Sunset at Wat Arun, The Temple of Dawn

Located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River just a ferry ride across Wat Pho and the Grand Palace is Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn. It is named after the Indian god of dawn, Aruna.

Important Facts:

Entrance Fee: 50 Baht

Open everyday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM

How to get there:

From Wat Pho you can get to Wat Arun through the Chao Phraya Cross River Ferry that can be found at N. Pier 8 or the Tha Tien Pier Station.

The cost of riding the cross river ferry from Wat Pho  to Wat Arun is three (3) Baht per person. Since I was feeling tired from the tour of Grand Palace and Wat Pho, I decided to sit first at the café near the temple. They serve pastries and coffee. I ordered a grande size Iced Caramel Macchiato as it is still hot even if the sun is about to set. After resting for about 30 minutes, I started my tour of Wat Arun. Firstly, I visited the surrounding areas of the temple.

Interesting Fact: Wat Arun is a Khmer-style temple with four prangs (also known as prasat) and one larger one in the middle. This layout is a representation of the five sacred mountains which were home to the gods according to Khmer, Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. The central prang represents Mount Meru, the center of the universe. When the heights of the central prang was extended, Rama III ordered that colourful ceramics and porcelain should be used to form elaborate motifs and designs. This unusual design feature makes the prangs shimmer and shine in the sunlight and give the temple a unique appeal that has to be seen close up to be fully appreciated.

After 15 minutes of walking and taking pictures, unknowingly I found myself at the back entrance of the temple. Since I was so engrossed with the designs of the temple, I did not notice that I already passed the gate of the temple where tourists are supposed to pay for the admission fee of 50 Baht. The guards did not stop me so I thought that the admission is free.

I was about to exit the temple when I noticed a line of tourists (mostly westerns) in front of a booth that seems like they were paying something. I walk into it and read the signboards posted on the front window. I was really surprised that there is an entrance fee of 50 Baht for tourists and free admission is only for Thai nationals. Since I already finished the tour of the temple, I just decided to continue exiting the complex towards the pier for my ride back to Tha Tien Pier. I know, I should have paid for the entrance fee, but I was really tight on budget since I went on a shopping spree the other day. I just charged it to experience and promised to never do it again. (PROMISE! Cross my heart and hope to die! LOL) Anyway it was an honest mistake and maybe the guards mistook me for a Thai.

At 5:30 in the afternoon, I was back on the opposite side of Wat Arun at Tha Tien Pier. Despite the name, Temple of the Dawn, Wat Arun looks most impressive in the late afternoon as the sun is setting. There are some cafés and restaurants on the opposite side of the river where you can enjoy the view. As for me, I was seated on a bench at the park munching on the street foods I bought at the Pier.

Patiently waiting for the sun to set, a lot of thought was running through my mind. While watching the busy river, I thought of our Pasig River at Manila and silently wish for its revival like the one here in Bangkok. Looking at the families happily seated on the Bermuda grass at the park made me think of my family back home. People on board the Chao Phraya River Express on their way home from work brought back memories when I was still working at Makati where everyone is busy and in a rush. My thoughts (daydreaming) were cut when an  orphan approached me begging for alms. So I willingly gave him some of my food and some spare Thai Baht coins.

It was at that moment when I realized how lucky I am to be able to travel at such a young age. To learn and see things in life on a different light. To appreciate things that I took for granted before. So this is what the long time travelers were writing about. On a side note, I felt satisfied and accomplished for I was able to travel alone on a foreign land. Accomplished, for I was able to fulfill one of my dreams. Finally I made a promise to myself, and that is to travel more, to learn more and to share more!