Wat Traimit

Wat Traimit houses the world’s largest solid gold seated Buddha — 5.5 tonnes of pure gold, standing three metres tall and valued at roughly 250 million US dollars. The statue spent centuries hidden under a layer of plaster, likely to protect it from Burmese invaders, until 1955 when workers accidentally cracked the plaster while moving it to a new building. What they found underneath was the most valuable Buddha image ever discovered. The story alone makes this temple worth visiting.

The Golden Buddha sits on the top floor of a modern multi-storey building within the temple grounds. The second and third floors house a small but well-done museum covering the history of Chinatown and the story of the statue’s discovery. The museum is included in a separate ticket (100 THB total for both). The temple itself is modern and not architecturally remarkable — you are coming specifically for the statue and the museum.

Wat Traimit sits at the edge of Chinatown, a short walk from MRT Hua Lamphong. It makes a natural starting point for exploring Yaowarat — visit the temple in the late afternoon, then walk into Chinatown as the street food vendors begin setting up for the evening rush. The visit takes about 30–45 minutes. Dress code applies as with all Thai temples: covered knees and shoulders required.