Wat Samian Nari

Wat Samian Nari was founded in 1857 during the reign of King Rama IV (King Mongkut) of the Chakri Dynasty. Originally known as Wat Khae Rai, the temple was built through the patronage and devotion of a wealthy court palace woman named Mrs. Kham, who dedicated her land and personal fortune to establish a sanctuary for Buddhist monks studying scripture along the canals of northern Bangkok.

In 1979, the temple was officially renamed Wat Samian Nari ('Temple of the Female Clerk') in honor of Mrs. Kham's royal government position as a clerk in the Inner Palace of King Rama V. Over the decades, the temple expanded significantly, constructing a majestic ordination hall (ubosot), ornate stupas, and community pavilions that served the surrounding Chatuchak residential areas.

However, as Bangkok modernized during the late 20th century, major transportation arteries were built directly adjacent to the temple perimeter. The Northern Railway Line and the high-speed Vibhavadi Rangsit highway brought heavy transit traffic alongside the peaceful temple walls. It was during this era of rapid urbanization that violent accidents along the unguarded railway tracks birthed the ghost story that redefined the temple's public reputation.

The urban legend of Wat Samian Nari centers on two young sisters, commonly identified in Thai lore as Chulee and Sulee Thipsuksri. According to widespread accounts, in the late 1980s or early 1990s, the sisters were traveling home late at night when their vehicle or motorcycle stalled on the train tracks directly adjacent to Wat Samian Nari. An oncoming passenger train slammed into them at high speed, dismembering their bodies and scattering their remains across the railway ballast.

Shortly after the tragic accident, local taxi drivers began reporting unsettling encounters along Ratchadapisek Road and Vibhavadi Rangsit Road. Drivers reported being hailed late at night by two beautiful, polite young women dressed entirely in black mourning attire. The passengers would request to be driven to Wat Samian Nari, sitting silently in the back seat throughout the journey without making a single sound or turning their heads.

According to the legend, as the taxi approached the temple entrance or crossed the nearby railway tracks, the driver would look into the rearview mirror only to discover the back seat completely empty. Upon stepping out of the vehicle in terror, drivers frequently claimed to see two women crawling across the train tracks in front of the temple gates, their lower bodies severed and trailing dark blood in the darkness before evaporating into thin air right before their eyes.

Wat Samian Nari and the adjacent railway tracks remain a focal point for reported paranormal sightings in Bangkok. The most famous phenomenon involves night-shift taxi drivers who experience phantom passengers. On August 11, 2024, a widely publicized account involved a taxi driver who picked up two women dressed in black near Ratchadapisek Road who disappeared from his moving vehicle as he pulled up to the temple.

Locals and commuters passing the temple late at night report seeing two dark silhouettes standing motionless along the railway embankment between midnight and 3:00 AM. When approached or illuminated by headlights, these figures reportedly fade into translucent mist or drop to the ground and crawl out of sight.

Other reported phenomena include sudden, unexplainable mechanical failures on vehicles passing the temple railway crossing, eerie disembodied crying heard near the temple crematorium, and an overwhelming smell of decaying floral wreaths that vanishes as suddenly as it appears.

Wat Samian Nari is constructed in traditional Third-Class Royal Buddhist temple architecture. The complex features a central Ubosot (ordination hall) adorned with gold-leaf gables, elaborate Naga bargeboards, and vibrant interior murals depicting the Jataka tales and Buddha's life.

Adjacent to the main hall stands a striking bell tower, a modern crematorium, an expansive monastic courtyard, and a serene riverside pavilion. The western boundary of the temple grounds lies immediately adjacent to the State Railway of Thailand train tracks and the modern SRT Red Line elevated rail system, creating a stark visual contrast between ancient spiritual sanctuary and modern urban transit infrastructure.

Wat Samian Nari is an active and welcoming Buddhist temple located off Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Chatuchak, Bangkok. It is easily accessible via the SRT Red Line (Wat Samian Nari Station) or by taxi and bus. Admission to the temple grounds is free, though donations for temple upkeep are appreciated.

Visitors are welcome during daytime hours to pay respects, make merit, and view the classical Thai architecture. Modest attire covering shoulders and knees is required when entering temple halls and the ordination sanctuary. Visitors interested in the urban legend should exercise extreme caution near active railway tracks outside the temple perimeter.

Wat Samian Nari's haunting reputation stems from its unique positioning at the intersection of traditional religious space and modern tragic transit accidents. The 'Women in Black' legend is one of Thailand's most viral urban myths, kept alive by generations of taxi drivers, radio talk shows like The Shock, and persistent national media coverage of phantom sightings near the railway tracks across Southeast Asia.