🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
If you're coming to Uthai Thani to pay respects and see the old town, the handy part is that most temples sit close together in town and along the Sakae Krang River — just a few minutes apart on foot or by car. The temples here aren't big or fancy like you'd find in a major tourist city, but there's real substance to see: old murals, a wooden ordination hall by the water, and a view over the whole town from the hilltop. We've ordered them so you can move from one to the next easily.
Old temples along the Sakae Krang River
The Sakae Krang River is the lifeline of the town, so Uthai Thani's oldest temples cling to both banks. Some sit on Ko Thepho island, which you reach by crossing a bridge or taking a boat — and the atmosphere there is quieter and shadier than the temples in town.
Wat Uposatharam (Wat Bot)
An old riverside temple on Ko Thepho island, originally called Wat Bot Manorom, built in the early Rattanakosin period. What you come for are the murals inside the ordination hall and the vihara, painted by royal artisans in the reign of King Rama III, plus a rare octagonal mondop with a Western-influenced design. Easy to wander along the river too.
Wat Tha Sung (Wat Chantharam)
The temple of Luang Pho Ruesi Ling Dam, on the Sakae Krang River just outside town, on a very large site. The highlight is the 100-metre Glass Hall, decorated head to toe in glass mosaic so the whole thing glints. Inside you'll find the body of Luang Pho Ruesi Ling Dam, plus a three-tiered golden castle topped with 37 spires in gilded Thai patterns.
Wat Sangkat Rattana Khiri (foot of Khao Sakae Krang)
An in-town temple that doubles as the way up Khao Sakae Krang. Its vihara enshrines Luang Pho Phutthamongkhon Saksit, the town's revered Buddha image brought from Sukhothai and held in deep respect by locals. It's the natural starting point before you head up the hill.
Wat Tha Sung opening hours
The Glass Hall and golden castle at Wat Tha Sung open in two windows: 09:00–11:45 and 14:00–16:00, closing over the lunch break. If you turn up around 11:30 or at half past one you might hit the gates just as they close, so leave a little buffer and you won't waste the trip.
Want more out of Uthai Thani? 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.
Khao Sakae Krang — climb up for the shrine and a view over the whole town
Khao Sakae Krang (Khao Kaeo) is a low hill in the middle of town, and on top sits a mondop enshrining a replica Buddha footprint built back in 1905. From here you can see the whole of Uthai Thani town and the Sakae Krang River spread out wide — a view most people who come to Uthai Thani don't skip.
- Getting up — climb the brick-and-mortar staircase from the base, about 449 steps, or if you'd rather not walk there's a road you can drive or ride up and park at the top.
- Best time — early morning or late afternoon before sunset, when the sun is softer and the town view looks better than at midday.
- What to pay respects to — the Buddha footprint mondop at the top, and a stop at Luang Pho Phutthamongkhon Saksit at Wat Sangkat below, either before or after coming down.
The Tak Bat Thewo merit-making festival at Khao Sakae Krang is a town tradition widely known across Thailand, held around the end of Buddhist Lent. Monks walk down the staircase from the hilltop in a long line to receive offerings — if you visit then, you'll see the town in a very different atmosphere from an ordinary day.
Local icons — the old town and riverside life worth a stop
Beyond the temples, the charm of Uthai Thani is that it's still a small town with an old way of life you can walk through — the old market quarter, the riverside houseboats, and little lanes that hold the town's character. You can stroll through them just a short way on from the temples.
Rong Ya Lane
An old-town lane in the middle of town with street art and charming old shops — fun to wander and photograph, and busiest on weekends.
Houseboats — Sakae Krang riverside life
Houseboat homes and fish-cage farming along the river, a traditional way of life for Uthai Thani locals that you can still see from the embankment and the bridge.
Riverside morning market
A morning market in town where locals actually do their shopping, with local bites to try before you head off to the temples.
Route-planning tip
The in-town temples and Khao Sakae Krang are very close together, so they're an easy morning. Wat Tha Sung, on the other hand, is outside town and closed over lunch, so plan it for the morning before 11:45 or the afternoon after half past one — that way you won't be running back and forth.
Half a day of Uthai Thani temples — ordered by route
In-town temples + up Khao Sakae Krang
Wat Tha Sung + the old town
Want a full-day Uthai Thani plan with where to eat and stay?
See the Uthai Thani travel guide →