Mueang Trat District: Temple Art and Mangroves

Temple art, local history, and nature education give Mueang Trat District its distinctive character. When choosing your holiday rental, you might first consider whether your trip will focus mainly on temples and historic collections, or also include nature and learning sites.

Temples, Art, and History

Wat Buppharam, also known as Wat Plai Khlong, is the oldest temple in Trat and was built during the Ayutthaya period. Its old murals can be found in the ubosot and the viharn of the Reclining Buddha. Local artisans created them during the Rattanakosin period, and Chinese art and literature shape their design. The Wat Buppharam Museum displays Buddha relics, gold- and silver-coloured Buddha figures, Chinese and European ceramics, and a bronze drum. Within the same temple, the murals and a collection of diverse art and cultural objects thus stand as distinct subjects.

The Trat City Pillar Shrine also combines a distinctive architectural form with local significance: designed as a Chinese pavilion, it is an important place and spiritual centre for the Thai and Chinese residents of Trat Province. Wat Yothanimit, also known as Wat Bot, is the first royal temple in Trat. It was built during the period when King Taksin gathered troops in Trat. The Viharn Yothanimit preserves palm-leaf manuscripts, sermons, and a footprint of the Buddha. Visitors interested in history will find both the circumstances of its founding and preserved religious texts and objects here.

Mangroves and Learning Sites

The Trat Mangrove Forest Seed Production Center No. 1 has a 400-metre concrete walkway that serves as a nature trail through the mangrove forest. This offers a different focus from the temples and their collections: the mangrove landscape takes centre stage. The Khao Rakam Sufficiency Economy Learning Center offers learning stations on livestock rearing and agriculture. These subjects make it a different kind of learning experience from the nature trail.

When planning a trip that caters to different interests, these contrasts can help you set priorities: temples and historic objects, agriculture, and mangrove nature offer different areas of focus. Laem Sok Pier in Ao Cho, Mueang Trat District, is a departure point for passenger boats. Three operators run services according to seasonal schedules. If a boat trip is part of your plans, check current departures, as schedules vary by season.

Trat as a Wider Destination

The wider destination of Trat also offers other landscapes and experiences. Trat has 52 large and small islands with long white-sand beaches and pristine coral reefs. At Hat Sai Dam, a sand spit more than one kilometre long has fine black sand. In Ban Salak Khok, a small fishing village surrounded by mangrove forest, a Mad boat ride is offered, also known as the “Koh Chang Gondola.” These examples relate to Trat as a wider destination, rather than to the features of Mueang Trat District described here.

To find accommodation, start with the experiences that interest you most and plan your trip around them. Discover more destinations: Laem Klat.

Return to the wider travel guide: Trat.