Wat Intharawihan is home to one of Bangkok's most striking Buddhist monuments — Luang Pho To, a standing Buddha image 32 metres tall that rises above the rooftops of the Banglamphu neighbourhood and can be seen from considerable distance. The image took over 60 years to complete, begun in the reign of King Rama IV and finished under King Rama V, and remains one of the tallest standing Buddha images in Thailand.
The image stands in the Blessing posture with the right hand raised, covered in gold mosaic tiles that catch the light at different angles throughout the day. The face of the image is modelled on Phra Buddha Sihing, one of Thailand's most revered Buddha images, giving Luang Pho To a particular sanctity for Thai Buddhists who come to make merit here in large numbers.
The temple sits in the Banglamphu area — historically Bangkok's backpacker district centred around Khao San Road — but is largely bypassed by tourists in favour of the more famous temples further south. This gives it an unusually authentic atmosphere, busy with Thai worshippers rather than foreign visitors, particularly in the early mornings when merit-making is most active.
The temple grounds also contain a smaller standing image and several unremarkable but functional monastic buildings used by the resident community of monks. The contrast between the overwhelming scale of Luang Pho To and the modest surroundings that frame it gives the temple a distinctive character found nowhere else in Bangkok.
"Sixty years in the making — a 32-metre golden Buddha rising above the backstreets of Banglamphu"
Historical Note
The abbot who commissioned Luang Pho To, Somdet Phra Buddhachan To Phrommarangsi, is one of the most revered monks in Thai Buddhist history. Known simply as Luang Pho To, he was a close adviser to King Rama IV and is credited with creating the Somdej amulet — the most powerful and sought-after Buddhist amulet in Thailand. The standing image at Wat Intharawihan was his most ambitious project and bears his name.