Wat Arun / Bangkok

 Beautiful Wat Arun


Wat Arun, locally known as Wat Chaeng, is a landmark temple on the west (Thonburi) bank of the Chao Phraya river. It's easily one of the most stunning temples in Bangkok, not only because of its riverside location but also because the design is very different from the other temples you can visit in the Thai capital. Wat Arun (nicknamed the 'Temple of Dawn') is partly made up of colorful decorated spires and stands majestically over the water.

Wat Arun is almost directly opposite Wat Pho, so it's very easy to get to. From Saphan Taksin boat pier you can take a riverboat that stops at Pier 8. From here, a small shuttle boat takes you from one side of the river to the other.


Wat Arun... 

Bangkok Wat Arun
Wat Arun, is located opposite Wat Pho, on the opposite bank of the Chao Praya River.
This magnificent "Prang" is impressive in its size (80 meters high).

Wat Arun, as I saw it in 2016 from the Chayo Praya Express boat....
This magnificent Prang was given a complete grooming.

The wat includes four small prangs at each corner, which shelter statues of Nayu (the deity of the wind) on horseback.

The cardinal points are materialized by mondops.
The very high inclination rate of the stairs of the central prang indicates the difficulty of reaching the upper levels.
Around the prang base, there are various figures of former Chinese soldiers and animals.
The roofs of the Wat Arun temple are decorated with kinaries (female birds with joined hands).
The circumference of the base of the structure is 234 metres, and the central prang (stupa) rises to 82 metres
It is surmounted by a seven-branched trident, mentioned by many sources such as the "Shiva Trident".
On the second terrace, there are four statues of the Hindu god Indra riding Erawan.

The summit of the Prang...
The density of the scaffolding gives you an idea of the extent of the renovation work that took place in 2016. 
Now, Wat Arun is back in its normal state.... undone from all these metal tubes.
If the Royal Palace on the other side of the river attracts thousands of visitors every day to the point that I no longer even want to go back... here, Wat Arun is a little more accessible, but it is still several hundred visitors who hasten to visit this majestic place.
As I did at the Royal Palace in 2016... I take pictures here again, trying to avoid tourists as much as possible... i.e. pictures directed towards the top of the buildings... it gives a rather particular angle and the wide angle I use gives even more effect...
Overall, I managed to avoid overcrowded areas....
but at some point... we can't completely avoid people...
With the countless statuettes that adorn the entire site, 
it is easy to understand the extent of the renovation work that took place in 2016. 
When you look closer... you can easily see that this temple is a real work of art, magnificent, grandiose.
I can imagine the hours of work, quality and precision that this project represents. It's beautiful. It's beautiful. 
Stairs on each side are very steep, even vertiginous (inclination above 60°), allowing a peripheral platform to be reached
offering a breathtaking view of part of the capital, and the neighbouring temples: Grand Palais and Wat Pho.
This extremely steep inclination is not recommended for people suffering from vertigo or with balance problems.
The ascent can be done quite easily... but the descent... hang on!
At the time I was a little disappointed not to have sun for the realization of these photos... and then, finally, this charged sky gives the buildings a rather surprising contrast.
A few minutes later... we were entitled to a nice shower of a few minutes... then, the sun came back!