But for me, temples are one of my reasons for going here and now that I am in the area, I decided to check them one by one while also focusing on the least visited temples yet marvellous in the capital.

We ended up checking out areas around Sam Yot which is also dubbed as one of the most beautiful MRT in Bangkok. When I reached the place, I was certainly familiar with the architecture. It has similar neo-colonialism architecture that is similar in Semarang Indonesia.

They also have Chinese influence in it and it was definitely not a soulless MRT like in the centre where it’s mostly a modern architecture that also matched with the rest of the surrounding area. Sam yot is a unique MRT station and is quite interesting to visit.

There are many attractions around Sam Yot and it’s mostly called Old Siam. Apparently, it is a historic neighbourhood with many attractions that you can see on the map below. There are also many buildings that look rundown but they were all occupied by people.

If you walk around Sam Yot there are some parks and temples around that are also worth visiting. Most people go to Sanam Chai where the major temples are but Sam Yot just a few stations before Sanam Chai, offers an interesting look into Old Siam.

When we were taking pictures of the station, one of the tourist police asked us where we wanted to go. He told us the way to the temple which apparently, there are a few temples in the area but we ended up going to Wat Suthat which was built during the reign of King Rama I and only finished during the reign of King Rama II.

But before Wat Suthat, in the intersection of Old Siam, there are many firearms shops that caught our attention. I mean, guns in thailand? It was definitely quite a surprise for both of us.

On the way to Wat Suthat, the firearms were sold openly in different models too. You can see some of it in the picture below that they have pistols and also long shotguns. I am not too aware of the gun situation in Thailand but if they’re legal and easy to get licences, then I certainly expect that at least 1 in 10 thai would own a gun. So, perhaps behind all the smiles, there’s unspoken rule of fuck around and find out over here too.

It was definitely an interesting sight to see because where I am from, this kind of thing isn’t normal at all and is the same with my friend, who is from Spain. As we walked through the gun shop, we eventually reached a park called Rommaninat park.

Rommaninant Park

Though we didn’t mean to visit the park, we ended up checking out the park which is quite an interesting one. It’s very breezy and really nice.

We stopped for a while to catch some breath and enjoyed the serenity of the place.

We spotted a white guy doing tai-chi and chi gong and my friend was curious about it. She ended up taking some videos but after a while, the guy approached my friend not in a nice way asking her to delete the footage because she didn’t ask his permission to film him. Although to me, it's common sense to always ask for permission especially if the object is too focused on one person but my friend thinks that since it’s a public place, there should be that common perception that eventually you’d end up in someone’s video or something.

It got awkward from there and we decided to leave the place as soon as possible. But I have to say that the park has its own charms just like Lumphini.

Wat Suthat, A Temple With Stunning Murals

If you are into art, Wat Suthat is also the place to go. The stunning murals inside of it were painted with a unique technique and also it is considered the largest in the country depicting mythical legends of Thailand . It’s unfortunate that I didn't find a tour guide for this temple because I am sure it would have been amazing to learn the murals of the temple and its significance from the locals instead finding it out by some research on the internet.

In this temple the fee for foreigners is 100 BATH and it’s completely free for locals. It was my first time going to the temple for free because I look local and I can speak a little bit of Hi, thank you, and please, etc. I was simply walking confidently, smiled and said sawadee and I passed through the checking point without an issue.

_{the yard before the main Ubosot Hall. it has a stunning fountain that looks like influenced by Chinese architecture fountain.}

As we went inside the temple, we found a small temple where people were checking out and praying. I tried meditating inside the temple and it was very peaceful.

It’s not as packed with tourists taking selfies and visitors are mostly locals. It was a whole experience compared to going to Wat Pho where it was very touristy and wasn’t a great thing to do. But in this temple, everything was tranquil and you can still feel the spirituality surrounding it. But the temple that I was visiting wasn’t the Ubusot or the main hall.

Before reaching the Ubosot, we walked through the Buddha place and found out that some of them are being restored and signs in Thai about the restoration techniques.

I also saw this ancient looking statue that was bronze colored instead a gold colored buddha.

It was completely tranquil and interesting to explore the part of the temple without too many tourists. This is why, I definitely recommend checking out this temple if you are going beyond the tourist trail.

As we walked more, we reached the main hall where we heard prayers were being held. It was in the Ubosot but I didn’t get inside and instead just stayed outside along with others listening to the prayers.

They prayed in pali which was interesting to hear as well and it was a magical experience. Hearing the prayers, the quietness of the place and everything mixed was a surreal experience. I didn't do this back home and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, praying in the temple with much tranquillity and hearing the monk chanting in pali.

After the first prayer session ended, we ended up leaving the place as we wanted to go to ICONSIAM by boat. On the way, we ended up going by a bus and I finally figured out how to take the bus which costs 10 baths and can stop anywhere. Then,we went to the pier around the grand palace, or Wat Arun Pier and we paid 5 BATH/person.

From Wat Arun pier, we can go to IconSiam and many places around Bangkok including The China Town which connects to Wat Mangkon MRT, another historical and beautiful MRT station in Bangkok. Also, if you don't want to pay tourist price, you can insist getting the 16 bath or orange ticket instead the blue line boat which is 30 BATH.

_{A temple view from Chao Praya River}

I have to say that Wat Suthat was a marvellous building with interesting murals. By now, the wats around the area though appears similar, the characteristics and purposes are different from one another. The interior design of the temple is also different and in Wat Suthat, there are statues of disciples of Buddha surrounding it which was an interesting sight.

_{A partial look into the murals of Wat Suthat}

If you made your way to Thailand, you should never miss this temple in your itinerary when visiting temples especially if you are into temples.