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All the United States Florida Tampa Wat Mongkolratanaram
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Wat Mongkolratanaram

Every Sunday for the last 30 years, this Buddhist temple has hosted a market with food and Thai goods.

Tampa, Florida

Added By
Virginia Brown
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Wat Mongkolratanaram   Varjohaltia / CC BY-ND 2.0
Wat Mongkolratanaram   Varjohaltia / CC BY-ND 2.0
Tampa’s Wat Mongkolratanaram is an Ayudhaya-style Thai temple that draws roughly 10,000 weekly visitors.   Photo Courtesy Wat Mongkolratanaram
Food at Wat Mongkolratanaram   bebatut / CC BY-SA 2.0
Food at Wat Mongkolratanaram   bebatut / CC BY-SA 2.0
Wat Mongkolratanaram is a Thai Buddhist temple on the banks of Tampa’s Palm River   Photo Courtesy Wat Mongkolratanaram
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Wat Mongkolratanaram is a Thai Buddhist temple built in 1981 on the banks of the Palm River. The stunning Ayudhaya-style temple, peaceful gardens, and authentic Thai food draw some 10,000 visitors every week.

With roughly 700 residents of Thai origin, Tampa is home to the largest Thai community in Florida, so it’s fitting to find a Buddhist temple here. The resident monks perform sacred rituals and worship at the temple, and its grounds are open to the public daily.

Though Wat Tampa is a faith-based location that anyone can visit, some pretty influential people have graced its halls. In 2007, the king of Thailand visited the temple for a ceremonial Thot Kathin, a presentation of a simple orange robe to a high-deserving monk. According to temple sources at the time, it was the first honor of its kind in the United States.

On Sundays, a popular food market draws crowds to the temple grounds for authentic Thai dishes, like curries with rice, crab rangoon, noodle soups, and summer rolls.

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Markets History & Culture History Temples

Know Before You Go

Wat Tampa is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. The grounds are open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until food runs out. Picnic tables are available on site. Accessible parking is available near the  monks’ quarters.

Community Contributors

Added By

Virginia Brown

Edited By

Collector of Experiences, Michelle Cassidy, colleencourtney c93b920e, Abbygplus3

  • Collector of Experiences
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • colleencourtney c93b920e
  • Abbygplus3

Published

January 28, 2024

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  • https://wattampainenglish.com/wat-tampa/about-wat-tampa.html
  • https://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/blog/p/thot-katin-the/79
  • https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2007/11/09/buddhist-temple-honored-with-gift-from-king/
Wat Mongkolratanaram
5306 Palm River Road
Tampa, Florida, 33619
United States
27.944132, -82.395025
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