Wat Chong Lom

At a glance

Where

Naklua, at Pak Khlong Naklua, the mouth of the Naklua canalSource 1Open in Google Maps

Opening hours

06:00 to 18:00 dailySource 1

Entry

No admission fee in DASTA's listingSource 1

Phone

+66 38 221 278Source 1

Also known as

Wat Chong Lom Na Kluea; formerly Wat Pak Khlong or Wat Sakat MuSource 1

Order

A community temple of the Dhammayut orderSource 2

Sources: 1DASTA Smart Tourism: Chong Lom Temple at Naklua, checked 1 Oct 2026 2Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, community wiki: Wat Chong Lom community (in Thai), checked 1 Oct 2026

A temple older than Pattaya

Wat Chong Lom was here long before the resort. DASTA, Thailand's sustainable tourism agency, and the Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre's community record both date it to the late reign of King Rama IV, in the mid-19th century. Locals called it Wat Pak Khlong, the temple at the canal's mouth, after its place at the mouth of the Naklua canal, and some called it Wat Sakat Mu. King Rama V granted it consecrated ground for an ordination hall and gave it its present name.

It is still the temple of the Wat Chong Lom community beside it, Thai and Thai-Chinese families who work in fishing, trade and other jobs. The anthropology centre's record describes the community as Pattaya's first model for sorting waste, with its own waste bank.

What you see

The ordination hall is the reason to come. Its frame stands on posts of makha, a Thai hardwood, and the lower walls are brick and plaster, faced with timber boards. The sources differ on the wood: DASTA's English listing says teak, while the anthropology centre's Thai record names takhian, a native hardwood. Either way, a hall clad in wooden boards is unusual among Pattaya's temples.

It is a neighbourhood temple, not a showpiece: residents come to make merit, and on most days the grounds are quiet.

Ceremonies and Songkran

On ceremony days the temple belongs to worshippers. Naklua keeps Songkran, its Wan Lai, on 18 April: in 2022, The Pattaya News reported residents giving alms to the monks at Wat Chong Lom that morning, then pouring water over the Buddha images. In 2026 the city held Wan Lai Naklua on 18 April at Lan Pho and the public park in Naklua. If you visit during a ceremony, watch quietly from the side or come back another day; see Songkran in Pattaya for the festival.

Visiting: hours, dress and conduct

DASTA lists the temple as open from 06:00 to 18:00, with no admission fee. Checked on 1 October 2026.

• Cover shoulders and knees, and take off your shoes before entering the hall.
• Speak quietly, and leave quietly if a funeral or ceremony is under way.
• Never touch, climb on or pose with your back to a Buddha image.
• Ask before photographing monks or residents up close, and remember that people live beside the grounds.

For greetings and other customs, see Thai etiquette.

Getting there and what to combine

The temple is in Naklua, north of central Pattaya. A ride-hailing car or motorbike taxi is the simplest way; give the driver the temple's name, Wat Chong Lom Na Kluea, and check the map pin, because other temples in Thailand share the name.

It fits a morning in old Naklua: the Lan Pho fresh market and the seaside park beside it on Naklua Beach, then the temple. The Sanctuary of Truth, also in Naklua, is a longer visit that needs its own ride. The first day of cultural Pattaya in two days follows this part of town.

Questions