Wat Sam Phran: Thailand’s Incredible Dragon Temple
Our next stop took us to one of Thailand’s most unusual temples: Wat Sam Phran in Nakhon Pathom Province, better known as the Dragon Temple. You can see why almost immediately.
Rising above the temple grounds is a towering pink cylindrical building wrapped from bottom to top by an enormous green dragon. The structure stands approximately 80 meters (262 feet) tall, and the dragon coils around it as though guarding the temple. It’s one of the most distinctive architectural sights near Bangkok, combining Buddhist religious architecture with an almost fantastical design.
Rather than simply taking a few pictures from the ground, we decided to make the climb to the top.
Climbing Through the Giant Dragon
The route upward follows a winding passage inside the dragon’s body, making the ascent a very different experience from climbing a conventional temple staircase. As we made our way higher, the unusual surroundings made the whole experience even more memorable.
There’s something surreal about climbing through an enormous dragon wrapped around a pink tower. From the outside, the creature looks like a gigantic sculpture protecting the building. From inside, it becomes the route leading you upward through the structure.
Eventually, we reached the top, where we could look back across the temple grounds and the surrounding landscape. After making the climb, it was worth taking some time to enjoy the view before heading back down.
Enormous Trees and Unexpected Discoveries
Back on the grounds, we also came across two enormous preserved trees that immediately caught our attention.
Their massive size and unusual appearance provided another unexpected feature of the visit. After exploring the giant dragon and its towering pink structure, discovering these enormous old pieces of wood added yet another point of interest to the temple grounds.
Wat Sam Phran wasn’t the kind of temple where we simply walked in, paid our respects, and left. Between the giant dragon, the unusual architecture, the climb, and the massive old trees, there was something interesting around almost every corner.
It was an unforgettable stop and a reminder that some of Thailand’s most fascinating temples are also its most unconventional.
Maeklong Railway Market: A Train Through the Middle of a Market
After leaving Wat Sam Phran, we got back in the car and drove southwest through Samut Sakhon Province toward Maeklong Railway Market in Samut Songkhram Province.
This market is famous for something that sounds almost impossible until you witness it yourself: A working railway runs straight through the middle of the market.
Known locally as Talat Rom Hup, which translates roughly as the “umbrella-folding market,” Maeklong Railway Market is built directly alongside an active railway line. Vendors sell fresh produce, seafood, meat, and other goods from stalls positioned remarkably close to the tracks.
It’s a functioning local market, not simply a tourist attraction designed around a passing train. People shop, vendors sell their goods, and daily business continues right beside the rails.
Until, of course, a train arrives.
The Market Begins to Disappear
We arrived in time to watch the market go through its remarkable transformation.
At first, everything looked completely normal. Vendors were selling their goods, shoppers were moving through the narrow market, and awnings stretched out over the tracks to provide shade.
Then came the warning that a train was approaching.
Almost as if everyone had rehearsed the same routine thousands of times, the vendors began pulling back their awnings and moving merchandise away from the rails. Displays were shifted, umbrellas folded, and the available space around the tracks opened up.
The market seemed to shrink before our eyes.
And then the train appeared.
A Train Passes Inches from the Stalls
The train slowly made its way directly through the middle of the market, passing remarkably close to the stalls and the people watching from the sides.
There is something surreal about seeing a full-size train travel through a place that, just moments earlier, looked like an ordinary, busy market. The space between the train and the surrounding merchandise seems impossibly narrow, yet the vendors know exactly what needs to be moved and where everyone needs to stand.
Watching it happen in person is very different from seeing a video. The combination of the train’s size, the tight surroundings, and the calm coordination of the vendors makes the entire scene fascinating.
It’s an extraordinary example of how a community has adapted its everyday routine around an unusual railway line.
And Just Like That, Business Resumes
Then, almost as quickly as it had disappeared, the market came back to life.
As soon as the train cleared the area, the awnings went back up, the merchandise returned to its usual positions, and the vendors went right back to selling.
Within minutes, it was as though the train had never been there.
The transformation was remarkable. One moment, the tracks were clear for a passing train; the next, they had returned to being part of a busy marketplace.
It was easy to understand why Maeklong Railway Market has become one of Thailand’s most famous unusual attractions. It offers a glimpse of everyday life that is both practical and astonishing to watch.
The current train schedule has arrivals at Maeklong at approximately 8:30 AM, 11:10 AM, 2:30 PM and 5:40 PM, making the arrival itself the best time to see the complete fold-up-and-reopen routine. It was a perfect Thailand travel day: start with a temple that looks like something out of a fantasy movie, climb through a giant dragon, discover massive preserved trees, and finish by watching an entire market calmly disappear to make room for a train.
Thailand has no shortage of temples and markets—but every once in a while, you find something that is genuinely unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Two Unforgettable Stops Near Bangkok
It was a perfect Thailand travel day: start with a temple that looks as though it belongs in a fantasy movie, climb through a giant dragon, discover enormous preserved trees, and finish by watching an entire market temporarily clear its tracks for a passing train.
Wat Sam Phran and Maeklong Railway Market are completely different experiences, but both demonstrate the surprising variety of attractions scattered around Bangkok.
Thailand has no shortage of temples and markets, but every once in a while, you discover somewhere genuinely unlike anything you’ve seen before.
And sometimes, the most memorable adventures come from combining two extraordinary places in a single road trip.
Backpack Benji’s Best Bets
- Visit Wat Sam Phran Early: Arrive earlier in the day to explore the Dragon Temple grounds at a relaxed pace and allow time to admire the enormous pink tower and its spectacular dragon sculpture.
- Check Access Before Climbing the Dragon: The route inside the dragon is a unique feature of Wat Sam Phran, but access can vary. Check whether the passage to the top is open during your visit and be prepared for a climb.
- Time Your Visit to Maeklong Railway Market: The main attraction is watching the vendors pull back their awnings and move merchandise as the train approaches. Check the latest train schedule before you go, since published arrival times can change.
- Arrive at the Market Early: Give yourself enough time to explore the stalls, find a safe viewing spot, and watch the market transform before the train arrives. Don’t leave your arrival until the last minute.
- Stay Clear of the Tracks: Maeklong is an active railway running through a working market. Follow local instructions, stand in safe areas, and never step onto the tracks or obstruct the vendors while taking photos.
- Bring Cash for Market Snacks: Browse the stalls selling fresh produce, seafood, and local specialties, and consider picking up a snack while exploring. It’s a great opportunity to experience a traditional Thai market beyond the famous train spectacle.
- Combine Both Attractions in One Road Trip: Wat Sam Phran and Maeklong Railway Market make an interesting pairing for a day out from Bangkok, combining extraordinary temple architecture with one of Thailand’s most unusual everyday scenes.