Wat Chalong Timings 2026: Hours, Entry Fee, Dress Code

Wat Chalong timings: Wat Chalong (officially Wat Chaiyathararam) in Phuket is open every day. The temple’s website gives the hours as 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, while the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Japan office lists 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you want to be safe, plan your visit between 8 am and 5 pm. Entry is free (0 THB), and donations are welcome but optional. Parking is free too. Dress code: cover your shoulders, chest and knees, avoid sleeveless tops, short skirts and bare midriffs, and take your shoes off before you enter any temple building.

Last checked: 30 October 2026. The hours, entry rule, dress code and address come from the temple’s website (wat-chalong-phuket.com) and from TAT’s Japan office. Other details are from the guides and news reports named where they are used. Nothing on this page comes from a personal visit. Prices are in Thai baht (THB).

Wat Chalong at a glance (October 2026)

What	Details	Source
Opening hours	Daily, 7:00 am – 5:00 pm (temple website). TAT’s Japan office lists 8:00 am – 5:00 pm	Temple website FAQ (English and Thai), checked 30 October 2026; TAT Japan office
Closed days	None listed. The temple website says it is open daily, all year round	Temple website FAQ
Entry fee	Free (0 THB). Donations and offerings are welcome	Temple website FAQ; TAT Japan office (“free to worship”)
Parking	Free, for cars, motorbikes and minibuses	Temple website FAQ
Dress code	Shoulders, chest and knees covered. No sleeveless tops, short skirts or bare midriffs. No shoes inside temple buildings	Temple website FAQ
Best time	Early morning (7–9 am): fewer people, less heat, and you may see the monks’ morning rituals	Temple website FAQ
Time needed	1 to 2 hours (temple website). About an hour, or 90 minutes if you climb the chedi (Phuket 101)	Temple website FAQ; Phuket 101 (updated 12 July 2026)
Address	70 Moo 6, Chao Fa Road (West), Chalong, Mueang Phuket, Phuket 83000	Temple website
Phone	076 381 226 (the website says calls are answered in Thai only)	Temple website
Official name	Wat Chaiyathararam (also written Wat Chaithararam)	Temple website; TAT Japan office

The two published opening times differ by one hour in the morning: 7 am on the temple’s website and 8 am on TAT’s Japan office page. Both say the temple closes at 5 pm, and both say entry is free. TAT’s Japan office links to wat-chalong-phuket.com as the temple’s website. That site also advertises a private city-tour company, and we could not confirm who maintains it, so check the sign at the gate if you plan to arrive before 8 am.

Wat Chalong opening hours

The temple’s website says Wat Chalong is “open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.” and is accessible all year round. The Thai version of the same page gives the same hours (7:00 to 17:00). TAT’s Japan office lists 08:00 to 17:00. Phuket 101 (updated 12 July 2026) says the buildings are open from 7 am to 5 pm and that the grounds outside can be walked at any time. Some listing sites show other hours, such as 8 am to 7 pm. We found no official source for those, so do not rely on them.

Best time to go: the temple’s website recommends early morning, between 7 and 9 am, to avoid crowds and the heat and to see the monks’ morning rituals. Phuket 101 says tour buses start arriving by about 10 am.
Late afternoon: the buildings close at 5 pm, so arrive by about 3:30 pm if you want time to climb the chedi.
Time needed: 1 to 2 hours, according to the temple’s website.
Weekly closing day: none is listed. We found no notice of a closure in the last 12 months.

Wat Chalong entry fee

There is no entry fee. The temple’s website says that “there is no charge to enter the temple”, and that donations and offerings are welcome. TAT’s Japan office also describes the temple as free to visit. Parking is free as well.

Donations are optional. Give only what you want to give.
Flowers, incense and firecrackers are sold by vendors if you want to make an offering. These are optional purchases, not an entry charge. We have not printed prices because no official price list exists.
Tours: many Phuket city tours include Wat Chalong. The temple itself does not charge tour visitors, so a tour price pays for transport and the guide, not for entry.

Wat Chalong dress code

Wat Chalong is an active place of worship. The temple’s website sets out these rules:

Cover your shoulders, chest and knees. Do not wear sleeveless tops, short skirts or tops that show your midriff.
Shoes are never allowed inside temple buildings. Leave them at the door with everyone else’s. Sandals or slip-on shoes make this easier.
Be respectful: speak quietly and do not touch the statues or other Buddhist relics.
Photos and video are allowed, according to the temple’s website. Phuket 101 adds that you should not use flash near Buddha images and should watch for no-photo signs in inner rooms.

Some recent guides say that sarongs can sometimes be borrowed near the entrance, but others say this is not guaranteed, and the temple’s website does not mention it. Bring a light scarf or sarong, or wear clothes that already cover your shoulders and knees.

The tall grand chedi of Wat Chalong in Phuket, with a pointed spire, a terrace balcony and gold decoration, seen behind a hedge under a cloudy sky — The 60-metre grand chedi of Wat Chalong (September 2022). Photo: Ryomaandres, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What to see at Wat Chalong

The grand chedi: the temple’s website describes a 60-metre chedi that shelters a splinter of bone of the Buddha. It is built on three floors, with paintings of the life of the Buddha on the walls and ceilings and many donated golden statues. You can climb to the top-floor terrace for a view over the whole temple, and a few more steps lead to the glass case that holds the relic. Its full name is Phra Mahathat Chedi Phra Chom Thai Barami Prakat (Thai Wikipedia). Phuket 101 says it was built between 1991 and 2001 and that the relic was a gift from Sri Lanka in 1999.
The three revered monks: the temple is dedicated to its revered former monks, including Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang. According to the temple’s website and Wikipedia, they led the people of Chalong against a Chinese rebellion in 1876 and used their knowledge of herbal medicine to help the injured. Phuket 101 says the main hall holds lifelike wax figures of Luang Pho Chaem, Luang Pho Chuang and Luang Pho Gluem, which visitors cover with gold leaf.
The firecrackers: the loud bangs you will hear are firecrackers set off in a brick oven built for the purpose. Local people do this to give thanks when their prayers have been answered (temple website). Phuket 101 says there is no schedule, that firecrackers are sold nearby and that an attendant lights them. If you are with young children or don’t like loud noise, watch from a distance first.
Blessings: the temple’s website says monks are often available in the main hall to give blessings, but this is not guaranteed.

The temple’s website says Wat Chalong was built at the beginning of the 19th century. Phuket 101 gives about 1837.

Gilded Buddha images, carved pillars and colourful murals inside a hall at Wat Chalong, Phuket, with a white seated Buddha at the centre — Golden Buddha images and murals inside one of the halls at Wat Chalong (March 2024). Photo: Raita Futo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Accessibility and facilities

Wheelchairs: the temple’s website says the grounds are largely wheelchair accessible. The upper floors of the chedi are reached by climbing up inside it, so they may be hard to reach in a wheelchair.
Toilets: available, but limited (temple website).
Shops: Phuket 101 says there are small souvenir shops on the temple side and that the shops selling religious items are outside, next to the gate.

Wat Chalong events and dates to know

16 and 17 December 2026: Wat Chalong is one of three Phuket venues for the public sandalwood-flower offering ceremonies on 16 December, part of the royal cremation rites for Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother. A merit-making ceremony for the ashes of the sandalwood flowers will be held at Wat Chalong on 17 December (The Phuket News, 26 October 2026). Expect more people and officials at the temple on those days, and dress respectfully.
Wat Chalong Fair: the temple’s annual fair is held around Chinese New Year. In 2026 it ran from 16 to 22 February, with nightly concerts, food stalls, rides and religious ceremonies (temple website). The 2027 dates had not been published when we checked on 30 October 2026. During the fair the temple is much busier, especially in the evenings.
News check: we found no report of a closure, renovation or new visitor rule at Wat Chalong between November 2025 and 30 October 2026.

How to get to Wat Chalong

Wat Chalong is on Chao Fa Road (West), between Phuket Town and Chalong Circle, in the south of the island (map coordinates 7.84667, 98.33667 from Wikipedia). TAT’s Japan office says it is about 8 km south-west of Phuket Town, about 15–20 minutes by car from the town centre and about 30 minutes from Patong Beach.

From	Distance (Phuket 101)
Phuket Town	9 km
Big Buddha	8 km
Patong	16 km
Bang Tao	29 km
Phuket International Airport	37 km

By car or scooter: from Phuket Town, follow Chao Fa Road towards Chalong and Rawai (the Chao Fa Road that passes Central Phuket). The temple is on the left and signposted, according to Phuket 101. Parking is free.
Grab, Bolt, taxi or tuk-tuk: agree the fare before a taxi or tuk-tuk sets off. We have not printed a fare, because there is no official fare for this trip.
Tours: many half-day Phuket city tours combine Wat Chalong with the Big Buddha and a viewpoint.

Wat Chalong and the Big Buddha on the same day

The Big Buddha on Nakkerd Hill is about 8 km from Wat Chalong (Phuket 101), and many visitors see both in one morning. Wat Chalong opens earlier, so a simple plan is to see the temple first, while it is cool, and then drive up the hill once the Big Buddha has opened. For the Big Buddha’s current hours, entry rules and dress code, see our Big Buddha Phuket timings guide. This page covers only Wat Chalong.

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FAQ

What are the Wat Chalong timings?

Wat Chalong is open every day. The temple’s website gives the hours as 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, and TAT’s Japan office lists 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. To be safe, plan your visit between 8 am and 5 pm.

Is there an entry fee for Wat Chalong?

No. Entry is free (0 THB), and parking is free too. Donations and offerings are welcome but optional.

What is the Wat Chalong dress code?

Cover your shoulders, chest and knees. Sleeveless tops, short skirts and bare midriffs are not allowed, and you must take your shoes off before entering any temple building.

Is Wat Chalong open every day?

Yes. The temple’s website says it is open daily, all year round, and no weekly closing day is listed. It is much busier during the annual temple fair around Chinese New Year and on special ceremony days, such as 16–17 December 2026.

How far is Wat Chalong from the Big Buddha?

About 8 km, according to Phuket 101. Many visitors combine the two on one morning. See our Big Buddha Phuket timings guide for its hours.

Why are there loud bangs at Wat Chalong?

People set off firecrackers in a special brick oven to give thanks when their prayers have been answered. It happens at any time of day, with no fixed schedule.

Can I take photos at Wat Chalong?

Yes. The temple’s website says photos and video are allowed. Do not use flash near Buddha images, and follow any no-photo signs.

Wat Chalong Phuket: Opening Hours, Dress Code and What to See