Wat Mahathat Yuwarajarangsarit is one of Bangkok's most important royal temples and the national centre of Theravada Buddhist study in Thailand. Located on the edge of Sanam Luang beside the Grand Palace, the temple has served for over two centuries as the headquarters of the Mahanikaya — the larger of Thailand's two main monastic orders.
The temple is home to Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Thailand's principal university for Buddhist monks, which draws students from across Southeast Asia. The campus occupies much of the temple complex, giving Wat Mahathat a working scholarly atmosphere quite different from the tourist-oriented temples nearby. Monks in orange robes move between lecture halls and meditation halls throughout the day.
Section Five of the temple grounds houses a well-known amulet market and herbal medicine market, open daily. Traditional healers, fortune tellers and amulet traders set up stalls in the temple's outer courtyards, continuing a tradition of folk medicine and spiritual commerce that has operated here for generations. The temple is also Bangkok's principal centre for vipassana meditation instruction. Courses are open to foreigners and run continuously, making Wat Mahathat one of the few temples in the capital where serious meditation practice is actively taught to visitors.
"The national centre of Buddhist scholarship — where monks study, healers trade and anyone can learn to meditate"
Historical Note
Wat Mahathat predates Bangkok itself. The original temple on this site dates to the Ayutthaya period, making it one of the few religious sites in the capital with a history stretching back before the founding of the Chakri dynasty. King Rama I incorporated it into his new capital's ceremonial core when he established Bangkok in 1782, elevating it to first-class royal status.