Wat Pho is located in the Rattanakosin district directly south of the Grand Palace. Known also as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, its official name, given during the reign of King Rama IV, is Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Ratchaworamahawihan.

King Rama I (1782-1809 AD) build the temple, however, the complex has undergone many changes since then. The temple was created as a restoration of an earlier temple on the same site, Wat Phodharam, with the work beginning in 1788. The temple was restored and extended in the reign of King Rama III, a work that took over 15 years, and was restored again in 1982.

Wat Pho is one of the largest and oldest wats in Bangkok (with an area of 20 acres), and is home to more than one thousand Buddha images, as well as one of the largest single Buddha image, the Phra Buddhasaiyas, or Reclining Buddha, which is 160 ft long.

The Wat Pho complex consists of two walled compounds bisected by a road running east-west. The northern walled compound is the open area where the reclining Buddha and massage school are found. The southern walled compound, Tukgawee, is a working Buddhist monastery with monks in residence and a school.

The image of the Reclining Buddha, which is built in brick and covered with stucco and gilded with gold-leaf, is 15m high and 46m long with his right arm supporting the head on two box-pillows of blue, richly encrusted with glass mosaics.The 3m high and 4.5m long feet of the Buddha displays are inlaid with mother-of-pearl. They are divided into 108 arranged panels, displaying the auspicious symbols like flowers, dancers, white elephants, tigers and altar accessories.

The murals in the hall shows 32 scenes from the lives of the Buddha's Great Disciples, excluding his bhikkhu disciples, who are depicted in the Ubosot. They are all known for a certain excellence in their character, as listed in brackets here (based on AN 1.14)

The 13 bhikkhuni disciples of the Buddha (the first four are missing from the photographs presented here):

1. Mahāpajāpatī (Eldest)
2. Khemā (Wisdom)
3. Upalavaṇṇā (Psychic Power)
4. Paṭācārā (Discipline Specialist)
5. Dhammadinnā (Dhamma Speaker)
6. Sundarinandā (Meditation)
7. Soṇā (Energy)
8. Sakulā (Divine-Eye)
9. Bhaddā Kuṇḍalakesā (Speed in Deep Knowledge)
10. Bhaddā Kapilānī (Past Life Recall)
11. Bhaddakaccānā (Great Deep Knowledge)
12. Kisā Gotamī (Wearing Rough Robes)
13. Singalamātā (Inclined to Confidence)

the great male lay disciples:

1. Tapusa and Bhallika (First to go for Refuge)
2. Anāthapiṇḍaka (Supporter)
3. Citta (Dhamma Speaker)
4. Hattha Āḷavaka (Four Bases of Sympathy)
5. Mahānāma (Excellent Alms Donor)
6. Ugga (Pleasant Supporter)
7. Uggata (Community Attendant)
8. Sura Ambaṭṭha (Unwavering Faith)
9. Jīvaka Komārabhacca (Individual with Faith)
10. Nakulapitu (Trustworthy)

and the great female lay disciples:

1. Sujātā (First Female Lay Disciple)
2. Visākhā (Female Supporter)
3. Khujjuttarā (Learned)
4. Sāmāvatī (Loving-Kindness)
5. Uttarānandamātā (Meditator)
6. Suppavāsā (Excellent Alms Donor)
7. Katiyānī (Unwavering Faith)
8. Kāḷī (Confidence in the Traditions)

The principal Buddha image, which is kept in the Ubosot, is Phra Buddha Deva Patimakorn. It is a seated Buddha image on a three tiered pedestal called Phra Pang Samādhi (Lord Buddha in the posture of concentration). Ashes from the founder King Rama I are kept under the pedestal.

The mural paintings in the hall depict the Bodhisatta in his life as Mahosadha, the heavens or Buddhist cosmology, and the Chief monk disciples (not listed here as they are not identified in the few photographs I have).

On the middle tier there are images of the Two Chief Disciples (Sāriputta and Moggallāna), while eight statues of other monks stand on the lower pedestal. The inside panels of the windows are decorated with lacquer work showing the seals of the monastery dignitaries in the reign of King Rama III.

The grounds also contain around 91 chedis and four Viharas. 71 chedis of smaller size contain the ashes of the royal family, and 21 large ones contain the ashes of Buddha. The four main chedis, which are 42 metres high, are dedicated to the first four Chakri kings.

The Temple has sixteen gates around the complex is guarded by Chinese giants carved out of rock. These statues were originally imported as ballast on ships trading with China.

The outer cloister has 400 Buddha images out of the 1200 originally bought by King Rama V. In terms of architecture, they are varied and in different styles and postures, but they are evenly mounted on matching gilded pedestals.

Part of this text is adapted from Wikipedia (retrieved, February 2nd 2012