Wat Traimit (100฿) is known as the Temple of the Golden Buddha thanks to the solid gold Buddha image that is the main draw to visitors. Said to have been discovered in 1955 underneath a plaster shell, the 3m-tall, 5.5-tonne image was discovered when it fell from a crane while being moved within the temple compound, revealing the Sukhothai-style treasure within. Scholars speculate that the image, which may date as far back as the 13th century, was hidden for fear of Burmese marauders taking the golden statue to their homeland. Today, its presence has rendered the once-neglected Wat Traimit into Chinatown’s most important Buddhist shrine.
The temple itself is said to date from the early 13th century. Donations and a constant flow of tourists have proven profitable, and the statue is now housed in an imposing four-story marble structure called Phra Maha Mandop. The 2nd floor of the building is home to the Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center, a small but engaging museum with multimedia exhibits on the history of Bangkok's Chinatown and its residents, while the 3rd floor is home to the Phra Buddha Maha Suwanna Patimakorn Exhibition, which has exhibits on how the statue was made. Wat Traimit is open daily from 8am to 5pm.
