iSurprise Mongkhonthan

A religious center built on a former significant temple pier

Temple pier for new arrivals

It might not look it now but Mongkhonthan stands on a very important location. It used to be Wat Samphanthawong’s pier, where many immigrants have landed and from that point called Bangkok their home. One of the most famous Western expatriate to step onto land there is Dr. Dan Beach Bradley, an American missionary and doctor who would become one of Thailand’s most respected figures in the mid 1800s.

Buddha’s footprint

Mongkhonthan is where many Mahayana Buddhists come to pray to two things: Guan Yin, the bodhisattva who embodies mercy and compassion, and a footprint of Buddha. The Buddha’s footprint, present all around the world but often acknowledged not to be genuine footprints of Buddha, is considered a relic that reminds followers of Buddha’s time on earth and his path for them to adhere to.

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