The Eiffel Tower in Bangkok is Wat Arun. Often referred to as the Temple of Dawn (a great name), Wat Arun is situated on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, on the Thonburi side.
My visit over 2 days was to celebrate a birthday and for me to try to get a sense of the river community and local life there. Living in a high-rise building, it was good to get down to street level. And after 25 years living in Thailand, I really thought it was time I visited Wat Arun again and have my first traditional Thai massage at the famed Wat Pho.
To get to Wat Arun we crossed the river by a small shuttle boat at Tha Thien pier (no. 8). The crossing took only minutes.
Wat Arun
It is one of the most stunning temples in Bangkok, not only because of its riverside location, but also because of the design. The four outer prangs (spires) are designed to focus the mind on the center, and Buddhists believe the structure reinforces its symbolism as a representation of Khao Phra Su Main (a heavenly mountain, the symbolic center of the universe). At night, the temple is colorfully lit, adding to its magic and mystery.
Wat Arun is decorated, surprisingly, with broken pieces of chinaware…
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