Wat Sothon Wararam

Luang Pho Sothon is a seated Buddha of the Ayutthaya period, and the story is that it appeared floating in the Bang Pakong river with two others; villagers could not lift it until they used a sacred thread, at which point it came ashore and was enshrined here. It is among the most venerated images in central Thailand and the temple receives very large numbers of pilgrims, particularly for the three annual festivals, coming to make vows and to give thanks - the standard offering when a vow is fulfilled is hard-boiled eggs, and they arrive by the thousand, along with Thai classical dance performed as thanksgiving. The current ubosot, completed in the 2000s, is enormous, white marble, and cost a great deal; it replaced a much smaller hall and its scale divides opinion. The temple sits on the river and Chachoengsao is an hour from Bangkok by train.

What you actually see

• Luang Pho Sothon - the venerated Ayutthaya-period image at the centre.
• The egg offerings - boiled eggs given in thousands when vows are fulfilled.
• The marble ubosot - the vast white hall completed in the 2000s.
• The thanksgiving dance - Thai classical performance commissioned by pilgrims.

When to go

November to February for weather; the three annual festivals bring the largest crowds. Weekday mornings are the calmest. An hour or two covers it.

Honest expectations

Very busy with pilgrims and organised buses. The scale of the new hall is not to everyone's taste. Extensive commercial stalls and amulet selling around the temple. Temple dress code applies.

Nearby

Wat Saman Rattanaram and its pink Ganesha are close; Bangkok is an hour west.