The Wrong Swan Temple

white chedi at the temple

The other day on my Heritage Line Tour, I stopped at Itsaraphap Station. It is the first underground station to open on the Thonburi side of the river, and is decorated in golden swan motifs, a decoration at a famous nearby temple. While I was all the way out in Thonburi, I decided I ought to take a few minutes to check the temple out myself.

the temple

But, wouldn't you just know it... I walked out the wrong exit of the station! Instead of going to Wat Hong Rattanaram Ratchaworawiharn, I ended up at Wat Ratchasittharam Ratchaworawiharn. Silly mistake, right?

Wat Plub

I didn't realize this until later, but I still enjoyed exploring this beautiful Buddhist temple. As it turns out, this temple is a royal temple! I didn't even know it at the time, but Wat Plub (as it's nicknamed) is a pretty important temple in its own right.

golden swan

Despite not being THE swan temple, it's still A swan temple. The golden swans that are found at the temple I intended to go to could also be found here. It certainly didn't help my confusion!

pavilions at the temple

Wat Plub dates back to the Ayutthaya period, back when Bangkok was just a sleepy little fishing village on the Chao Phraya River. It gained prominance during the reign of King Taksin, who moved the capital to Thonburi from Ayutthaya after its destruction by the Burmese.

a sunny morning in Thonburi

The devout King Rama IV spent many years studying at Wat Plub, and the temple was granted royal status of the second grade.

golden Buddhas

In the end, it didn't really matter that I didn't end up at the right temple. It was still a beautiful temple to explore, and one I may never have visited had I not gotten mixed up!

it was a beautiful temple, even if it wasn't where I meant to end up

Well, getting lost in Bangkok is always a happy mistake to make. There's always something new and interesting to discover.

I realize, though, that I have hardly seen any of Bangkok's "twin city", Thonburi. Maybe I ought to spend a day or two exploring on the quieter western side of the river...

the golden swan