David Beckham Temple, Bangkok: Discovering Thailand's Most Unique Temple

David Beckham is in Bangkok? Not something you always expect to hear. But then to hear the actual truth; well, that is something you could never expect.

Yes, it's true. Wat Pariwat, in Bangkok, is often nicknamed the David Beckham Temple, as well as the Superhero temple. From a quick glance, the superhero title is understandable, but what about David? And why are there mosaic statues of characters ranging from Spiderman to the real life Barack Obama decorating the walls of this temple in Bangkok. Let's delve in and find out more.

Way back in the 90s there was a monk assigned to Wat Parawat. Determined to make religion more desirable, he adorned the temple with pop culture icons. And to say adorned, we really mean it. Wat Parawat is absolutely covered in all kinds of familiar faces. The longer you look, the more you notice. Some of our favourites include overly muscular Mickey mouse, Batman, Pinocchio, Popeye, the Hulk, Barack, Falcor from the Never ending Story and Captain America. We did a whole scavenger hunt for them, which you can see in the video above.

So now we know about the superheroes. But what about David?

Well, for that, we need to go back to the monk. He was an enormous fan of David Beckham, who was, at the time playing for Manchester United. While they were decorating the great hall, in 1998, I believe, they decided to make a new addition. There is a long line of Garuda images at the base of a pillar and right beside the wall is the David Beckham statue, complete with a 90s-esque curtain fringe. You can also find images of two former Prime Ministers on the base.

You can go see it for yourself, if the gatekeeper is around. It sounds mythical, like a quest, and in a way, it kind of is. Once you find him, you're sorted. Just mention David Beckham, and he should hopefully take you right to the spot. He was so kind to us, and we were super grateful. Thank you, gatekeeper! You can see our whole experience finding the David Beckham statue in our YouTube video.

📍Wat Pariwat, 734 Rama III Rd, Bang Phong Phang, Yan Nawa, Bangkok 10120