What to know before visiting the temple
Dress modestly; shoes off in the mondops · Do not touch the shadow or the paintings · Do not feed the monkeys
07:00–17:00 (hilltop mondop 08:00–17:00)
16:00
Tak Bat Thewo with khao tom luk yon (day after Ok Phansa; expected about 26–27 Oct 2026) · Makha Bucha candlelight
6 days ahead
When to go
this week
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Best time to go Best window 06:00–14:00 Little rain
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–17:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–16:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–12:00 Little rain
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–14:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Wat Phra Phutthachai
Wat Phra Phutthachai, Mu 1, Nong Pla Lai, Mueang Saraburi, Saraburi
- Cool climb
- Very hot stairs
- View over Saraburi from the top
Arrive 16:00
- Two-spired mondop under the cliffThe Buddha shadowMorning
- Naga stairsLooking up the hillMorning
- Moggallana terraceView over SaraburiEvening
Gallery
Photos from Wikimedia Commons and contributors · full credits inClassic page
Good to know here
They grab bags; hide food
Beehives — no smoke
- Climb early or late and bring water
- Keep food hidden from the monkeys
- Namtok Sam Lan NP is about 3 km away
Adults 0 THB · Time needed 1–2 hours
Ok Phansa khao tom luk yon festival and Makha Bucha
- Kids Yes, but watch for monkeys and stairs
- Seniors Lower temple yes; drive part-way to the top
- Wheelchair Only parts of the lower grounds
- Pets Not recommended — many monkeys
- Yot Khao Garden RestaurantNear the temple, 10:00–23:00
- Baan ChiModern Thai, about 10 km
- Cafe Laura Hin KongCafe and restaurant, about 6 km
- Dress modestly; shoes off in the mondops
- Do not touch the shadow or the paintings
- Do not feed the monkeys
- Many monkeys — don't feed them; hide bags
- Large beehives on the cliff — no noise or smoke
- About 500 steep, hot steps
Tak Bat Thewo with khao tom luk yon (day after Ok Phansa; expected about 26–27 Oct 2026) · Makha Bucha candlelight
Best months
Tap a month on the wheel to see weather, rain, haze and crowds from 10 years of records
Best time · Nov–Feb is cool · climb at 07:00–09:00 or 15:30–17:00
Watch out · Midday — the hill stairs are very hot
21°Jan
22°Feb
25°Mar
26°Apr
26°May
25°Jun
25°Jul
25°Aug
24°Sep
24°Oct
23°Nov
22°Dec
Oct by the records 24–31°C · avg rain 195 mm (20 rainy days) · clear 2 days · avg PM2.5 20
The story of this place
Wat Phra Phutthachai sits at the foot of Khao Phra Phutthachai, also called Khao Ghataka, in Nong Pla Lai, about 8 km from Saraburi town. Its highlight is the Phra Phutthachai, a faint reddish shape like a standing Buddha about 5 m tall on the rock under an overhang, enshrined in a two-spired mondop built against the cliff.
Read more 6 more paragraphs
Legend says the Buddha came to this hill to teach the hunter Ghataka, who became an arahant. When the hunter asked for a keepsake, the Buddha left his shadow on the rock, so Buddhists regard the image as a sacred object left by the Buddha himself.
By tradition the shadow was found in King Songtham's reign (c. 1610–28), after the footprint at Saraburi was discovered. King Sua later built a mondop, and the chronicles record a royal visit to "Phra Pathawi" around 1709; King Ekkathat visited in early 1765. The Testimony of Khun Luang Ha Wat describes "Phra Pathawi, the Buddha's shadow, under the overhang of Khao Noi Yang Krong" in Saraburi.
In 1858 the French explorer Henri Mouhot visited and noted Lao pilgrims here. From Rama V to Rama IX about 12 royals visited, and several carved their names or monograms on the cliff near the shadow. Nearby are prehistoric red-ochre paintings of a deer-like animal and human figures.
In 1948 Phra Khru Phutthachayaphiban (Nak Panrat) became abbot and restored the temple. In July 1994 the Fine Arts Department, restoring the hilltop mondop, found a right footprint about 2.5 m long with a dharma wheel in the centre beneath the old cement floor; it is now under glass. About 500 naga-lined steps lead up, and the Moggallana terrace on top looks out over Saraburi.
The temple holds Tak Bat Thewo with khao tom luk yon — rice parcels thrown into the monks' bowls — on the day after Ok Phansa, re-enacting the crowds who threw food to the Buddha as he descended from Tavatimsa heaven. In 2022 over 2,000 dancers performed Saraburi ramwong, and in 2025 it was held on 7–8 October. In 2026 Ok Phansa falls on 26 October, so it should be around 26–27 October, though no announcement was found. At Makha Bucha there is a candlelight festival with robes offered to the shadow.
In July 2025 the abbot left the monkhood amid a scandal involving monks from several temples, and an acting abbot was appointed. Shortly before, on 23 March 2025, the temple had been raised to a second-class royal temple of Worawihan rank. It remains open and its festivals continue. Visitors should watch out for the many monkeys and the beehives on the cliff.
- c. 1610–28Shadow found under King Songtham (tradition)
- c. 1703–08King Sua builds a mondop
- c. 1765King Ekkathat visits
- 1858Henri Mouhot visits
- 1948Phra Khru Phutthachayaphiban restores the temple
- Jul 1994Fine Arts Department finds the hilltop footprint
- 11 Oct 2022Khao tom luk yon festival with 2,000+ dancers
See 3 events
- 23 Mar 2025Raised to a second-class royal temple
- Jul 2025The abbot leaves the monkhood
- 7–8 Oct 2025Tak Bat Thewo, khao tom luk yon
Check-ins & visitor photos
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How to get there
Paved and signposted
Highway 1, Nong Pla Lai turn · Fuel
Bangkok–Saraburi · Fare
Highway 1 (Phahonyothin), Nong Pla Lai turn-off
Large lot at the foot of the stairs
Saraburi town
Good
07:00–17:00 (hilltop mondop 08:00–17:00)
around 8 km fromSaraburi town
Wat Phra Phutthachai Saraburi
0 THB
Stays near Wat Phra Phutthachai
Approx. nightly price for 2 adults (next week) · final price depends on your dates
FAQ
Before you goWat Phra Phutthachai
Answers travellers want before they go — a one-minute read
What is the Phra Phutthachai
A faint reddish standing-Buddha shape about 5 m tall on the rock under an overhang, believed to be a shadow the Buddha left
How old is the temple
Believed found in King Songtham's reign (c. 1610–28); King Sua built a mondop
Is there a footprint too
Yes, a right footprint about 2.5 m long on the hilltop, found in 1994
How many steps
Roughly 500; you can drive part-way up the back road
When is the khao tom luk yon festival
The day after Ok Phansa; in 2025 it was 7–8 Oct
Are there monkeys
Many; don't feed them and secure your things
Ready to go to Wat Phra Phutthachai?
Best day this week: Wednesday 28 Oct · Check in when you arrive to collect a stamp