Wat Pak Ao Bang Tabun

Wat Pak Ao Bang Tabun stands at the mouth of the Bang Tabun River, the very end of the Phetchaburi River, in an area rich in marine life and mangrove plants, which makes it an important site for mangrove-conservation tourism. It was originally called “Wat Nok” (the outer temple) because it stands at the mouth of the bay.

Phra Khru Yan Sakhon (Chaeng Silapanyo) built the temple, doing most of the work himself together with local villagers, without paid labour. Building began as a monks’ residence around 1906, and the temple received its royal grant of consecrated land (wisungkhamsima) on 14 June 1909.

The ordination hall is a single-storey Thai-style teak building, restored in 1997. The Phra Khru Yan Sakhon Vihara, a two-storey Thai-style hall with four porticoes, was built in 2005.

An annual festival of applying gold leaf to the temple’s revered images is held on 26–28 December every year.