🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
If you're driving around Ang Thong and want a stop that's a little different, Ban Bang Sadet often gets skipped because it sits outside town — but it's a genuine handicraft community with a story behind it. The Chao Wang Doll Centre stands on the grounds of Wat Tha Sutthawat, right beside the Chao Phraya River in Bang Sadet sub-district, Pa Mok. It's a two-storey Thai-style building you can walk into for free, watch clay being shaped on the spot, and pick out a doll to take home.
The story behind the Ban Bang Sadet dolls
Ban Bang Sadet was originally a riverside farming community that flooded almost every year. Once the rice season was over, there was barely any work to go around. The turning point came around 1976, when Her Majesty Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother initiated a project to make Chao Wang dolls as a supplementary livelihood for the off-season — using the river clay found right there in the area to form the figures. Villagers banded together as a group, set up their centre in front of Wat Tha Sutthawat, and have carried the craft on ever since.
The name "Chao Wang dolls" comes from the old palace clay figures once made inside the royal court, depicting people going about everyday life. Ban Bang Sadet picked up that tradition and kept it alive until it became the community's signature, and not long ago the dolls were registered as a GI (Geographical Indication) product of Ang Thong province — confirmation that the craft here has real roots and a standard of its own.
Good to know
The sub-district name "Bang Sadet" was changed from its earlier name to commemorate a royal visit to the area — that's where the village name we use today comes from.
Want more out of Ang Thong? Book tours & activities
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
What you'll see inside the centre
The building is a two-storey Thai house with a clear split of roles. The ground floor is the doll-making group's workspace, with work tables where you can follow every step — kneading the clay, pressing the moulds, easing the figures out, and painting them one by one. Upstairs is an exhibition room that tells the history of the project and displays older dolls and special pieces.
- Watch the craft live — artisans sit and work through every stage, from shaping the raw clay to painting the tiniest details
- Exhibition floor — tells the story of the royal-initiative project and shows older sets of dolls you won't easily find elsewhere
- Story-scene doll sets — scenes of Thai life such as a woman selling fruit from a boat, a ramwong dance circle, or a procession, which bring the old riverside village to life
- Riverside spot — the centre sits right on the Chao Phraya, so you can stroll and catch the cool breeze before or after your visit
The atmosphere here is very relaxed — it's not the kind of museum where you have to tiptoe in silence. If a particular step catches your eye, just ask the artisans; most are happy to talk you through it, since many of them have been doing this work for decades.
Souvenirs you can take home
One of the best reasons to come is the chance to buy a souvenir that doesn't look like anything you'd find elsewhere — it's handmade, shaped and painted right here in the community. Prices start reasonably, with plenty of sizes and styles to choose from, from small figures that sit on a desk to large multi-piece sets arranged as full scenes.
Single figures
Small dolls of people doing everyday Thai activities — a good small gift or a keepsake to carry along.
Story-scene sets
Several figures arranged as a scene — a floating market, a procession, a ramwong dance — great to display at home or give as a gift.
Custom orders
Want a specific scene or design? Talk to the group and they can make it to order — it just takes a little extra time.
Ang Thong OTOP goods
Beyond the dolls, the centre also stocks other OTOP local products from the province.
Buying tip
The clay dolls are fairly fragile. If you're buying a large set or a detailed piece, ask the shop to wrap it well against bumps, and set it somewhere it won't get jolted on the drive back.
Stop by Wat Tha Sutthawat next door
Since the doll centre sits within the grounds of Wat Tha Sutthawat, you just step off and walk a little further to reach the temple. It's an old temple dating to the early Ayutthaya period and once lay on a troop-march route in Ayutthaya times. What many people come to see are the murals inside the ordination hall, painted by artists from the SUPPORT (royal arts) foundation — finely done, telling the life of the Buddha and scenes of Thai riverside life. One stop, and you get both the sculpting and the painting in a single trip.
Getting there and opening hours
- Location — Moo 2, Bang Sadet sub-district, Pa Mok, Ang Thong 14130 (within the grounds of Wat Tha Sutthawat, beside the Chao Phraya River)
- Opening hours — daily, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
- Admission — free; you can watch the demonstrations and exhibition at no charge
- Contact — call 081-255-5654 or 03-566-1157 (check ahead if you want a custom order or are coming as a large group)
- Getting there — about a 15–20 min drive from Ang Thong town, or an easy continuation from Ayutthaya via Pa Mok; there's parking on the temple grounds
Plan your time
Around 30–45 min is about right to walk through properly — a good stop to slot in between other places. If you want to catch the artisans actually at work, come mid-morning to early afternoon on a weekday.
Who it suits and what to pair it with
This is a great stop for families with kids, since they get to see real handwork rather than just objects behind glass, and it suits anyone who loves craft or wants a souvenir with a story. Pa Mok district is close to both Ang Thong town and Ayutthaya, so it's easy to pair with more stops.
Wat Pa Mok Worawihan
In the same district, with an old riverside reclining Buddha — not far to drive on to.
Ban Ekkarat Drum Village
Another of Ang Thong's handicraft communities, where you can watch drums made the traditional way — right on theme for a craft-village day.
Wat Khun Inthapramun
Home to one of Thailand's largest reclining Buddhas, a popular spot for paying respects in Ang Thong.
Plan a full day in Ang Thong — temples, craft villages, and local food.
See the Ang Thong travel guide →