Hindu Temples in Thailand: A Guide to Bangkok and Beyond

Thailand’s best-known Hindu temples are in Bangkok: the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple on Silom Road, the Devasathan beside the Giant Swing, the Vishnu Mandir in Sathon and the Erawan Shrine at Ratchaprasong, with the ancient Khmer sanctuary of Phanom Rung in Buriram as the most important historic site outside the capital. This guide to Hindu temples in Thailand covers what each site is, who worships there and how to visit respectfully, and it works alongside our broader guide to temples in Thailand if you are planning a longer trip.

Why Thailand has Hindu temples

Hindu ideas reached Thailand long before the modern kingdom. The Khmer Empire built Hindu sanctuaries across the northeast, and Phanom Rung in Buriram and Prasat Sikhoraphum in Surin still stand from that era. Hindu worship then persisted alongside Buddhism rather than being replaced by it, which is why Hindu gods appear in Thai ritual and art today. For the wider context, read our guide to religion in Thailand.

The royal court keeps the strongest link. The Court Brahmins, whose lineage traces to priests from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, still perform the monarchy’s ceremonies, including the Royal Ploughing Ceremony and the crowning of the king. The Ramakien, the Thai version of the Ramayana, is the national epic, and its scenes are carved on temples as far from Bangkok as Phanom Rung.

Hindu temples in Bangkok at a glance

The 4 main Hindu temples in Bangkok cover most visitor interest, from the royal court’s own shrine to a corner of Ratchaprasong.

2 of those dates need a note. The Erawan Shrine’s 1956 is the year its Brahma statue was enshrined, and the Vishnu Mandir’s community began meeting earlier, in 1915, as the Hindu Dharma Sabha. The sections below take each temple in turn, then move outside Bangkok, with opening hours and photo rules at the end.

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple (Wat Khaek), Silom

The Sri Maha Mariamman Temple stands at 2 Silom Road, Bang Rak, on the corner of Silom Road and Pan Road. Marigold garland stalls sit outside. Thais call it Wat Khaek, วัดแขก (wat khaek), “Indian temple”, and its other names include the Maha Uma Devi Temple and Wat Phra Si Maha Umathewi.

A Tamil Hindu immigrant, Vaithi Padayatchi, built the temple in 1879, and Soi Vaiti in Silom still carries his name. The style is South Indian, Dravidian. The gopura entrance tower stands about 6 m tall and is covered in carved deities, and the main shrine sits beneath a gilded copper-plated dome.

Inside are 3 main shrines, and worshippers visit them in a fixed order: Ganesh first, then Kartik (Murugan), then Sri Maha Mariamman. Further shrines hold a Shiva lingam, Brahma, the Navagraha and Aiyanar. An oil lamp ritual takes place most middays and on Fridays, and prasad, blessed food, is handed out to visitors.

The temple’s biggest event is Navaratri, 10 days in September or October following the Tamil calendar. On the final day the street is decorated with yellow garlands and candles, the image of Sri Mariamman is carried in procession, and part of Silom Road is closed to traffic. The temple is brightly lit again for Deepavali.

The congregation shows how mixed Hindu worship in Bangkok is. Tamil Hindus pray here, and so do many Thai Buddhists and Chinese visitors, who come for business or fertility blessings. If you see only 1 Hindu temple in the city, the architecture and the mix of worshippers make this a strong first stop.

Devasathan, the royal Brahmin temple

The Devasathan, in Thai เทวสถาน (thewasathan), stands at 268 Dinso Road in Phra Nakhon, near Wat Suthat and the Giant Swing. It was completed in 1784 under King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty, which makes it the oldest of Bangkok’s main Hindu temples. It is also the seat of the Court Brahmins, whose lineage traces to priests from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.

Those Brahmins perform the monarchy’s ceremonies, including the Royal Ploughing Ceremony and the crowning of the king, so the Devasathan is a working ritual site rather than a museum. 4 shrines stand in the compound. The largest belongs to Shiva and holds a bronze statue; Ganesha has 5 seated statues; Vishnu appears with Lakshmi and Bhumi; and a small Brahma shrine sits outdoors.

The Giant Swing outside the temple was the setting for the swinging rite of the Triyampawai ceremony, stopped in the 1930s after fatal accidents (sources give 1932 or 1935). The Triyampawai ceremony itself is still held each year around the new year, without the swing. The swing, the temple and nearby Wat Suthat make this corner of the old town worth a slow walk.

Vishnu Mandir, Sathon

The Vishnu Mandir sits at 50 Soi Wat Prok in Thung Wat Don, Sathon district, an area older sources list under its former district name, Yannawa. Do not confuse it with nearby Wat Yannawa, the Buddhist “boat temple”; the 2 are separate places.

Its community was founded by Hindu migrants from Uttar Pradesh. They began meeting in 1915 as the Hindu Dharma Sabha, and the group became the Vishnu Temple in 1920.

This is a northern Indian temple, unlike the South Indian Sri Maha Mariamman. Vishnu, worshipped here as Narayana, is treated as the highest god. Shrines hold Vishnu, Shiva as a lingam, Durga and Ramayana deities, and the marble statues came from Jaipur. The major Hindu festivals are celebrated here, and the Ramayana deities point back to the Ramakien, the national epic described above.

The Thai Department of Religious Affairs records the temple’s history in its guide to religions in Thailand.

Erawan Shrine and Bangkok’s street shrines

The Erawan Shrine, properly the Thao Maha Phrom shrine, is dedicated to Brahma, พระพรหม (phra phrom). It stands at Ratchaprasong, beside today’s Grand Hyatt Erawan, and it is the best known of Bangkok’s street shrines.

By the popular account, the shrine was born from bad luck. The government Erawan Hotel was under construction and ran into trouble, and the shrine was created after advice that the site was unlucky. The Fine Arts Department made the Brahma statue, and it was enshrined on 9 November 1956.

Worship here is often practised outside a Hindu context, mixed with Thai guardian spirit beliefs. When a prayer is answered, people hire Thai dance troupes to perform at the shrine in thanks, so the dancing you see is a thank-you rather than a show for visitors. We explain how Hindu and Buddhist practice blend in Thailand in our article on Buddhism in Thailand.

Hindu sites outside Bangkok

Outside the capital, Phanom Rung is the headline site. Phanom Rung Historical Park lies in Chaloem Phra Kiat district, Buriram, in Isan, on the rim of an extinct volcano at 402 m. It is a Hindu Khmer temple complex, built in phases from the 10th to the 13th centuries, with the central sanctuary completed in the 12th century.

The layout is a model of Mount Kailash, the home of Shiva, and a long ceremonial stairway climbs to the sanctuary. The carvings show Hindu deities and scenes from the Ramayana. The famous lintel of Vishnu reclining on the naga spent years outside the country before it was returned, and it is 1 of the park’s signature pieces.

A few times a year, in March, April, September and October, the rising or setting sun shines through all 15 doorways of the sanctuary in a line. If that alignment is your goal, time your visit to those months.

3 other sites round out the list.

• Prasat Sikhoraphum in Surin, a 12th century Khmer sanctuary with reliefs of a dancing Shiva.
• San Phra Kan in Lopburi, a shrine dedicated to Vishnu.
• Wat Saman Rattanaram in Chachoengsao, a Buddhist temple with a giant pink reclining Ganesha about 16 m tall and 22 m long.

That last site shows how far Hindu imagery reaches beyond Hindu institutions: the giant Ganesha stands inside a Buddhist temple. For more sacred architecture across the country, see our guide to famous temples in Thailand.

How to visit a Hindu temple respectfully

Hindu temples in Thailand are working places of worship, and the etiquette is simple.

• Cover your shoulders and knees. Our Thailand temple dress code guide explains what to wear.
• Remove your shoes where others remove theirs. If in doubt, watch the entrance.
• Ask before you photograph. Photography is not allowed inside Sri Maha Mariamman according to 1 Bangkok guide, so check the signs at every temple before you shoot.
• At Sri Maha Mariamman, move round the 3 main shrines in the order worshippers use: Ganesh, then Kartik, then Sri Maha Mariamman.
• The marigold garland stalls outside Sri Maha Mariamman sell garlands if you want to make an offering.
• Stay quiet during rituals, and keep a respectful distance from ceremonies in progress.
• Check opening hours before you go, because listings differ. Sri Maha Mariamman is listed as roughly 06:00 to 20:00.

Useful Thai words at a Hindu temple

These words appear on signs, in guides and in conversation at the temples above. The romanization column shows how each one sounds.

If you want to go further than signs and single questions, our Thai language course is the next step.

Frequently asked questions

Can non-Hindus visit Hindu temples in Thailand?

Yes. Many of the worshippers at Sri Maha Mariamman and the Erawan Shrine are Thai Buddhists or Chinese visitors rather than Hindus, so non-Hindu visitors are normal, not exceptional. Dress modestly, ask before taking photos and stay quiet during rituals, and you will be welcome to look around.

What is the oldest Hindu temple in Bangkok?

Of Bangkok’s main Hindu temples, the oldest is the Devasathan, completed in 1784 under King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty. The others are much younger: Sri Maha Mariamman dates to 1879, the Vishnu Mandir to 1920 and the Erawan Shrine to 1956. The Devasathan also remains the base of the Court Brahmins, whose lineage traces to priests from Rameswaram.

When is the best time to see a Hindu festival in Bangkok?

Navaratri at Sri Maha Mariamman is the headline event: 10 days in September or October, with the procession of the goddess on the final day, when part of Silom Road closes to traffic. The dates follow the Tamil calendar, so check them each year. The temple is also brightly lit for Deepavali, and the Vishnu Mandir celebrates the major Hindu festivals.

Is Phanom Rung a Hindu or Buddhist temple?

Phanom Rung was built as a Hindu Khmer sanctuary to Shiva, in phases between the 10th and 13th centuries, with the central sanctuary in the 12th century. Its layout models Mount Kailash, the home of Shiva.