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The entrance of Wat Ratcha-orasaram in Chom Thong district, Bangkok.
Photo: This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote · CC BY 4.0

Wat Chom Thong

The one-minute answer

Wat Chom Thong (วัดจอมทอง) is the historical name of present Wat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawihan (วัดราชโอรสารามราชวรวิหาร), not a second temple. Come for the naming history and for architectural details such as omitted roof finials, square veranda pillars and porcelain-covered pediments. Wat Sai (วัดไทร) is a separate temple within the wider reference area. No current entry hours or continuously checked route are available, so keep the visit flexible and confirm access before setting out.

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Good for
Good for visitors who enjoy reading architectural details while respecting an active place of worship.
Less ideal for
Less ideal when a visit depends on fixed entry conditions or a continuously step-free path.
Quick facts
Time
Flexible; confirm temple access before travelling
Recommended visit length
Budget
Varies
No dependable total visit budget or temple admission price is available; food prices and business status may change.
Getting there
Begin at Wutthakat BTS
No-car starting point

Details may change — verify before visiting.

Who this suits

Is this for me?

Good for

Temple-history readers
The former Wat Chom Thong name leads directly into the temple's 1820–1821 restoration and change in royal status.

Less ideal for

Travellers on a fixed timetable
Current temple hours and access to individual sacred spaces have not been established.

Key Highlights

One temple, two names
Chinese-influenced temple design
Wat Sai nearby
Why it’s worth your time

The former name leads to a temple rebuilt in a new royal style

Wat Chom Thong survives as the former name of Wat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawihan, where an 1820–1821 royal restoration reshaped the temple through Chinese-influenced design.

Wat Chom Thong is not a lost temple waiting to be found. It is the former name of Wat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawihan, and using the present name will take you to the right place. The name change matters because it marks the temple's passage from an earlier monastery into a royal restoration associated with Prince Jetsadabodin, who later became King Rama III.

The Fine Arts Department places the decisive sequence in 1820 and 1821. Prince Jetsadabodin stopped here while preparing a military campaign, then returned to restore the temple before it was dedicated as a royal monastery during the reign of Rama II. Earlier Wat Chom Thong elements remain visible in the standing-Buddha hall, where the standing image and the group behind it retain Ayutthaya-period artistic forms.

The ordination hall explains the architectural change through concrete choices. Its roof omits the chofa, bai raka and hang hong ornaments associated with many Thai temple roofs. Square veranda pillars lack lotus-shaped capitals, while the pediment uses Chinese porcelain and blessing symbols, including a vase, dragons and phoenixes. Scholars have interpreted this as an early example of Chinese-influenced non-traditional royal-monastery design, but the academic source presents that conclusion as a scholarly proposal.

The temple entered the ancient-monument register on 22 November 1949, followed by several periods of conservation work. Those dates describe care for the art and buildings; they do not tell you which doorway will be open or whether a ceremony will restrict access today.

Three familiar roof ornaments disappear while porcelain dragons, phoenixes and vases take over the pediment.

Honest note: No continuously checked route, entry time or accessibility path is available. Confirm current temple access, ceremonies, photography rules and level changes before travelling.

Sources: Fine Arts Department and SAC for identity, history and architecture; Chom Thong District Office and BTS for area and transport context; CityMETER for the two tourism attractions and nearby food entries.

2historical-cultural temples
3named roof ornaments omitted
1820–1821campaign stop and restoration
How CityWiki defines this destination

What Wat Chom Thong means here

Wat Chom Thong (วัดจอมทอง) means the former name of present Wat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawihan (วัดราชโอรสารามราชวรวิหาร) in Bang Kho. The wider reference area also contains the separate Wat Sai (วัดไทร) in Bang Khun Thian. It does not mean Wat Phra That Si Chom Thong in Chiang Mai or Wat Phrathat Chom Thong in Phayao.

Boundary maplive · fetched from Landometer

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1

Destination core

Wat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawihan, the present temple historically called Wat Chom Thong.

2

Within the wider area

Wat Sai, a separate temple and community-side stop that needs its own access plan.

3

Not this destination

The similarly named temples in Chiang Mai and Phayao are different places in different provinces.

Best way to experience it

The route

Wat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawihan stands beside a canal in Bang Kho. Wat Sai lies farther south in Bang Khun Thian and should be treated as a separate visit, not as a promised walking continuation.

These are two temple choices rather than a tested walking route. Wutthakat BTS is the rail starting point used by Chom Thong District Office for a cycling trial in March 2025, but that event does not establish a permanent signed route; arrange or check the onward journey for the day you visit.

  1. 1
    Main temple visit
    Wat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawihan (วัดราชโอรสารามราชวรวิหาร)
    หน้าวัดราชโอรส
    Photo: Mastertongapollo · CC BY-SA 4.0
    How to get there
    The present temple behind the Wat Chom Thong name
    Prince Jetsadabodin stopped at Wat Chom Thong while preparing a campaign in 1820 and began restoring it after returning in 1821. Look for the roof without the customary chofa, bai raka and hang hong ornaments, the square veranda pillars, and pediments carrying porcelain vases, dragons, phoenixes and other Chinese motifs. The interpretation of this temple as an early example of Chinese-influenced non-traditional royal-monastery art remains an attributed scholarly view.
    Fine Arts Department; Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre; CityMETER Tourism dataset.
    Respect note: Current signs, ceremonies and stewards determine which thresholds and sacred spaces visitors may use.
  2. 2
    Separate temple visit
    Wat Sai (วัดไทร)
    Illustration of the document mentioned in the source
    Photo: Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain
    How to get there
    The second historical-cultural temple in the reference area
    Wat Sai is a separate place from the former Wat Chom Thong. Chom Thong District Office connects it with the Wat Sai Floating Market Community (ชุมชนตลาดน้ำวัดไทร) and the Tamnak Phra Chao Suea Waterside Garden (สวนหย่อมชายน้ำตำหนักพระเจ้าเสือ) in a March 2025 cycling-trial report, but the report does not provide current visitor hours or establish a permanent route.
    CityMETER Tourism dataset; Chom Thong District Office cycling-trial report and community register.
    Respect note: Treat the temple and surrounding community as lived and worshipped places; ask before photographing people closely.
Focus on the old name

Visit Wat Ratcha Orasaram only

Choose this when the naming history and architecture are the reason for coming; Wat Sai needs its own onward plan.

No-car starting point

Begin at Wutthakat BTS

The station is on the Silom Line and was the starting point for the district's 2025 cycling trial. Check the current onward connection instead of assuming that trial route remains marked.

What to eat, buy and notice

Small details worth noticing

Notice

  • The missing finials

    The ordination-hall roof leaves out the chofa, bai raka and hang hong ornaments. Their absence is part of the design, not unfinished decoration.

  • Porcelain symbols

    Look for a vase, paired dragons, paired phoenixes and other blessing symbols worked into the upper pediment.

  • Square veranda pillars

    The veranda uses square pillars without the lotus-shaped capitals described in the SAC architectural record.

  • The earlier temple layer

    The standing Buddha and the group of images behind it in the standing-Buddha hall preserve artistic forms associated with the earlier Wat Chom Thong.

Eat & buy

  • Gyoza 31 (เกี๊ยวซ่า31)

    Check opening hoursHow to get there

    A gyoza shop for a quick savoury stop.

  • Manoon Herbal Fried Chicken (มนูญไก่ทอดสมุนไพร)

    Check opening hoursHow to get there

    Fried chicken seasoned with herbs.

  • Ice Baby Snowflake Bingsu, Ekkachai 28 (ไอซ์เบบี้ บิงซูเกล็ดหิมะ (icebaby.bkk) เอกชัย 28)

    Check opening hoursHow to get there

    Snowflake bingsu and cold desserts on Ekkachai 28.

  • Tuk Sago and Khao Kriap Pak Mo, Ekkachai Soi 23 (ร้าน​ ตุ๊ก สาคู-ข้าวเกรียบ​ปาก​หม้อ​ ปากซอยเอกชัย23)

    Check opening hoursHow to get there

    Steamed sago dumplings and thin rice-skin dumplings near the entrance to Ekkachai Soi 23.

  • Five Star Grilled Chicken, Ekkachai (ไก่ย่าง 5 ดาว เอกชัย)

    Check opening hoursHow to get there

    Grilled chicken on the Ekkachai side of the area.

The surrounding streets have named food options, but these entries come from business data rather than a live directory, so check current operation before making a special trip for one.

  • Eat at a named neighbourhood shop if it is trading when you visit.
  • Buy only where a price is clearly displayed or agreed before ordering.
  • Keep temple donations separate from payments for food or transport.

No dependable total visit budget or temple admission price is available; food prices and business status may change.

See live restaurant data on CityMETER →
Local respect and comfort

Practical notes

Plan around worship rather than treating every doorway as part of a sightseeing circuit.

1

Follow the threshold

Current signs, ceremonies and stewards determine which entrance to use and how much distance to keep.

2

People before pictures

Do not photograph worshippers or rites closely without consent.

3

Check level changes

Anyone relying on step-free access should ask about thresholds, seating, toilets and the return path before travelling.

4

Use the present name

Ask for Wat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawihan when travelling there; keep Wat Chom Thong for the historical story.

A daylight visit gives you the clearest view of the roof and porcelain details, but confirm current access before leaving.

There is no fixed duration: allow for a focused temple visit and keep extra time if you plan to continue separately to Wat Sai.

Worth staying over? No hotels are counted inside the reference area, so arrange accommodation elsewhere if this forms part of a longer Bangkok stay.
Questions that change the plan

Before you set off

Are Wat Chom Thong and Wat Ratcha Orasaram the same place?

Yes. Wat Chom Thong (วัดจอมทอง) is the former name of present Wat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawihan (วัดราชโอรสารามราชวรวิหาร).

Is this Wat Phra That Si Chom Thong in Chiang Mai?

No. This destination is the Bangkok temple now called Wat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawihan. The Chiang Mai and Phayao temples with similar names are separate places.

What architectural details should I look for?

Notice the roof without chofa, bai raka and hang hong ornaments, the square veranda pillars, and porcelain designs showing a vase, dragons, phoenixes and other symbols.

Can I reach the area without a car?

Wutthakat BTS is on the Silom Line and served as the starting point for a Chom Thong District Office cycling trial in March 2025. The report does not establish a permanent route, so check the current onward journey.

Is Wat Sai part of Wat Chom Thong?

No. Wat Sai (วัดไทร) is a separate temple within the wider reference area and should be planned as its own stop.

When can I enter and take photographs?

Current hours and photography rules are not available here. Follow signs and stewards, and do not photograph worshippers or rites closely without consent.

Source ledger

What supports this page

A source link shows where a claim came from; it does not turn time-sensitive details like prices or hours into guarantees.

PublisherSourceWhat it supports
Fine Arts Department of ThailandWat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawihan
Accessed 2026-08-10
The former Wat Chom Thong name, Bang Kho location, royal restoration history, temple plan and surviving earlier artistic elements.
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology CentreWat Ratcha Orasaram
Accessed 2026-08-24
Alternate names, canal-side setting, restoration context, ancient-monument registration and conservation history.
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology CentreUbosot of Wat Ratcha Orasaram
Accessed 2026-08-24
Veranda pillars, omitted roof ornaments, porcelain pediment motifs and attributed scholarly interpretation.
Tourism Authority of ThailandWat Ratchaorasaram Ratchaworawihan
Accessed 2026-08-24
The Bangkok identity of the temple and the former Wat Chom Thong name.
Chom Thong District OfficeChom Thong cycling-route trial
Accessed 2026-08-24
The March 2025 trial beginning at Wutthakat BTS and continuing to Wat Ratcha Orasaram, Wat Sai Floating Market Community and the Tamnak Phra Chao Suea Waterside Garden; it was a trial rather than proof of a permanent route.
Chom Thong District OfficeCommunities in Chom Thong district
Accessed 2026-08-24
Wat Sai Floating Market Community in Bang Khun Thian and the distinction between Bang Khun Thian and Bang Kho communities.
Bangkok Mass Transit SystemBTS SkyTrain route map
Accessed 2026-08-24
Wutthakat station on the Silom Line.
Tourism Authority of ThailandWat Phra That Si Chom Thong
Accessed 2026-08-24
The similarly named Chiang Mai temple is a different destination.
Tourism Authority of ThailandWat Phrathat Chom Thong
Accessed 2026-08-24
The similarly named Phayao temple is a different destination.
CityMETERTourism datasetThe two historical-cultural attractions associated with the reference area: Wat Sai and Wat Ratcha Orasaram Ratchaworawihan.
CityMETERRestaurant datasetNames, food types and supplied price information for nearby food entries; business operation is not established.
CityMETERHotel datasetNo hotels counted inside the reference area.
Wikimedia CommonsWat Ratchaorotsaram (I).jpg
Accessed 2026-08-24
Hero photograph, photographer credit and CC BY 4.0 reuse licence.
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