A photographing optical lens assembly includes lens elements including, in order from an object to an image side, a first lens group, a second lens group and a third lens group. The first lens group includes a first lens element and a second lens element. The second lens group includes a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. The third lens group includes a sixth lens element, a seventh lens element and an eighth lens element. The first lens element has positive refractive power. The seventh lens element has an object-side surface and an image-side surface being both aspheric. The eighth lens element has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof, wherein both an object-side surface and the image-side surface thereof are aspheric, and the image-side surface of the eighth lens element has at least one reflection point.