What is the Giant Swing?
The giant swing (locally called Sao Chingcha) is located in front of Wat Suthat. It was built in 1784 by King Rama I in front of the Devasthan shrine. It is made of teak brought from Phrae Province in Northern Thailand. At over 21 meters (69 feet) tall, the giant swing is a Brahmin religious structure and was initially used as part of a ceremony during the Brahman festival. Groups of brave men swung as high as they could, hoping to reach a bag of gold coins that would hang 50 feet tall.
They could keep the treasure if they managed to reach the bag, although many couldn’t. The festival used to take place in December after the main rice harvest, but the rite was discontinued in 1935 under the reign of King Rama VII. , after several accidents, they decided it was too dangerous.
Today, you can still enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of the Giant Swing while zipping around the city in our *new and improved* Tuk Tuk Urban Odyssey! We’ve added a few more special touches and views to our previous tour route to include this fantastic viewpoint!
