Wat Paknam, Bangkok
First published in 2017
Wat Paknam is not one of the famous must-see temples in Bangkok, but going there gives you a much better impression of what daily life in Bangkok is about. While the temples in the city center sometimes have more tourists than locals, I have not seen a single western tourist in the temple compound at all.
Wat Paknam is a huge complex, not only containing the temple itself but also a monastery, meeting halls, etc. The most beautiful (ok - some may call it kitschy, but I like it) part is the central pagoda. You have to climb some levels up to come to the hall you see in the pictures. On the lower levels, you can find some exhibitions that are nice to look at.
The temple complex is a little bit out of town, but you can easily reach it by public transportation. The direct approach is via the klongs (you might be able to adapt a tour when hiring a boat) or via taxi. I took the BTS to Wutthakat station and walked to the temple. Again: Here you see the real Bangkok most people will hardly see.
On the way, I took a brief look at a small local temple (Wat Nang Chee Chotikaram), and on the way back I did a little detour to visit Wat Khunchan Waramattaya Panthasararam another hidden gem in this area that you should not miss. It's just on the other side of the klong, so easy to reach if you have a boat, but a little bit of extra walk to get to the next bridge and then back again to the temple if you do it on foot.
