Wat Suthat was built in 1807 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of Bangkok and the Rattanakosin Dynasty. It was built is what is believed to be the very center of the city, just as Indra's Palace is built in the center of the universe. It consists of two main buildings, the Vihan and the Ubosot, which stand at 90 degrees to each other. There are also many other buildings in the complex, some having symbolic value.

The Main Vihan houses the Sri Sakyamuni image, which was brought from Sukhothai. The Vihan is set in a large tiled area, which reflects the Vihan as though in a sea. There is a cloister surrounding this area, where there are many Buddha statues, and around the Vihan stand a number of buildings housing Buddhas in various postures. Inside, the walls are covered in murals illustrating the lives of 27 Buddhas previous to the Buddha Sakyamuni.

The Ubosot was built by Rama III in 1843. The statue in the Ubosot is called Buddha Trilokachet, and is faced by figures of the 80 main disciples of the Buddha. The murals depic the previous lives (Jataka) of our Buddha and his final life as Siddhattha Gotama. There are also some depicting literary themes (but which I was unable to find out). The murals in both buildings were restored in 1980, with financial help from Germany.