King Taksin chose this 17th century Wat for his royal temple and palace as it was the first place in Thonburi to catch the morning light. The Emerald Buddha was housed here after it was recaptured from Laos, before being moved to Wat Phra Kaeoin 1785.

   Even without the sacred statue Wat Arun continued to be much revered and the kings Rama II and Rama III reconstructed and enlarged it to its present height of 104 meters.
Today, Wat Arun has a long elongated, Khmer-style, prang, the tower, and four minor towers symbolizing Mount Meru, the terrestrial representation of the thirty-three heavens.
The prang are covered with pieces of porcelain and dotted with Chinese statues which Chinese boats coming to Bangkok used as ballast.

   The main Prang:
Steep steps lead to the two terraces that form the base of the Prang. The different layers, or heavens, are supported by Kinnaree, or half-humans, and frightening Yaksas, or demons. Pavilions on the first platform contain statues of the Buddha at the most important stages of his life, while on the second terrace four statues of the Hindi god Indra or Erawan, his thirty-three headed elephant, stand guard.

   Most tourists come for the climb and don't have time for the rest of the Wat. The main Buddha image inside the Bot is believed to have been designed by King Rama II himself, but the murals date from the reign of King Rama V

   Wat Arun is open daily from 08:30 - 17:30.
   To reach Wat Arun from Bangkok side, catch a cross-river ferry from Tha Tien at Thai Wang Road.
   Crossings are frequent and cost only 1 Baht.

Text from Amazing Bangkok Guide with permission from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
Pictures copyright by Bernd