The eight storey pagoda in the Chee Chin Khor Moral Uplifting Society temple compound.
If you travel along the river in Bangkok, you can hardly miss the towering Chinese style pagoda on the west bank of the Chaophraya river. This quite recent addition to the riverside temples and palaces is part of a large Chinese temple in a compound built by the Chee Chin Khor Moral Uplifting Society.
The very Chinese-styled temple of the society.
The society was formed in 1952 to perform charitable works. It has had several headquarters around Bangkok over the years, and the temple was just established on the bank of the river in 1993. The grand pagoda, given the royal name Mahathat Chedi Prajonchatri Thai-Chin Charoen, was officially opened in 2001 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the society and the 72nd birthday of His Majesty the King.
The society's charitable works include distributing rice, blankets and free coffins to the poor; providing student lunches; and disaster relief. The Chee Chin Khor Society is one of more than 400 such charities in Thailand.
The view of Bangkok's modern skyline from the top of the pagoda.
The pagoda and temple building are open every day. You can climb the pagoda to get a beautiful view of modern Bangkok across the river. Inside, the pagoda is finished in granite and bronze. The windows have delicate etched designs depicting cranes and other animals.
The temple building is large and colorfully detailed. There are no less than four alters in the structure, each with a very different style. The first one you come to on entering the temple from the courtyard has what we think of as a typical 'fat' Buddha image backed by four Chinese gods. A stairway to one side of the alter takes you upstairs to a very odd cave-like alter room where half a dozen bronze sages are seated.
From the 'cave' you can walk onto the upper terrace and around to the rear tower. Here, on the same level, is another alter with a standing Buddha flanked by two other gods. Another set of stair leads from this hall up to the high alter where a very imperial image sits on a very throne-like dias.
Getting There
The temple is right on the Chaophraya River a short distance from the Klong San pier. The easiest way to get there is by boat. Take the Chaophraya River Express boat to the Siphraya Pier. You will need to walk from the express pier out to the lane and around the Royal Orchid hotel to get to the cross-river ferry pier. Take the cross-river ferry to the Klong San pier. The cost is just 1.50 Baht (0.04 USD).
From the Klong San pier, walk through the market to the main road (Charoen Nakorn Road). Turn right and walk about two blocks down. You'll pass a busy intersection with Ladya Road where the street turns and changes name to Somdet Chaophraya Road. You'll then pass the Taksin Hospital and then turn right down the next small lane (Somdet Chaophraya Soi 11). Walk down this alley about 100 yards and follow the turn in the road to the left. Pass through Wat Thong Noppakhun and veer right, passing between the temple's meru (crematorium) and an old cemetary with many small chedis crowded into it. Turn left to continue following around the cemetary and the Chee Chin Khor compound will be directly ahead of you. See our map of Klong San for more information.