Wat Benchamabophit (The Marble Temple)

Commonly referred to as the Marble Temple, Wat Benchamabophit is a truly astonishing sight that will leave you breathless. Built in true Thai architectural fashion, this is one of the nation’s most renowned places of worship.

As far as the Thailand’s places of worship are concerned, this is one of the more recent additions. This beautiful work of Thai architecture was built extensively using fine marble imported from Carrara, Italy.

The palace’s pillars, courtyard and two lions guarding the entrance were all built out of Carrara marble. The interior features decorative crossbeams of gold and lacquer and lavish paintings of various stupas from around the nation adorn the inside walls.

Within the temple, you can find a large Buddha statue designed in the Sukhothai-style. It was cast in 1920 and is a replica of Phra Buddha Chinnarat that is contained within the Phitsanulok in Northern Thailand.

The ashes of the renowned King Chulalongkorn were placed underneath the statue. There’s another gallery within the temple that features a collection of over 50 Buddha statues with each of them in a unique pose. The best time to visit the temple is during February or May when two famous festivals take place here.