Thailand Life Tools

Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)

WATBANGKOK YAI

The tall prang on the Thonburi bank, across the river from Wat Pho. You reach it by a short ferry from Tha Tien pier.

OPEN
08:00
CLOSE
18:00
FEE
฿200

Every day · Review-based

Ticket sales end before closing: arrive by 17:00.

THIS WEEK

    Usual days, with holidays and alcohol ban days. Not a promise for a given day.

    Checked 31 October 2026

    Last checked: 31 October 2026 · ฿200 (Review-based)

    Wat Arun from across the Chao Phraya on a cloudy morning
    Show this to a driver

    วัดอรุณราชวราราม

    The Thai name, as drivers know it.

    Where
    Bangkok Yai, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya, opposite Wat Pho. (Wikipedia; Wikipedia)
    Fee
    About ฿200 (review-based: two blogs agree, one says about ฿100). (Planning research summary (owner’s re-check: Google Maps, guides); Thai Budget Planner; Your Thai Guide)
    Hours
    Daily 08:00–18:00 (review-based). Ticket sales end before closing: arrive by 17:00. (Planning research summary (owner’s re-check: Google Maps, guides); Thai Budget Planner; Your Thai Guide)
    Built
    The main prang was finished in 1851 after nine years of building. (Wikipedia)
    Dress
    Dress is checked at the gate: cover shoulders and knees; shorts and vest tops are turned back. Sarongs can be rented near the entrance. Shoes off inside the ordination hall. Dress code for all temples
    Getting there
    Cross-river ferry from Tha Tien pier (N8), behind Wat Pho, to the Wat Arun side: under ฿10, paid in coins (checking). The blue-flag tourist boat also stops at Wat Arun pier; the orange express boat stops at Tha Tien instead.
    Stations
    • Wat Arun · Line’s last boat: Blue-flag tourist boat 19:45 · Ferry 19:00

    Open in Google MapsAll Bangkok temples

    What to see at Wat Arun

    1. The central prang, about 70–80 m by most counts

      Sources give anything from 66.8 m to 86 m. Its surface is set with pieces of porcelain: worth a close look on the lower terraces.

    2. A seven-pronged trident at the top

      Often called the Trident of Shiva. Easier to see from the ground on the river side.

    3. Indra on the three-headed elephant Erawan

      Four statues on the second terrace, one facing each direction.

    4. Four small prangs for Phra Phai, the wind god

      At the corners around the central prang.

    5. Two giant guardians at the ordination hall

      The white one is Sahassa Deja, the green one Thotsakan, from the Ramakien. The murals inside date from Rama V’s reign.

    The story

    Work on the central prang went on through Rama III’s reign and it was finished in 1851, after nine years of continuous building.

    Between 2013 and 2017 the prang had its largest restoration. Photographs afterwards drew criticism that it looked whitewashed; the Fine Arts Department defended the work.

    Crossing the river to Wat Arun

    Walk to Tha Tien pier (N8) behind Wat Pho and take the small cross-river ferry; it lands right by Wat Arun. The fare is a few baht, under ฿10, paid in coins at the pier (sources give ฿4 to ฿10, so the exact fare is checking). It runs roughly 05:00–19:00 (news and reviews).

    This ferry is not the tourist boat. The blue-flag Chao Phraya Tourist Boat (฿40 a ride, official) stops at Wat Arun pier; the orange-flag express boat has stopped at Tha Tien instead since April 2024 (official). Wat Arun closes at 18:00 (review-based), so do not leave it to the end of the day if you also want the Grand Palace.

    Chao Phraya river boats →

    Don’t

    • Shoes off before entering the ordination hall.

    Dress code for all temples

    Walks with this temple

    Questions

    How much is the Wat Arun entrance fee?
    About ฿200 for foreigners (review-based; one blog gives about ฿100).
    What time does Wat Arun close?
    18:00 (review-based). Ticket sales end before closing, so arrive by 17:00.
    How do I get from Wat Pho to Wat Arun?
    Walk to Tha Tien pier (N8) behind Wat Pho and take the cross-river ferry: under ฿10, paid in coins.
    How tall is Wat Arun?
    Sources differ, from 66.8 m to 86 m; about 70–80 m by most counts.

    BEFORE YOU GO

    Before you go

    1. Cover shoulders and knees

      Pack a light long-sleeved top or scarf and long trousers or a long skirt; it is hot, so loose cotton works best.

    2. Shoes you can slip off

      You take them off at every hall door.

    3. Cash in small notes

      Ticket offices may take cards, but ferries, drinks and donation boxes are cash.

    Money Exchange