Attractions — Nakhon Pathom

Wat Samphran — the “Dragon Temple” — is an unusual Buddhist temple about 40 km from Bangkok. Its dominant feature is a round pink 50-metre, 17-storey tower wrapped spirally by a huge dragon sculpture. The temple itself is not very popular and has a bad reputation because its abbot was convicted in the 2000s for abusing minors, so there are usually few tourists and pilgrims. The dragon tower looks very epic and is Instagram‑friendly. Entrance is free, but donations are welcome. Getting there: a one-way taxi from central Bangkok costs about 400 baht. There is no direct public transport, but you can take bus 84 (AC) to the nearest stop and then a motorcycle taxi for 50–100 baht for the 4 km ride.