It took me years of visits to Bangkok before I ever made it to Wat Ratchanadda. Heading into Khaosan Road, I’d ridden past it hundreds of times, occasionally making a mental note that I really would have to stop and check it out sometime. But it’s not like you’re starved for wats to visit in Bangkok. So it took a while for me to get there. It’s well worth a visit, I’ve already posted an article about the temple if you want more info.

The purpose of my second visit to the wat was to show it to a friend. Having already toured the temple once, on the second visit I explored a bit more and discovered the amulet market behind the wat. There are several vendors of Buddhist religious paraphernalia along the side of the wat that are hard to miss. But further back there is an extensive market filled with small shops. And monks. As an avowed monk hunter, it’s become one of my favorite areas in Bangkok to stalk monks.

On one visit I strayed a bit further afield. At the back of the wat’s complex is a gate that leads out onto a klong and instantly drops you into a world of local-style living. Weathered wooden buildings line the canal, ancient in construction though still inhabited, they look like they rely as much on each other as they do on support posts for managing to still be standing upright. I think what attracts me to this small neighborhood is that a block away is a wide boulevard with all the accruements of a world-class city, and then this little oasis of county-life tucked but a few minutes walk away. That’s Bangkok.

The klong itself is of historical significance, as unimpressive as it is. It is the point where Klong Lot meets the old and current city moats separating into two canals. But it is a small canal and it is the surrounding neighborhood of houses that are responsible for the charm of the shady path along the water’s edge.

This is a great area to just wander if you have a few hours to kill. Back out on Thanon Mahachai, there are a few more old decrepit buildings huddled together and then two, almost as dilapidated wats. One of which is devoted to Buddhist nuns and has some nice story boards inside that explain their history. (Stay tuned, post to come). And better yet, just across the street is inarguably the best place for pad thai in Bangkok.