The Most Beautiful Architecture in Singburi Province, Thailand

The two historic buildings of the Old Court and City Hall stand next to each other facing the Chao Phraya River. Built in a European style, the attractive buildings date back to the time of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). One is an especially attractive shade of dusky pink-peach with pale decorative features on the façade.

One of Singburi’s most beautiful temples, Wat Pikunthong boasts glorious architectural details. While the most eye-catching feature is a large Buddha statue, the complex’s buildings are beautiful too. Traditional-style halls have sturdy columns and colourful pointed roofs that reflect the sunlight. Windows and doors are surrounded by intricate decorative details and there are many religious statues throughout the grounds.

Although Wat Sai now stands in a state of refined ruin, it’s still one of Singburi’s most enchanting pieces of architecture. The small now-roofless brick temple is battling the elements, with tree branches and roots entwined around the walls. The tiled floor is swept regularly to keep it clean and a golden Buddha statue still stands within the temple.

There are several typical temple buildings to admire within the grounds of Singburi’s Wat Kudi Thong, but the most noticeable feature is a tall, golden-topped, pale-coloured mondop (a square pavilion with a spire that contains sacred texts, objects, or relics). The mondop at Wat Kudi Thong houses relics of the Lord Buddha.

Each Thai provincial capital has a City Hall that houses the local government. It is also the seat of the local mayor. The City Hall deals with all local administration matters, generally including the registration of births, deaths, and marriages, labour issues, local legislation, and so on. Singburi’s City Hall is housed in an elegant white building with a blue roof. Grand columns support the flag-topped entrance and a large garuda statue stands below the pitched roof above the main door.

Chao Mae Kuan-Im Park, also known locally as Wat Buddha, honours the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Im (called Guan Yin in Chinese). The beautiful Chinese-style pavilion is especially photogenic, with red pillars, an ornate roof, decorative tiling, lanterns, and large dragon heads. The temple also has a large statue of Kuan Im and statues of various Chinese gods and goddesses.

Je t’aime may be a restaurant, but it is housed in a beautiful building that looks like it could have been lifted straight out of somewhere in olde-worlde Europe. The tall arched alcoves, metal-edged balconies, and gently curved roof make the pale building look somewhat like a church. The restaurant’s pool and gardens add to the beautiful appearance.

Although movies and shows no longer entertain the crowds at Singburi’s historic Muang Thong Rama Theater, it’s easy to see how impressive the theatre hall must have been in times gone by. You can’t get inside, and food stalls often set up in what would have been the foyer, but you can peer inside to see what remains of a sweeping staircase, with ornate metal railings, and interior balconies. A forlorn sign in the Thai script is still perched on top of the roof and the old billboard, now completely letter free, still takes pride of place above the entrance.

Surrounded by rice fields and farming land, a tall and slender corn pagoda is the highlight of Singburi’s Wat Phra Prang Muni. The golden pagoda glints and gleams in the sunshine, sitting proudly atop a stepped building. The temple also has several interesting statues and intricate artwork.

Another major temple in Singburi, Wat Phra Non Jaksi (officially called Wat Phra Non Chakkrasi Worawihan) has attractive buildings as well as sacred Buddha statues. You’ll see intricate woodwork and detailed tiling as well as ornate ceilings and floors. At the front of the temple complex there is a bright white pavilion with a green roof that supports a Sukhothai-style Buddha statue.