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Open Days: Open Daily

Opening Hours: Best Visited From Morning Until Late Afternoon

 

Wat Phraya Tak in Chainat Province is an important temple in Ban Kluai Subdistrict, Mueang Chainat District. It is widely known both as a place for paying respect to sacred objects and as the venue of the province’s famous long-boat racing tradition. The temple stands on the bank of the Chao Phraya River and has a very distinctive identity. Inside the temple, visitors will find Luang Pho Hin, a sacred Buddha image deeply revered by local people, as well as a statue of Luang Pu Suk, where devotees come to pay respect and seek blessings for good fortune. Meanwhile, the riverside area in front of the temple is the main venue for the Royal Trophy Buddhist Lent long-boat race held every year, which has become one of the defining images of Wat Phraya Tak in the eyes of both Chainat residents and visitors from other provinces.

 

In a broader sense, Wat Phraya Tak is not simply a temple for ordinary merit-making. It is a place where Buddhist faith, riverside life, and local culture come together in a particularly meaningful way. Those who visit the temple can feel the atmosphere of a living riverside community temple, not a religious site that is quiet and disconnected from the people around it. On the contrary, Wat Phraya Tak continues to function as a true community center. It is a place for religious ceremonies, a source of spiritual comfort, and an important stage for traditions that the people of Chainat have proudly preserved for generations.

 

Wat Phraya Tak is located in Ban Kluai Subdistrict, Mueang Chainat District, Chainat Province, with a prominent position along the Chao Phraya River. Its riverside setting is especially significant in terms of local history, because in the past the river was the main route for travel, trade, and communication between communities. Temples established along the river often played a role far beyond religious practice alone. They were easier for people to access, served as gathering points for local residents, and stood as symbols of stability for riverside communities that were closely tied to the waterway.

 

Because the temple stands along the Chao Phraya River, its relationship with the Ban Kluai community is particularly close. The river is not merely a scenic backdrop to the temple. It is an essential part of the temple’s identity, shaping the landscape, the way people move through the area, and the traditions that take place throughout the year. The most obvious example is the annual long-boat race held in front of the temple during Buddhist Lent, which clearly reflects the role of Wat Phraya Tak as a riverside temple. It can be said that if the Chao Phraya River were removed from the story of Wat Phraya Tak, the temple would lose one of the most important contexts that define its character.

 

According to publicly available information, the temple was originally known as “Wat Tak” and was established around 1811. Later, its name became “Wat Phraya Tak.” The story behind the temple’s name gives the site strong local historical charm, because the name is more than just a label. It carries memory, local storytelling, and inherited identity that people in the area have continued to pass down over time. Although detailed official documentation for every period may not be as clear as that of larger royal temples, the story of its name has helped give Wat Phraya Tak a memorable identity at both the community and provincial levels.

 

What makes Wat Phraya Tak especially revered among Buddhist devotees is the presence of Luang Pho Hin, enshrined inside the temple’s viharn. Luang Pho Hin is regarded as the sacred Buddha image of the temple, and both local residents and visitors from elsewhere come here to pay respect, make wishes, seek blessings, and find peace of mind. The sacred Buddha image of a temple often serves as the spiritual heart of a Thai community temple, because it is not merely an object placed for worship. It becomes the focal point of faith, a place where people feel they can turn for strength and comfort during every stage of life.

 

For this reason, the experience of paying respect to Luang Pho Hin carries emotional weight beyond simply viewing a Buddha image. Many people do not come to Wat Phraya Tak only as tourists. They come because they feel the temple is a place that offers comfort, a place where they can pray, make merit, or simply sit quietly and calm their minds. The relationship between Luang Pho Hin and the devotees is therefore not only one of formal worship, but also a deeply personal bond shaped by the experiences of many generations.

 

In addition to Luang Pho Hin, Wat Phraya Tak also houses a statue of Luang Pu Suk, where Buddhist devotees may pay respect and seek auspicious blessings. The presence of a revered monk’s image adds another important layer of faith to the temple. In Thai Buddhist belief, highly respected monks and meditation masters often represent moral strength, spiritual reassurance, and protective blessing. For this reason, many visitors choose to pay respect to both Luang Pho Hin and Luang Pu Suk during the same visit in order to receive blessings and merit in a complete and meaningful way.

 

If one were to speak of the reputation that makes Wat Phraya Tak widely known, it would certainly be the Royal Trophy Buddhist Lent Long-Boat Racing Tradition, held annually along the Chao Phraya River in front of the temple. This event is one of Chainat Province’s most important cultural traditions and is often recognized as a major provincial festival that attracts boat crews, spectators, and travelers in large numbers. What is particularly important is that the racing ground is located directly in front of Wat Phraya Tak, which means that the temple is not merely a visual backdrop to the tradition. It is the true cultural host of the event.

 

Long-boat racing in Thai society, especially in the central river basin, has deep roots in communities whose lives have long been connected to waterways. Boat racing is not only a sport designed to determine a winner. It is also a social ritual that reflects communal strength, teamwork, local pride, and the collective spirit of riverside society. When this tradition takes place in front of Wat Phraya Tak, it gives the temple even greater significance, because the temple serves both as a spiritual center and as a stage for cultural unity at the same time.

 

Provincial public relations reports in 2024 stated that the Royal Trophy Buddhist Lent long-boat race was held from 12 to 22 July 2024, with 32 boats competing in the large, medium, and small categories. Participating crews came from many provinces across Thailand, including Chonburi, Saraburi, Kalasin, Roi Et, Nakhon Sawan, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Sing Buri, Nan, Phitsanulok, Rayong, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, and Chainat itself. This clearly shows that the boat race in front of Wat Phraya Tak is not just a small local celebration, but an event of broad interest with real potential to attract people from all over the country to Chainat.

 

The scale and energy of the boat race also make Wat Phraya Tak well known in another sense, as a place where religion and cultural tourism come together naturally. Although the temple’s primary role remains merit-making and the worship of Luang Pho Hin, during the Buddhist Lent season it transforms into a lively public space where large crowds gather. The cheers of the audience, the sounds of drums, race commentary, and the sight of long boats moving swiftly along the Chao Phraya River all give the area in front of the temple an especially vibrant atmosphere. As a result, this annual event has become one of the best-known seasonal images of Chainat Province.

 

On a deeper level, the boat race in front of Wat Phraya Tak also reflects the temple’s role as the heart of the Ban Kluai community. An event of this kind would not be possible without the river, the temple grounds, local cooperation, and the continuity of shared cultural belief. The fact that local residents continue to organize, support, and welcome visitors to the event every year shows that Wat Phraya Tak remains a true center of community life rather than a religious site isolated from the everyday rhythm of the people.

 

For visitors who come to Wat Phraya Tak on ordinary days, the charm of the temple is quite different from the festive atmosphere of the racing season. On regular days, the temple is calmer and more suitable for making merit, paying respect to Luang Pho Hin, visiting Luang Pu Suk, and quietly appreciating the simplicity of a riverside community temple. What makes the visit especially rewarding is the chance to see another side of Wat Phraya Tak, one filled with stillness, visual comfort, and the warm familiarity of a local temple. This contrasts with the excitement of the racing festival, and seeing both sides helps visitors understand the temple more completely.

 

Inside the temple, the most important thing to do is to enter the viharn quietly and pay respect to Luang Pho Hin, because this is the spiritual heart of the temple. After that, visitors may continue to the statue of Luang Pu Suk to seek blessings and good fortune. If time allows, it is also worth walking out to the riverside area in front of the temple to take in the landscape of the Chao Phraya River, which forms the essential backdrop to local life and to the annual boat-racing tradition. This riverside space allows visitors to connect what they have experienced inside the sacred hall with the wider cultural life of the surrounding community.

 

From a tourism perspective, Wat Phraya Tak appeals to several kinds of travelers. Pilgrims may come to worship Luang Pho Hin and pray for blessings. Cultural travelers can observe how a riverside community temple plays a role in local tradition. Photography enthusiasts can enjoy capturing the riverside setting and the temple grounds, especially during festival periods. Those interested in local traditions may choose to visit during Buddhist Lent in order to experience the long-boat race at its liveliest. For these reasons, Wat Phraya Tak is a flexible destination that serves both devotional travel and cultural tourism.

 

Another advantage of Wat Phraya Tak is its location in Mueang Chainat District, which makes it easy to include in a one-day itinerary around the provincial capital. Travelers who want to explore Chainat in a single day can conveniently combine Wat Phraya Tak with Wat Thammamun Worawihan, Wat Phra Borommathat Worawihan, and the Chainat Muni National Museum. In such an itinerary, Wat Phraya Tak adds the distinctive dimension of a riverside temple linked with long-boat racing tradition, giving the trip more variety beyond old temples or royal monasteries alone.

 

Getting There If you start from central Chainat, you can head toward Ban Kluai Subdistrict in Mueang Chainat District with a relatively short travel time. Wat Phraya Tak is located along the Chao Phraya River and is well known among local residents, so it is convenient both for travelers driving their own cars and for those planning to combine the visit with other attractions in Mueang Chainat District.

 

Ultimately, Wat Phraya Tak is a temple that brings together several layers of value in one place. The first is the sacred presence of Luang Pho Hin and Luang Pu Suk, which makes the temple a spiritual center for Buddhist devotees. The second is its close relationship with the riverside Ban Kluai community along the Chao Phraya River. The third is the Royal Trophy Buddhist Lent long-boat racing tradition, which has made Wat Phraya Tak well known at both the provincial and national levels. For anyone looking for an important temple in Chainat that offers faith, community life, and local cultural heritage in one destination, Wat Phraya Tak is one of the places that deserves to be experienced in person at least once.

 

 

A: Wat Phraya Tak is located in Ban Kluai Subdistrict, Mueang Chainat District, Chainat Province, on the bank of the Chao Phraya River, with convenient access from central Chainat.

 

A: Its most notable highlights are Luang Pho Hin, the temple’s sacred Buddha image deeply revered by devotees, and the annual Royal Trophy Buddhist Lent long-boat race held in front of the temple.

 

A: Luang Pho Hin is enshrined inside the temple’s viharn, where Buddhist devotees come to pay respect and seek blessings for good fortune.

 

A: Wat Phraya Tak is best known for its Royal Trophy Buddhist Lent long-boat racing tradition, which is held annually during the Buddhist Lent season in front of the temple along the Chao Phraya River.

 

A: It is well known because boat crews from many provinces across Thailand take part in the competition each year, and the event is recognized as one of the important traditions of Chainat Province.

 

A: In addition to Luang Pho Hin, visitors may also pay respect to the statue of Luang Pu Suk for auspicious blessings and spiritual encouragement.

 

A: The temple is suitable for pilgrims, visitors interested in riverside community temples, people who enjoy traditional long-boat racing festivals, and travelers seeking a local cultural perspective on Chainat.