Wat Choeng Thale Phuket

Wat Choeng Thale is a Buddhist temple complex located in Cherngtalay in Thalang District on Phuket’s west coast. The temple functions as a religious centre for local residents, hosting daily worship activities, merit-making rituals, and community ceremonies. The complex includes an ordination hall, shrine buildings, a large chedi, and residential structures for monks.

Wat Choeng Thale temple compound with ordination hall and surrounding buildings in Cherngtalay
Wat Choeng Thale stands within a walled compound in Cherngtalay, where the ordination hall and surrounding temple buildings form the centre of the local community temple.
Temple bell hanging in pavilion overlooking courtyard and ordination hall at Wat Choeng Thale
A temple bell hangs beneath a pavilion at Wat Choeng Thale, framing the view across the courtyard toward the red-roofed ordination hall.
Exterior of Wat Choeng Thale ordination hall with decorated columns and mural panels
Seen from the courtyard, the decorated walls and columns of the Wat Choeng Thale ordination hall form the central temple building.
Funeral drum hanging beneath shelter beside cremation pavilion at Wat Choeng Thale
A cremation drum used during funeral ceremonies hangs beneath a shelter beside a crematorium pavilion within the Wat Choeng Thale temple grounds.
Wat Choeng Thale ordination hall behind courtyard wall with red tiled roof
The ordination hall of Wat Choeng Thale rises above the courtyard wall, its red tiled roof and carved gables visible across the temple grounds.
Statues of monks with incense offering altar inside shrine room at Wat Choeng Thale
Statues of respected monks sit inside a shrine room at Wat Choeng Thale, with incense offerings and candles placed at the altar.
Decorated entrance pavilion with painted ceiling inside Wat Choeng Thale temple compound
An ornate entrance pavilion with painted ceiling panels and decorative columns stands within the Wat Choeng Thale temple compound.
Small shrine monuments and chedi structures along courtyard wall at Wat Choeng Thale
Decorative shrine structures stand along the courtyard wall at Wat Choeng Thale beside the temple buildings.
Red roof sermon hall across courtyard at Wat Choeng Thale temple compound
Across the courtyard of Wat Choeng Thale, a long red-roofed sermon hall stands behind the temple’s decorative boundary wall.

Overview

Wat Choeng Thale is a Buddhist temple complex located in Cherngtalay in Thalang District in western Phuket. The temple serves as the principal religious site for the Cherngtalay community and supports daily worship, merit-making activities, and local ceremonial events.

The temple has historical connections to the development of the Cherngtalay area, which was previously associated with coastal fishing villages and tin mining settlements. The name “Choeng Thale” reflects an earlier period when the coastline extended closer to the temple’s present location.

Within Phuket’s religious landscape, Wat Choeng Thale functions primarily as a local community temple rather than a large island-wide pilgrimage site.

 

Temple Grounds

The temple complex occupies a walled compound along Si Sunthon Road in the centre of Cherngtalay village. A gated entrance leads into an open courtyard surrounded by several religious and residential buildings.

The central structure is the ordination hall (ubosot), a traditional Thai-style building used for formal monastic ceremonies. The hall features decorative roof elements, carved entrance doors, and interior murals depicting scenes from Buddhist teachings.

Additional buildings within the compound include a sermon hall used for prayer services and community gatherings, a large chedi structure containing sacred relics, and several shrine areas housing Buddha images and statues of respected monks. Monk residences and support buildings are located toward the rear sections of the temple grounds.

 

Activity at the Temple

Visitors typically enter through the main gate and move through the courtyard toward the shrine areas or main temple halls. Worship practices commonly include lighting incense, offering flowers or candles, and placing gold leaf on Buddha images.

Local residents often visit the temple in the morning to offer food to monks or make merit donations. Many visits are brief, lasting between ten and thirty minutes during daily worship routines.

The temple also hosts community ceremonies such as funerals, religious festivals, and seasonal merit-making events associated with the Buddhist calendar.

 

Daily Rhythm

Temple grounds remain active throughout daylight hours, with a steady flow of local visitors during the morning and late afternoon. Early morning periods often coincide with food offerings made to resident monks.

Activity levels increase on Buddhist observance days and during major Thai holidays such as Songkran and Loy Krathong. Religious festivals can attract larger community gatherings within the temple compound.

On ordinary weekdays outside festival periods, visitation remains relatively steady and largely local.

 

Practical Setting

The temple grounds include paved walking areas and open courtyards that connect the main buildings. Incense offering stations and donation boxes are positioned near shrine halls and key religious structures.

Parking is available within the temple compound near the entrance gate. Public restroom facilities are also located within the temple grounds.

Visitors entering temple buildings are expected to remove shoes and follow common temple etiquette, including wearing clothing that covers shoulders and knees. Certain buildings may have restricted access depending on religious use.

 

Role Within Phuket

Within Phuket’s network of Buddhist temples, Wat Choeng Thale operates primarily as a community temple serving residents of Cherngtalay and nearby Bang Tao.

Daily visitors are mainly local worshippers arriving to make offerings, attend prayer rituals, or participate in community ceremonies. The temple also receives occasional visitors from nearby resort areas along the west coast, particularly from the Bang Tao and Laguna areas located several kilometres away.

Compared with larger temple complexes such as Wat Chalong, Wat Choeng Thale functions at a smaller scale with steady local activity rather than large numbers of visiting tourists.

The temple forms part of Phuket’s wider network of Buddhist temples distributed across towns and villages throughout the island. Within Thalang District, it represents the main religious centre serving the Cherngtalay community.

 

Location

Wat Choeng Thale is located on Si Sunthon Road in the centre of Cherngtalay in Thalang District on Phuket’s west coast. The temple stands along a main local road connecting the Cherngtalay area with other parts of northern Phuket.

The temple lies approximately two kilometres east of Bang Tao Beach and around eighteen kilometres south of Phuket International Airport. Phuket Town is located roughly twenty kilometres to the southeast.

Its roadside position within the village centre makes the temple easily accessible by car, motorcycle, or local transport operating within the Cherngtalay area.

 

Map

Wat Choeng Thale is located in Cherngtalay in Thalang District on Phuket’s west coast, approximately two kilometres inland from Bang Tao Beach.

 
 

About the Author

About the Author
Mads D is a photographer with 40 years behind the lens, a Google Level 10 Guide, and the General Manager of Kamala Beach Estate. His connection to Thailand began in 1989, and he has since logged more than 500,000 road kilometres across the country, documenting coastlines, cities, and remote provinces through sustained fieldwork. His photography on Google Maps has surpassed 150 million views, forming one of the most widely seen visual archives of contemporary Thailand.

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