A visit to Thailand can be full of surprises and you should have plenty of exciting stories to bring home to captivate your friends. One of those stories should certainly be about your visit to the Tiger Temple where you sat next to and touched full-grown tigers under the supervision of Buddhist monks. Only a few hours from Bangkok a visit to the Tiger Temple makes for a great day trip.

What is the Tiger Temple?

The Tiger Temple, or Wat Pa Luangta Bua, is about a three hours drive from Bangkok past the town of Kanchanaburi. A forest monastery, it is home to Buddhist monks practicing their religion. It is also home to over 30 un-caged tigers. Tourists are welcome to come visit and pet the tigers although a $15 fee is charged to help care for the tigers upkeep. Part of this fee also goes towards a new tiger home where the tigers can wander freely in the forest.

Buddhist Tigers

There has never been a tiger attack at the temple and no human has been hurt on the temple grounds. Tigers have lived at the monastery since 1999 when a local brought in an orphaned cub from the wild – its mother killed by poachers. Other orphaned cubs were brought in and many of the tigers subsequently had cubs of their own. Abbot Pra-Acharn Phusit says the tigers are like his family and the animals are treated with great respect. The monastery explains that the tigers are calm because they were hand-reared with compassion by the monks. Tigers are also nocturnal creatures and less likely to roam around during the day.

What to Expect From a Visit

Wary tourists are welcome to view the tigers from afar but it’s hard to pass up on an opportunity to be so close to these majestic beasts. The monastery has hired over 50 people to help the monks care for the tigers and a few are always on hand to guide visitors to these beautiful cats. After you pay the entrance fee you’ll wait your turn to be led to a tiger. You can visit with several of the tigers, pet them, and have your picture taken. After your visit you can walk around the monastery grounds and enjoy your time away from the city.

How to Get to the Tiger Temple

Visitors to Thailand may find the easiest way to get to the Tiger Temple is by signing up with a tour company which can take visitors from Bangkok to the temple and back. For the more adventurous, visitors can also take a 100 Baht (US$2.50) three hour bus ride from the Southern Bus Terminal to the town of Kanchanaburi. From Kanchanaburi you can either take a cab or another bus. The 25 Baht bus ride bound for Sai Yok is number 8203 and the ride should take about 45 minutes. You’ll have to ask the driver to let you off at the Tiger Temple and the stop is about a 1 mile walk from the temple’s entrance. On the other hand, a cab from Kanchanaburi takes about 30 minutes and costs 250 Baht (US$6.50). The Tiger Temple is open to the public from 12:30PM to 3:30PM.