Wat Phet Samut Worawihan is located near the centre of Samut Songkhram Thailand. It is an important local temple and as the name(Worawihan) indicates it is under royal patronage. There has been a temple on the site for many years and it was originally called Wat Sri Champa. Locally it is also often referred to as Wat Ban Laem. Continue reading
Wat Satthatham is a large Thai temple located just outside the city of Samut Songkhram, Thailand. The main attraction at this temple is the beautifully crafted wooden Bot. The interior is of particular note since the Buddhist scenes depicted on the walls and window shutters are inlaid into the wood with a material that looks like Mother of Pearl.
The usual collection of other temple buildings are not noteworthy and in fact some of the art work appears somewhat tasteless when compared to the Bot.
Typical of many Thai Wat there is a shrine in the temple grounds in the form of a large log which is part of the wood used to craft the Bot. It looks like teak or a similar hardwood but I am unsure of this.
On the day I visited there was a large market in the temple grounds which made parking difficult, although under normal circumstances there would be plenty of parking. There were no charges levied.
The Wat is located on route 2009/2003 which in itself is a turning off Highway 35(Samut Songkhram-Samut Sakhon) and is the road to the popular seafood restaurants at Don Hoi Lot.
GPS Co-ordinates: 13.37875 and 99.994149. Google maps shows the temple in the wrong location, co-ordinates and map pin are in the right place!
Worth a visit if only for the superb architecture and art work that the Bot provides. Difficult to photograph because of the light when the widow shutters are open, but worth the effort nonetheless. A good place to call at before taking lunch in the great collection of beach-side restaurants at Don Hoi Lot.
Last Visited: October 2010
View Wat Satthatham on the map
