Temple
Wat Traimit & Chinatown
A five-and-a-half-tonne solid gold Buddha, hidden under plaster for centuries, at the gate of Bangkok's Chinatown.
WhereBangkok
Time needed45 minutes
Best timeLate afternoon, then eat
CostTHB 100
The story is extraordinary — the statue was covered in stucco to hide it from Burmese raiders and only revealed when it slipped in 1955. Chinatown outside is the best street food in the city.
How to visit it well
- Go at 4pm, then walk Yaowarat Road as the stalls open.
- The gold is real; the museum upstairs explains the discovery.
- Dress code applies.
Tours that include Wat Traimit & Chinatown
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