Wat Niwet Thammaprawat
On a small island in the Chao Phraya River within the grounds of the Bang Pa-In Royal Palace stands an enchanting retreat that is considered the only European-style Buddhist monastery in Thailand. A large French-made stained-glass panel high above the entrance to the hall bears an image of King Chulalongkorn, who had the temple built in 1876 in order to perform religious practices during his stay at Bang Pa-In Palace. The most impressive structure in the compound is the ordination hall, built in a strikingly English Gothic style with its elongated steep spire and its arched windows and doorways. Brick paths and stone buildings with arched windows suggest a Gothic abbey. The peak of the diamond-patterned tile roof is laid with impressive Victorian iron grillwork, while the steeple is topped by an iron weathervane.
