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Credit crunch, job cuts, political instability - life's tribulations make the New Year a perfect time to bag up some good karma. And, while many people go for the "water wars", the Songkran Festival can also afford a peaceful escape along the Chao Phya River.

Here are nine temples that can be easily visited in the course of a day. As a holiday outing, it's definitely lowkey, but the returns might last many lifetimes.

WAT YANNAWA

Built in Thonburi during the Ayutthaya period, which lasted from 1351 to 1767, this temple was originally called Wat Kok Kwai. As a royal monastery it was given the name Wat Kok Krabue.

King Rama I built the ubosot, the main shrine hall, and Rama III added a vihara in the form of a sailing ship, renaming the temple Wat Yannawa, which means "ship temple".

In the ubosot, murals on the doors depict a giant krathong used in the Loi Prateep royal ritual in Rama III's time, while a painting on the window shows a Yakhu rice jar offered to monks.

WAT KALAYANAMITR

Wat Kalayanamitr on the west bank of the river has a huge vihara that resembles a mother hen guarding her chicks. This has been a royal temple since Rama III's reign.

A large Buddha statue, known as Luang Phor To, or Sam Por Kong to Chinese devotees, is the guardian of travellers.

To was the common name of Chaophraya Nikornbadin, who bought the property, the former site of a "Chinese monk village", on which to build the temple. He offered it to Rama III, who in turn added the vihara and the main Buddha image, and named the temple after its patron, Kalayanamitr.

WAT CHALOEM PHRAKIAT

A secondary royal monastery dedicated to Rama III's grandparents and the Princess Mother, this temple was built using bricks from a fortress that dated to the reign of King Narai of Ayutthaya.

The ubosot is a combination of Thai and Chinese styles, with beautiful murals and stucco decor. The gables were decorated with colourful porcelain from China, and the window and doorframes bear floral stucco.

WAT PARAMAIYIKAWAT

Another secondary royal monastery, this one was erected during the Thonburi period. Its main feature is a leaning, Monstyle chedi that sits in a river estuary.

The temple was formerly called Wat Pak Aao, or Pia Moo Ha Teng in Mon, which means "the temple at the estuary". It was built by Mon refugees from Burma.

King Rama V restored the temple and renamed it Wat Paramaiyikawat, which means "grandmother's temple", in tribute to his stepgrandmother, Somdej Prachao Borom Aiyikather Krom Prayasudarat Rachaprayool, who took care of him as a child.

WAT PHAILOM

This Nonthaburi temple was built in the late Ayutthaya period and is famous for its bird sanctuary, but visitors also marvel at the fine woodwork. The Mon traditionally called this wat Pia To.

The ubosot features beautiful floral engraving on the wooden gables and other parts, such as the lotuses atop the columns. In front are two small, starfruitshaped and squarebased pagodas with indented corners decorated with stucco.

Behind the ubosot is a golden chedi that mimics Rangoon's Shwedagon Pagoda.

WAT KHIEN

Erected in the early Thonburi era, the temple has a chief Buddha image in the Mara Vichai posture.

Legend has it that an anonymous monk making a pilgrimage to Ayutthaya rested by the pier and decided to build a temple there. A Chinese merchant named Kieng agreed to finance the construction, and the wat was named for him, though it's changed somewhat due to the varied pronunciation.

The ubosot has gradually sunk to a lower level due to the riverbank's subsidence.

WAT SALAREE

Proof that good things come in small packages, serene Wat Salaree is generally believed to have been built in the Thonburi era, although some historians think from the materials used that it dates to the mid-Ayutthaya period.

The ubosot is relatively new. The old sala on the riverbank has a stunningly ornamented gable.

WAT TUEK

According to Department of Religious Affairs records, this temple was built in the Thonburi era and named Wat Tuek Mai. It was deserted until 1877, when a monk named Phra Ajarn Piem restored it.

The ubosot of bricks and plaster was renovated in 1916. The gable was decorated with Kreung Benjarong - Thai porcelain in five colours. The principal Buddha image occupies the Mara Vichai posture.

WAT KHANGKHAO

Named for the bats that make it their home, this temple was established in the midAyutthaya period by King Trailokanat. It's known for its statue of Luang Phor Kao with nine fingers.

People in trouble ask the Buddha for better luck, and if their wish is granted they return to set off firecrackers. There's a wonderful chapel hall, sandstone boundaries and many artefacts from Ayutthaya times.

A great way to see them all

Asian Oasis hosts the Nine Temple Excursion during Songkran and beyond, using a renovated rice barge that begins its river journey from Wat Yannawa near the Taksin Skytrain station. The cruise extends to Nonthaburi.

The price is Bt1,950, covering an Englishspeaking guide, lunch and refreshments, a booklet about the wats, insurance and flowers and incense to offer the Buddha.

Visit www.AsianOasis.com or email info@asianoasis.com.