Buddhist temple · Laem Ngop District

Wat Khlong Yai

Laem Ngop District, TH 4.5 (42 Google reviews)

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Wat Khlong Yai (วัดคลองใหญ่) is a quiet, working community temple in the tambon (subdistrict) of Khlong Yai inside Laem Ngop District, on the Thai side of Trat province's eastern seaboard. It is a wat rat — a common, locally supported monastery of the Mahanikay order — rather than a grand royal temple, and its appeal lies in that everyday authenticity: a place where the surrounding village worships, holds merit-making ceremonies and gathers, and where a traveller passing through the Trat coast can pause for a calm, unhurried look at how Thai Buddhist life runs in a small fishing-and-weaving town.↗↗

Set in the Ban Khlong Yai community, the temple is one of several local treasures a researcher on community tourism singled out alongside the village's handwoven Khlong Song Nam fabric, its pineapple-patterned textiles and auspicious khanom jeen noodles — so a visit here pairs naturally with exploring the village that gives the temple its name.↗

Travelers rate it warmly and describe a peaceful, clean and cool atmosphere. With wheelchair-accessible entrances and parking, restrooms on site and a listed phone number, it is an easy and welcoming stop for visitors of all kinds.

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Buddhist temple · Laem Ngop District

Wat Khlong Yai

Laem Ngop District, TH 4.5 (42 Google reviews)

Photo: Google Maps

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Wat Khlong Yai (วัดคลองใหญ่) is a quiet, working community temple in the tambon (subdistrict) of Khlong Yai inside Laem Ngop District, on the Thai side of Trat province's eastern seaboard. It is a wat rat — a common, locally supported monastery of the Mahanikay order — rather than a grand royal temple, and its appeal lies in that everyday authenticity: a place where the surrounding village worships, holds merit-making ceremonies and gathers, and where a traveller passing through the Trat coast can pause for a calm, unhurried look at how Thai Buddhist life runs in a small fishing-and-weaving town.↗↗

Set in the Ban Khlong Yai community, the temple is one of several local treasures a researcher on community tourism singled out alongside the village's handwoven Khlong Song Nam fabric, its pineapple-patterned textiles and auspicious khanom jeen noodles — so a visit here pairs naturally with exploring the village that gives the temple its name.↗

Travelers rate it warmly and describe a peaceful, clean and cool atmosphere. With wheelchair-accessible entrances and parking, restrooms on site and a listed phone number, it is an easy and welcoming stop for visitors of all kinds.

↗

A Living Village Temple

Unlike the showpiece temples of Bangkok or the old Khmer ruins further into Cambodia, Wat Khlong Yai belongs to the rhythm of its local community. It is registered as a Mahanikay wat rat with a small resident sangha of monks who keep to the ordinary round of chanting, teaching and village ceremonies. That modest scale is exactly the point: you are seeing a working monastery, not a curated exhibit. The abbot and monks offer blessings and a word of Dharma to those who come to make merit, the most common reason Thai families visit.↗

The temple takes its name from the canal and community it sits within — Khlong Yai — and stands as the spiritual centre of the surrounding settlement. Local reviews capture the feeling well, noting that the temple is easy to find, neatly organised and welcoming, and that visitors who come to do good simply feel at home.

Pair It with the Ban Khlong Yai Community

Wat Khlong Yai is one thread in a wider local fabric. The Ban Khlong Yai community it anchors is known for its weaving traditions — the Khlong Song Nam cloth and distinctive pineapple-patterned textiles that the district is proud of — as well as its auspicious khanom jeen (fresh rice noodles) prepared for merit-making and festivals. Strolling the village before or after the temple turns a brief stop into a small cultural outing, with crafts and food that tie directly to the temple's rituals.↗

Nearby, the Khao Wong Wian hill viewpoint is flagged in the same community-tourism study as another reason to linger in this corner of Laem Ngop, offering a change of scene from the temple grounds to the wider coastal landscape. (This is regional context around the village; the viewpoint is a separate site, not part of the temple itself.)↗

Where It Sits on the Trat Coast

The temple lies in Laem Ngop District — the mainland stretch of Trat that most travellers know as the ferry gateway out to Koh Chang and the island coast. The area runs along Route 3 toward Trat town, hemmed between the Gulf of Thailand and the forested hills that mark the Cambodian frontier to the west, giving the whole district a lush, waterside, border-country character. Wat Khlong Yai is a natural, low-key pause for anyone driving this coast rather than heading straight for the beach.↗

Good to Know

As a temple rather than a ticketed attraction, Wat Khlong Yai is best visited as part of a relaxed day out: dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, remove shoes before entering the main hall, and approach the monks quietly and respectfully if you wish to receive a blessing or make merit. Daytime is the most lively and photogenic time, when the cool, shaded grounds are at their most peaceful.

Practicalities are visitor-friendly. The site lists wheelchair-accessible entrances and parking plus on-site restrooms, and holds a solidly positive rating from past visitors. The temple's phone number is published for enquiries, and it is reached by road through Laem Ngop along Trat's coastal highway. Because public opening hours are not formally published, it is sensible to confirm timing or any festival schedule by phone before making a special trip — local merit-making days and ceremonies can make the grounds especially vibrant.↗

What makes it special

01

A genuine, working community temple (wat rat) of the Mahanikay order in Laem Ngop's Ban Khlong Yai village — everyday Thai Buddhist life rather than a tourist showpiece.↗↗

02

An easy pairing with the village's handwoven Khlong Song Nam textiles, pineapple-patterned cloth and auspicious khanom jeen noodles — the crafts that feed the temple's merit-making rituals.↗

03

Wheelchair-accessible entrance and parking, restrooms on site and consistently warm visitor ratings for its clean, cool, peaceful grounds.↗

04

A calm, off-the-beach stop on Trat's ferry-port coast, well suited to travellers driving the Route 3 corridor through Laem Ngop.↗

A little planning goes a long way

Dress modestly — cover shoulders and knees — and take off your shoes before entering any hall; this is a functioning monastery, not a museum.
Daytime visits are liveliest and the shaded grounds are at their coolest and calmest; call ahead using the temple's listed phone number to confirm opening or a festival date.
Combine the temple with a wander through Ban Khlong Yai to see local weaving and taste the village's khanom jeen noodles — the crafts and rituals belong together.↗
Treat this as a relaxed side stop while driving Trat's coast toward the Laem Ngop ferry terminals, rather than a fixed schedule item; hours are not formally published.

About this guide

Compiled with AI assistance from the sources below; this is not a first-hand visit. Place details collected October 5, 2026. Hours, access and ratings can change; confirm with the venue before visiting.

Finding your next place…

Wat Khlong Yai

Why go?

More of Thailand: Pattaya

Finding your next place…

Wat Khlong Yai

Why go?

More of Thailand: Pattaya

A Living Village Temple

Pair It with the Ban Khlong Yai Community

Where It Sits on the Trat Coast

Good to Know

What makes it special

A little planning goes a long way

About this guide