Reclining Buddha
Wat Pho, one of Bangkok's many temples, is famous for its giant reclining Buddha statue. Built over 200 years before Bangkok became the capital of Thailand, the temple is the oldest in the city, as well as the largest, spanning over 20 acres. Located on Chetuphon Road, it is open every day of the week between 8 and 5.

The grounds of Wat Pho contain over 1000 Buddha images, the most of any temple in Bangkok. The most famous of these is the huge reclining Buddha, which was created to illustrate Buddha's passing into Nirvana. This amazing statue is an astounding 46 metres long and 15 metres high, with the eyes and feet engraved in beautiful mother-of-pearl.

Many of the other Buddha images around the temple are from the ruins of the country's former capitals, Ayuthaya and Sukhothai. These are mostly located in the northern section of the grounds, which are split in two by Chetuphon Road. The Northern section is the most frequented of the two, not only because of its many beautiful Buddhas, but also for its huge temple hall and 152 marble slabs depicting the second half of the epic Ramakian. Also here are bell towers, rock gardens and many fortune tellers who are happy to enlighten you on your future good or bad luck! The Southern side is much less visited, but is a nice place to wander around with significantly less tourists.

The temple is also one of the best places in Bangkok to have a traditional Thai massage. Wat Po has been known for its exceptional masseuses for hundreds of years, and many members of Thai Royalty have visited the grounds to experience them. Massages here are extremely reasonable, and if you are interested in learning this ancient art classes can also be taken.