Overview
The tower was raised to its present height under Rama III in the 1840s on a smaller Ayutthaya-era stupa. The porcelain facing is the interesting part: shards of cups and plates from Chinese junks, arranged into flowers over the whole surface, which is why the tower changes colour with the light rather than staying gold. A restoration finished in 2017 stripped decades of grime and drew complaints that it looked too white, which it did until the weather returned it.
Highlights
Cross on the three-baht ferry from Tha Tien pier by Wat Pho; the approach from the water is how the temple was meant to be seen. The steep stairs up the prang are open to a mid-level terrace and the risers are high — the climb is the memorable part. Come back at sunset and look at it from the Bangkok side, which is the view on the ten-baht coin.