Wat Phra Mahathat is a huge temple in Thailand south province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. You usually won't set foot into this area unless you are taking the ferry to Koh Samui which also isn't the most obvious way to go (flying is!). I drove from Chumphon airport which is a good 6 hours away and I don't usually recommend this. I added Songkhla to this trip and make it worth a little but again I don't think the journey is worth it. If you travel solo then flying around is probably easier anyway.

Google map led to the west of the temple but there is free parking east (AT the temple) so you don't actually have to duck into a side alley - not that anyone minds. I also had a fast entry to the toilet path so it didn't occur me any extra walking. From the toilets it's only 1 minute to the museum which I recommend visiting. It's also free but doesn't allow pictures so the above is technically taboo. You'll spend a good thirty minutes looking at everything, EVEN longer if you want. It's not really all related to the temple and I had seen plenty before but well, it's free, it's cooler than being outside, and you get to see plenty of interesting stuff. The rest of the area doesn't give you any indications why the temple grounds are important so this is the best insight.

Second thing to visit is the "Great Noble Relics Stupa" right in the middle. It's the biggest sight and definitely worth seeing.

To enter this you first have to get through the Vibara Phra Ma (which requires taking off shoes), go up the stairs and voila. Wonderful views from the stupa across the temple grounds too.

This view doesn't take long to enjoy. The kora will be short, views and "chilling" doesn't take long either. It was also hot up there so 5 minutes max. I do want to say again that this is the best view of the grounds especially the main temple and the small stupas below.

Lastly I visited the area below the stupa, I think called Vihara Tap Kaset, which also requires no shoes and shows all the statues. It will take a small walk and back to see them all and while it's not so major and repetitive it was cooler down there.

One more section I would have liked to see was the main temple, Phra Vihara Luang, but it was under renovations and thus closed. I also did not visit the northern section of the grounds which seems very administrative but does have more places to visit if one wishes to spend time. Most tourists were at the sections described earlier. I hardly saw any actual worshippers but I believe they come at a different time for that.

Overall I don't recommend to go out of your way to visit this place and only "tick it off" on a drive through.