Wat Mahathat is one of the most important temples in Bangkok and one of the least visited by tourists, given its position between the more glamorous Wat Pho and the Grand Palace. Founded in the Ayutthaya period, it houses the Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya Buddhist university and is one of the two most important meditation centres in Thailand.
The temple compound hosts a famous amulet market on weekends, where dealers and collectors trade Buddha images, protective talismans, and religious objects of considerable antiquity and value. The market is a window into a practice central to Thai Buddhist life. The temple itself, quieter and more monastic in atmosphere than its neighbours, is where you are most likely to see Buddhist monks in genuine study and practice rather than tourism.