Wat Samut Khodom

Rating: 3/5 (9 votes)

Open Days: Daily

Opening Hours: 08:00 – 17:00

 

Wat Samut Khodom, Phetchaburi is located on Chonprathan Road (Moo 1), Laem Phak Bia Subdistrict, Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi. This Maha Nikaya temple has a long recorded history dating back to 1772 (B.E. 2315) and has served as a spiritual anchor for Phetchaburi’s coastal communities for more than two centuries. The temple land covers 28 rai 3 ngan 80 square wah (Chanote No. 183) and sits within a landscape that clearly reflects the way of life in Laem Phak Bia: salt fields to the north, a fisheries station to the south, a wastewater treatment project to the east, and Chonprathan Road to the west. In this setting, Wat Samut Khodom is not only a place for Buddhist rites, but also a living heart of the fishing and salt-making community whose identity has been shaped by the sea and the coastal land for generations.

 

The temple’s establishment in 1772 took place in the late Ayutthaya period, when the Phetchaburi river basin and the Ban Laem coastline were developing more structured settlements. Having a temple in a community meant more than a religious venue: it provided a shared spiritual center, strengthened social order, and created a dedicated space for ceremonies grounded in Theravada Buddhist practice. Wat Samut Khodom emerged alongside the growth of a “salt-coast” community and has continued to transmit local faith and communal cohesion up to the present day.

 

Later, the temple received its royal boundary consecration (wisungkhamsima) on 25 August 1998 (B.E. 2541). This is an important marker of religious stability and formal recognition, allowing the temple’s ubosot (ordination hall) to be used for ordination ceremonies in full accordance with monastic discipline. The event also reflects the temple’s development from a traditional community temple into a fully established institution with complete religious infrastructure.

 

The buildings at Wat Samut Khodom are well-developed and clearly show the temple’s modernization across different periods. The ubosot measures 8.19 meters wide and 45 meters long, built in 1990 (B.E. 2533) as a reinforced-concrete structure designed to support key religious activities. Inside, the principal Buddha image enshrined in the ubosot is regarded as an important sacred object for local worship. The ubosot walls feature a “Thep Chumnum” (assembly of deities) mural theme, commonly found in Central Thai temples, expressing Buddhist cosmology and reverence toward the Buddha. These murals carry value both as religious art and as visual Dharma, helping visitors and devotees engage with Buddhist ideas through imagery.

 

The sermon hall (sala kan parian) measures 10 meters wide and 12 meters long, built in 1973 (B.E. 2516) as a reinforced-concrete building used for religious gatherings, annual merit-making events, and community meetings. The prayer hall measures 10 meters wide and 25 meters long, built in 1972 (B.E. 2515) as a wooden structure that preserves a traditional rural-temple atmosphere. There are 4 wooden monk residences (kuti). The multipurpose pavilion measures 16 meters wide and 50 meters long, built in 1979 (B.E. 2522) as a half-concrete, half-wood building to support large community events. The temple also has 1 funeral merit-making pavilion (sala bamphen kuson) used for funerary rites and merit dedication ceremonies.

 

In terms of monastic administration, Wat Samut Khodom has had successive abbots over time. The recorded names include Phra Athikan Daeng, Phra Athikan Lueam, Phra Athikan Phae, Phra Athikan Khuek Thiraphatto (1954–1966 / B.E. 2497–2509), Phra Khru Udom Samanakit (1966–1989 / B.E. 2509–2532), and Phra Khru Watcharayanakhun (from 1989 / B.E. 2532 onward). This continuity of religious leadership supports the temple’s stable role and its strong ties with the community.

 

The temple also plays an educational role. A Buddhist scripture school (Phra Pariyattidhamma, Dhamma Division) has been open since 1974 (B.E. 2517), serving as a place for monastic learning and for strengthening moral foundations among local youth. For Laem Phak Bia residents, the temple is therefore both a center of faith and a community learning space.

 

One of Wat Samut Khodom’s defining characteristics is its setting amid salt fields and the coastal landscape, which distinctly represents Ban Laem’s local identity. Visitors often notice the calm atmosphere, the open space, and the sea breeze that moves through the grounds. This environment makes merit-making or quiet contemplation here feel naturally relaxed and grounded in the local landscape.

 

Getting There By private car, travel from Phetchaburi city toward Ban Laem District, then continue into Laem Phak Bia Subdistrict via the Chonprathan Road network. The temple is located along the road and has sufficient on-site parking. Travelers heading to Laem Phak Bia, Haad Chao Samran, or nearby nature-learning areas can conveniently stop here to make merit and visit the temple.

 

 

A: The temple was founded in 1772 (B.E. 2315), in the late Ayutthaya period.

 

A: It received the royal boundary consecration (wisungkhamsima) on 25 August 1998 (B.E. 2541).

 

A: The ubosot is 45 meters long and features Thep Chumnum (assembly of deities) mural paintings on its walls.

 

A: Yes. A Buddhist scripture school (Phra Pariyattidhamma, Dhamma Division) has been open since 1974 (B.E. 2517).

 

A: Yes. The temple is along Chonprathan Road and has sufficient on-site parking.