Wat Suthat & Giant Swing
วัดสุทัศนเทพวราราม / เสาชิงช้า
One of Bangkok's six first-class royal temples, with exquisite interior murals. The 21-metre red Giant Swing outside its gate is a landmark of the old town.
Wat Suthat was begun in the reign of King Rama I. Its main hall enshrines an 8-metre bronze Shakyamuni Buddha image brought from Sukhothai, and the interior walls are covered with murals of the three realms and the Jataka tales of the Buddha. The cloister holds more than 150 gilded Buddha images. The Giant Swing outside the temple gate was once used for Brahmin swing rituals. The current structure was rebuilt in teak in 2007. Entry costs about 100 baht. The nearby Bamrung Mueang Road is a street of Buddhist goods, and it can be reached on foot from Wat Saket or the Democracy Monument.
Opening hours
08:00–18:00 (giant swing visible all day)
Nearby sights
- Wat Ratchanatdaram (Loha Prasat)
- Wat Saket (Golden Mount)
- Wat Pho
- Khao San Road
- Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew
- Museum Siam
- Pak Khlong Talat (Flower Market)
- Bangkok National Museum