Wat Niwet Thamprawat and Balen Island

​Wat Niwet Thamprawat is a monastery located on Balen Island in the Chao Phraya River opposite the Bang Pa-In royal palace south of Ayutthaya. The Temple was constructed in 1867 under orders from King Rama V, who wanted the temple to have the architectural style of a Western cathedral. The building is Gothic style and beautifully adorned with colorful stained glass. Inside the temple, the principal image of Buddha and his followers are placed to resemble the alter of a Christian church and not a traditional Buddhist Church.  The monastery is home to a quite large Buddhist school where many novice Monks can be seen taking care of the amazing temple grounds.

On the southern end of Balen Island is a Light House and Public Park.  The Light House was constructed at the same time as the Wat Niwet Thamprawat to act as a beacon for boats carrying supplies to both the Temple and Bang Pa-In Palace. The Public Park is a great place to catch the extting sun in the nice warm evenings of Thailand.

​The most unique feature of the island is the method of entrance and egress, which is a simple cable car system, which is accessible from the Bang Pa-In Palace Parking area.  ​

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Bang Pa-In Palace

Approximately 60 kilometers north of Bangkok, near the ancient capital city of Ayutthaya, lies Bang Pa In, the summer palace of the King of Thailand.  Nestled on the banks of the Chao Praya River, the original palace complex dates back to the 17th century.  Read More...

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