Standing for a Millennium: Thailand’s Grandest Stupa, Phra Pathom Chedi

▲ Phra Pathom Chedi. (Photo / Reporter Li Zi Yi, same below)

Reporter Li Zi Yi / Reporting from Thailand

Nakhon Pathom Province is located in southern Thailand, about 58 kilometers from Bangkok. It is known for producing duck meat, pomelos, and rice. The most famous attraction in the area isthe Phra Pathom Chedi, renowned as the “First Stupa.”This stupa has a long history, having been built here since the 9th century AD, making it over a thousand years old.

From afar, you can see the towering golden stupa proudly standing — this is the Phra Pathom Chedi. Climb the stairs, make a donation as you wish, and follow the local customs by picking up the pre-arranged offerings such as incense sticks, lotus buds, gold leaf sheets, and bamboo sticks shaped like bodhi leaves. Proceed to worship in front of the Buddha statue along with the flow of people. Insert your incense, place 20 baht into a lotus-shaped bamboo stick and drop it into the cylinder nearby. Finally, carefully affix the gold leaf onto the statue in sequence to pray for peace and safety.

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▲ Local monks in worship.

▲ Left: The temple provides pre-packed worship items including incense, lotus buds, gold leaf, and bamboo sticks. Right: The exterior of the main hall.

After worshipping, you can enter the main stupa area. Photography is not allowed inside the main hall, where you’ll often see many locals devoutly praying. According to local custom, walking clockwise around the stupa three times is believed to bring good luck. However, circling the outer perimeter three times takes at least 120 minutes, so most visitors opt for the inner or middle circle, which takes about half the time while still showing respect. As you stroll around the stupa, simply walking and admiring the architecture and details, you might occasionally encounter monks. Due to strict religious rules, women must maintain a certain distance.

▲ Worshippers outside the main hall. Shoes must be removed to enter the interior.

▲ Monks circumambulating the inner circle to pray.

The Phra Pathom Chedi holds a lofty status in Thailand, regarded as a sacred site for Buddhist worship by successive Thai kings. The temple grounds are filled with lush plants and blooming flowers, such as frangipani and golden shower trees. Many of these were personally planted by Thai monarchs, and the temple has specially fenced them off with signs inviting visitors to offer flowers.

Tour guide Anan also shared an interesting fact: in Thailand, most men have been monks at some point. According to local tradition, males are expected to spend some time — ranging from 10 days to a month — as monks before marriage, waking up early each day to beg for alms and observing the practice of not eating after noon.

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