Wat Pariwat may not be as grand or as lavish as some of the Royal Temples, but it’s undoubtedly the most curious one. It may be a Bangkok off the beaten part attraction nowadays, but a few years ago, the temple hit the mainstream news when someone found out there’s a David Beckham sculpture carved into its alter. The building with it is mostly closed though, but no worries, the sanctuary inside the closed court offers way more than a former Manchester United player.

Here’s a little game – I challenge you to find Pikachu, Batman, Barak Obama taking a selfie, Captain America, Mickey Mouse, Spider-Man, Dobby the House Elf and a mural portrait of Alber Einstein. There are plenty of other curious characters in Wat Pariwat guaranteeing your fun time there. Blending modern icons with Buddhist temples is not something new in Thailand, and you can see it in several other sanctuaries, including the magnificent White Temple of Chiang Rai.

As I said, Wat Pariwat may not be the most opulent Thai temple but would definitely be the best conversation-starter back home. The temple location is a bit away from the main city but it’s not hard to reach at all. Take the BTS Skytrain to Chong Nonsi station and transfer to BRT (bus rapid transfer). The BRT has a stop right in front of the temple (even named after it).