Wat Rai Khing
A Riverside Temple on the Tha Chin

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Wat Rai Khing — officially Wat Mongkhon Chindaram — is a royal temple on the bank of the Tha Chin River (also called the Nakhon Chai Si River), in Rai Khing subdistrict, Sam Phran, Nakhon Pathom province. It's about 40–50 km from Bangkok, close enough that people from the city and surrounding areas drive out to make merit on an easy day trip, and most pair it with a wander through the riverside market out front in the same outing.

Luang Pho Wat Rai Khing — the Buddha of Sam Phran

The heart of the temple is Luang Pho Wat Rai Khing, a bronze Buddha image in the Maravijaya (subduing Mara) posture, enshrined in the ordination hall. Local lore passed down over generations says the image was a 'floating Buddha' that drifted down the Nakhon Chai Si River and was brought ashore to be enshrined here — and it has since become a focus of faith for people across the province and for travelers who come from further afield to pay their respects.

Most people come to bow before Luang Pho and apply gold leaf to the image. Some come to pray about work, studies, or things that feel stuck in their lives. The ordination hall gets especially busy on weekends and Buddhist holy days, so if you want a quieter visit, come on a weekday morning.

• Pay respects to Luang Pho in the ordination hall — the main spot everyone comes for, to pray and apply gold leaf
• Make merit and offer sangha dana — there are service points around the temple grounds, handy if you're here for merit-making
• Release fish and feed the fish — the riverside landing in front has loads of big iridescent shark catfish; you can buy bread to feed them
• Take in the Tha Chin River views — the riverside deck out front is a good spot for photos and to sit and catch the breeze

The riverside market in front of Wat Rai Khing

Another draw here is the riverside market in front of the temple, right next to the temple grounds and the Tha Chin River. You can graze on local eats, Thai sweets and desserts, and grab souvenirs to take home, all in one place — prices are easy on the wallet, and it has that local temple-market feel where people actually come to eat.

Beyond the riverside market, the temple-grounds side also has the Wat Rai Khing community market, open on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings, plus a big morning market every Sunday (running from before dawn until late morning). It's a large market with thousands of stalls, so if you want the full morning-market experience, Sunday is the busiest, liveliest day.

The Luang Pho Wat Rai Khing gold-leaf festival

The temple's big annual event is the Luang Pho Wat Rai Khing gold-leaf festival, held in the fifth lunar month (around Songkran, late March to April) and running nine days and nine nights. In 2026 it falls between late March and early April. The highlight is the ceremony where the Luang Pho image is carried in procession by water across the Tha Chin River — a grand affair that draws crowds in the hundreds of thousands.

During the festival there are stalls, vendors, entertainment and performances around the temple grounds, with the full-on temple-fair atmosphere. It's great if you want color and a buzzing crowd, but be ready for the crowds and for the car park to fill up fast. If you'd rather come for a quiet visit focused just on merit-making, avoid the festival week and come on a weekday instead.

Opening hours and how to get there

• Opening hours — the ordination hall is open for worship roughly 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, while the temple grounds and riverside landing are accessible all day
• By car — from Bangkok, take Phetkasem Road heading toward Sam Phran; it's about 40–50 km. There's parking at the temple (it fills up during the festival and on Sundays)
• By public transport — take a van or bus on the Bangkok–Nakhon Pathom/Sam Phran route, then continue by local transport or motorcycle taxi to the temple
• Entry fee — there's no admission charge to enter the temple or make merit (your costs are flowers, incense and candles, gold leaf, and offerings as you wish)

Where to go next near Wat Rai Khing

Wat Rai Khing sits in the Sam Phran–Nakhon Chai Si area, which has plenty of riverside spots and floating markets to tack on easily — it's not hard to build a one-day trip that ties several of them together.