Wa
(ว้า)
Name of a hill tribe in northern Thailand. Although only a few thousand
live in Thailand,
they are
a large people with their
majority living in
Burma
and
Yunnan,
where their number is estimated at around two million. Besides this, they are perhaps one of the most indigenous people in the
region. Headhunters at first, then communists, many
now have become illicit drug providers. According to some, Wa is a
Shan
term for aborigine and their worship of human skulls has prompted the
use of the name Ta Wa (Wild Wa), as opposed to
Lawa (Tame Wa).
They are
also called Wa Daeng (Red Wa).
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waan haang jorakae (ว่านหางจระเข้)
See
haang
jorakae.
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waan kaab hoy (ว่านกาบหอย)
Thai
designation for a plant with the scientific name Rhoeo spathacea, in
English commonly known by a variety of names, including
Moses-in-the-Cradle, Purple-leaved Spiderwort,
Oyster
Plant, etc. It consists of
succulent herbaceous stems to 25 centimeters long, which are green
above and purple on the underside, in order to enhance
photosynthesis (fig.).
When flowering, it bears small, white, 3-parted flowers at base of
leaves, held between 2 purple bracts (fig.). It is widely used as a low, bedding groundcover in
parks and gardens. Fresh leaves are said to treat sore throat and
cough, and to relieve thirst. In addition they can also be used as
an external anti-inflammatory. In Thai it is also called waan kaab
hoy khraeng (ว่านกาบหอยแครง). The plant is very similar to the
creeper Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida), which in Thai
translates as hua jai muang (หัวใจม่วง). Also transcribed wahn kahb
hoi.
WATCH VIDEO.
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waanlawichanih (วาลวิชณี)
Thai. ‘Yak's
tail fan’. See
padwaanlawichanih.
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wabi-sabi (侘寂)
Japanese. Term for a concept in
Japanese aesthetics that evolves around the acceptance of transience
and imperfection, with roots partly in
Buddhism. It is prevalent in
many forms of Japanese art and
emphasizes on
imperfection and impermanence.
It is characterized by principles
such as roughness, simplicity, asymmetry, and modesty. The
term may be translated as
‘forlorn and isolated’,
though a more freely translated
suggestion is
‘austere
beauty and rustic patina’.
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wachira (วชิร)
Thai for
vajra,
meaning sceptre, diamond or thunderbolt (fig.).
The name appears frequently as a prefix in Thai nomenclature, e.g.
Wachirawut,
Wachiralongkorn,
etc.
See also THEMATIC STREET LIGHT (1)
and
(2).
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Wachiralongkorn (วชิราลงกรณ)
Another -often used- transliteration for the name of prince
Vajiralongkorn.
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Wachirayahnawarohrot (วชิรญาณวโรรส)
Thai. Name of the tenth
Supreme Patriarch
of Thailand, who was in office from 1910 to 1921 AD. He was of royal
descent, born as Prince
Manutsayanaak Manop, the 47th child
of King
Mongkhut, whom himself
lived
for 27 years
as a Buddhist
monk before ascending
the throne
in 1851 as King
Rama IV
(fig.).
His full ecclesiastical name and title is
Somdet
Phra
Maha
Samana
Chao
Krom Phraya
Wachirayahnawarohrot. The Thai term for
the patriarch is
Phrasangkaraat, yet
due
to his royal descent, he was addressed as
Phrasangkaraat
Chao, rather
than the usual
Phrasangkaraat,
which is used for patriarchs who were born as commoners. Also
transliterated
Vajirananavarorasa.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS.
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Wachirawut (วชิราวุธ)
1. Thai. ‘Armed with a
wachira’.
Name of the Thai king
(fig.) with the crown title
Rama VI (fig.)
who ascended the throne
on Sunday 23 October 1910, after the death of King
Chulalongkorn
and remained king until his death in
1925.
He is often portrayed holding a
sceptre, which in
Thai is known as a
wachira
(fig.),
a reference to both his name and status, and the top of the lanterns
surrounding the area of his statue in front of
Bangkok's
Lumphini Park
(fig.),
are likewise adorned with a sceptre (fig.).
Statues and monuments of this
king can be found in many places nationwide, especially in and
around
Bangkok (map
-
fig.).
His achievements (fig.)
include the change of the Siamese flag from a red field with a
White Elephant
(fig.)
to the current
horizontally red-white-blue-white-red
striped
banner
(fig.),
the introduction of the
Krut Trah Tang Hahng
(fig.),
the
establishment of
the
look seua
(fig.),
the construction of his
Chaleemongkhon
Asana
Residence (fig.),
etc.
His name is also
transcribed
Vajiravudh. See
list of Thai kings.
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2.
A designation for the Vedic god
Indra.
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waen fah (แว่นฟ้า)
Thai.
‘Embedded with pieces of glass’. Name of an art form in which
objects, figurines or statues are inlaid with mirrored-glass. It is
often used
in trays, bases or
phaan
(fig.),
and with statues or figurines
sometimes
coloured glass is used (fig.).
See also
kaew.
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Waen Kon (แหวนกล)
Thai. ‘Magical ring’. Golden rings set with gemstones which
can be separated into four connected rings. It is typically produced in
Chanthaburi
province and is usually made into the shape of various animals, such as a
serpent,
naga, crab, fish, shrimp, etc.
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wah (วา)
Thai longitudinal
measurement equal to ca. two meters, or 96
niw, which
exactly equals 199.968 centimeters.
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wahn (วาฬ)
See
pla
wahn.
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wahnon (วานร)
Pali
word for ‘monkey’ or
‘ape’, which in Thai is called
ling.
However, when referring to the monkey-warriors of the
Ramakien,
usually the Pali term
wahnon is used rather than ling, as in
Wahnon Sip-paet Mongkut.
See also
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT and
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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Wahnon Sip-paet Mongkut (วานรสิบแปดมงกุฎ)
Pali-Thai. ‘Eighteen crowned
monkeys’. Term used to refer to the eighteen deities that took
avatars
as monkey-warriors. They occur in the epic
story of the
Ramakien, and
include
Phra Phareuhadsabodih
(fig.),
who reincarnated as
Malunthakeson
(fig.);
Phra Phirun,
who became
Wayabud (fig.);
Phra Isaan,
who took as avatar
Chaiyaamphawaan
(fig.);
and
Phra Angkahn (fig.),
who was reborn as
Wisantrahwih (fig.).
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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Waht Witthayawat
(วาจวิทยาวัฑฒน์)
Thai.
Name of a
Luang, who was
the
first dean and founder of the
Faculty of Dentistry of
the
Chulalongkorn
University in
Bangkok, which he in
1940 established as the nation's
first institution for the education of oral health personnel. The
Museum of Dentistry
(fig.),
located on the university's campus,
was established in commemoration of Waht Witthayawat and is named after him.
Also transliterated Vach Vidyavaddhana.
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wai (ไหว้)
Thai. The hands
brought together
in front of the chest or face,
or above the head, as a greeting (fig.) or to pay respect (fig.). The height of the hands
increases with the amount of respect paid, depending on who is greeted
and
according to social status. The more respect given the higher the hands are
held (fig.).
The young or the subordinate should always wai the older or senior
person first, as it is believed by some that the opposite may cause
the life of the former to be shortened. In Buddhism, this gesture,
which is also known as
phranommeua, correspondents with a
mudra
called
namaskara in Sanskrit and
namadsakahn
in Thai, which represents prayer. It is often a gesture made by
Avalokitesvara
when
depicted with more than two arms. See also
wai kruh
and
aphiwaht.
WATCH VIDEO.
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wai kruh
(ไหว้ครู)
Thai.
‘Greeting to the
teacher’. Homage to a teacher, instructor or lecturer by bringing the hands
together as in a traditional greeting or
wai.
See also
Wan Kruh
and
compare with
ram muay. Also transcribed wai kroo.
See POSTAGE STAMPS (1)
and
(2).
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waiolin mai phai
(ไวโอลินไม้ไผ่)
Thai. ‘Bamboo violin’. Name for two different kinds of bowed string instrument,
both made
from
bamboo. The first one is a stringed musical instrument made entirely
from bamboo, including even the strings. It consists of a section of thick
bamboo with a length of about 70-80 centimeters, with the strings
cut out vertically from the trunk itself and held up from the surface
by tiny pieces of wood
which are also used to tune the instrument. It is played with a bow
and used particularly by the northern hill tribe people (fig.) of
Mae Hong Son
province. Besides this a second model of bamboo violin exists. The
latter also has a body or sound box made from a bamboo cylinder, but
with real violin strings, a neck and a peg box. This one is found
more commonly, throughout Thailand.
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Waiyawet (ไวยเวทย์)
Thai. ‘One with Magical
Powers’. Name of a
yak
character who is depicted with a red complexion and bulging
tah phlohng, i.e. ‘wide open eyes’.
He wears a
chadah-style
crown similar to that of
Indrachit (fig.)
and that of
Totsakiriton (fig.),
of which the latter also has a red complexion.
His weapon is a
gada, i.e. a
club or mace.
Unlike many other giant characters, he has no upright fangs in the
corners of his mouth, but rather
protruding vampire-like teeth. His usually referred to as
Thao
Waiyawet and also transliterated Wayawet. At
Wat Thipsukhontharam
(fig.)
in
Kanchanaburi,
he
is erected in pair with
Subankhiri
(fig.),
as guardians of
Phra Phutta Mettaprachathai
(fig.).
See
also
MAP
and
TRAVEL PICTURES.
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Wajirunhit
(วชิรุณหิศ)
First crown prince of the
Rattanakosin period. Born on 2 July 1878 heir to the throne
and son of
King
Chulalongkorn
and Queen
Sawang Watthana
(fig.). According to some sources he was more intelligent
than most of his peers and was very conscientious. At the age of 13 he
wrote his own diary with an agenda of duties and responsibilities for himself as
future king. He was the favourite of King Chulalongkorn, who personally instructed
and prepared him with the purpose to succeed him. In 1895,
he unexpectedly
died from typhoid
and was succeeded by his thirteen year old half-brother
Wachirawut
(fig.),
the eldest son of Queen Saowapha, who in 1910 eventually ascended the
throne as
Rama VI.
He has a memorial statue in front of the
Benjamaraat Waranuson
Building (fig.)
at
Wat Mahathat Yuwaraja Rangsarit
(fig.). Also transcribed
Vajirunhis.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES.
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wak (วรรค)
Thai. A space between phrases or sentences used in Thai writing, in
place of punctuation marks.
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wala kote (ဝါးလက်ခုပ်)
Burmese. Name of a
bamboo
clapper, a
traditional musical instrument from
Myanmar.
It consists of a bamboo cylinder of which the top part has been
split into two halves, while from the bottom part the centre has
been cut away leaving just two stick-like grips, that remain
attached at the very bottom by one of the natural segment joints in
bamboo. It is played by releasing and squeezing the grips at the
bottom part which causes the top part to clap.
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Wali
(วาลี)
Thai. Name of a character from
the story
Phra Aphaimanih
(fig.)
by
Sunthorn Phu
(fig.).
She is an ugly-looking, yet intelligent woman commander in the army
of Phaleuk (ผลึก)
and responsible for the royal harem of concubines.
When
Prince
Utsaren
and his father,
the King of
Langka,
attacked the Kingdom of
Phaleuk,
Utsaren is
captured. To avoid an even bigger battle if the prince would be set
free, he is instead teased and taunted by the ugly
Wali until he dies of rage. As
a result, Wali is in turn killed by an illness caused by the ghost
of Utsaren. Also
referred to as
Nang
Wali, i.e. ‘Miss
Wali’.
See also POSTAGE STAMP.
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walking
Buddha
An important new
development in iconographic art introduced during the
Sukhothai period. Images of walking Buddhas refer to a scene in the life of the
Buddha when he returned from the
Tavatimsa heaven
after he preached there to his mother who had died seven days after his birth.
He is descending to earth
by stairs accompanied by the gods
Brahma
and
Indra.
In combination with a
vitarka or
dhammachakka mudra this form refers to peripatetic instruction. Today, images of walking Buddhas
are found throughout Thailand (fig.).
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Walrus Tusk Beetle
Common name for a species of
longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae, and with the scientific
designation Dorysthenes walkeri.
READ ON.
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wan (วัน)
1. Thai for ‘day’.
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2. Thai for ‘fly’
(insect), a word used besides the more common term
malaeng
wan.
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3.
Thai for ‘forest’,
‘grove’ and ‘orchard’,
as in
amphawan, i.e.
‘mango
orchard’ or
‘mango
forest’.
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Wan Anurak
Moradok Thai (วันอนุรักษ์มรดกไทย)
See
Thai Heritage Conservation Day.
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wanaram (วนาราม)
A Thai term for ‘forest
temple’ often added as an suffix to the name of certain
wat pah.
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Wan Boromma Racha Phisek (วันบรมราชาภิเษก)
Thai term for
Coronation Day,
i.e. the single occasion of
the actual
coronation event of a King of Thailand, in contrast to the annual
commemoration thereof, which
is called
Wan Chat Mongkhon.
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Wan Damrong Rachanuphaap
(วันดำรงราชานุภาพ)
Thai for ‘Damrong Rachanuphaap
Day’,
an annual memorial day held on
1 December, the day that coincides with the date of this prince's demise
in 1943, and on which he is now annually remembered. Unlike the
annual
Chulalongkorn Day
in October, it is
not a public holiday. Also transcribed Wan
Damrong Rajanubhab.
See also
Damrong Rachanuphaap
and
wan.
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Wan Chakri (วันจักรี)
Thai name for
Chakri
Day. See also
Chakri
and
wan.
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Wan Chaleum
Phra Chonma Phansa (วันเฉลิมพระชนมพรรษา)
Thai. Birthday of King
Rama IX,
which is 5 December and coincides with National Day, as well as with Father's Day in Thailand, as
the King is largely as the father of the nation.
On this day, public and company buildings, as
well as many private homes across the nation are
adorned with the yellow personal royal flag of the
monarch (fig.),
as well as the Thai national flag.
In addition,
shrines with large pictures of the Thai monarch are erected and
adorned with flowers and other offerings, and across the country
there are fireworks (fig.).
On the King's 80th birthday, the firework even included some
personalized shapes (fig.).
The symbol of Father's Day is the Canna, known in Thai as
Phuttaraksah
(fig.).
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Wan Chat Mongkhon (วันฉัตรมงคล)
Thai. ‘Day of the
Auspicious Royal Umbrella (fig.)’.
Name for
Coronation Day, when Thai sovereignty is celebrated.
It began in the reign of King
Rama IV,
when it was held od May 15, and during the reign of King
Rama IX
it was celebrated on May 5th, yet in 2019, with the coronation of
King
Rama X it changed to be on
May 4th, from that year onward. See also
wan,
chat and
mongkhon.
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Wang (วัง)
1. Thai. Name of a river in
North Thailand that near
Nakhon Sawan merges with the rivers
Nan,
Yom (fig.)
and
Ping
(fig.), thus forming the
Chao Phraya
River (fig.).
See MAP.
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2. Thai for ‘palace’. If it is the palace of a king it is called
Phra
Rachawang. Compare
with the Chinese word
wang.
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wang (王)
Chinese for ‘king’ or ‘ruler’. The character consists of three
horizontal strokes and one vertical stroke. It is a pictograph in
which the top horizontal stroke represents ‘heaven’, the bottom
horizontal stroke ‘earth’ and the middle horizontal stroke the
‘emperor’ or ‘king’, who was regarded as a Son of Heaven
and as such the liaison between heaven and earth,
a task
symbolized by the vertical stroke in the character (fig.).
Tigers
have a distinctive mark on their forehead, that strongly
resembles this Chinese character (fig.).
The tiger, rather than the lion, is hence regarded as the King
of the Animals in Chinese culture,
simultaneously symbolizing
royalty
and fearlessness. The Thai word
for ‘palace’ is similarly
Wang
and suggests a likely etymological relation to the Chinese word for king.
See also
yu,
zhu, and
CHINESE
CHARACTER FORMATION & ETYMOLOGY.
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Wang Ban Dokmai (วังบ้านดอกไม้)
Thai. ‘Flower House Palace’.
Name of the
former residence of Prince
Burachat Chaiyakon,
the
Krom Phra of
Kamphaeng Phet
(fig.),
located in
Bangkok's
Ban
Baat
District.
After it was abandoned by the prince, the building for a while also housed the
Revenue Department,
when the latter
moved its offices from
Ho Ratsadakon Phiphat
(fig.),
located within the
Grand Palace complex.
Today, Wang Ban Dokmai seems to stand idle and in need of some
patching-up.
See also POSTAGE STAMP
and
MAP.
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Wang Bang Khun Phrom
(วังบางขุนพรหม)
Thai. Name of a former Royal Palace, located on the banks of the
Chao Phraya River.
READ ON.
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Wang Burapha Phirom
(วังบูรพาภิรมย์)
Thai. Name of a former Royal Palace, that was
once located
in the South of
Rattanakosin
Island.
READ ON.
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Wang Ka (วังกะ)
Thai. Until 1939 the (former) name of
Sangkhlaburi.
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Wang Chan Kasem (วังจันทรเกษม)
Thai.
‘Happy
Moon Palace’. Name of a royal mansion in
Bangkok's
Dusit area
and since 1941 the
home of the Ministry of
Education.
READ
ON.
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Wang Klai Kangwon (วังไกลกังวล)
1. Thai.
‘Palace
Far Away from Sorrow’. Name of the Royal Summer Palace
in
Hua Hin,
built between 1927 and 1929 on the order of King
Prajadhipok
and despite its name, it became the place where King
Rama VII
was informed of the 1932 Revolution that ended his power and
replaced the Absolute Monrachy with a Constitutional Monrachy. The palace is still used as
a gettaway from
Bangkok
by the current King and Queen.
See MAP.
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2. Thai.
‘Palace
Far Away from Sorrow’. Name of a school in
Hua Hin,
named after the
Royal Summer Palace and where King
Bhumipol Adulyadej
initiated a royal project
to use the THAICOM
satellite for tele-education, which serves as the centre for
disseminating secondary level education via satellite, to schools in
rural areas.
The project is honoured on a Thai postage stamp issued in 1997, to
pay homage to
and to publicize the genius of
King
Rama IX
in telecommunications (fig.).
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Wang Lang (วังหลัง)
Thai. ‘Rear
Palace’.
Royal title given to the third king, as well as to his residential
palace. Compare with
Wang Nah
and see also
Krom Phra
Rachawang Bowon Sathaan Phimuk.
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Wang Matcha (วังมัจฉา)
Thai. ‘Fish
Palace’
or ‘Palace [of the] Fish’.
Name of the second level
in the series of seven falls of the Erawan
Waterfall
(fig.)
at
Erawan
National Park (fig.)
in
Kanchanaburi
Province. The name refers to the fish that dwell in
basin at the base of this cascade. Visitors can swim here and when
resting in the water the fish will come over and nipple from any exposed skin
taking many a bather by surprise, when they are unexpectedly treated
with this underwater
massage.
See MAP
and
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wang Nah (วังหน้า)
Thai. ‘Front Palace’.
Royal title given to the viceroy or vice-king, as well as to his
residential palace.
Compare with
Wang Lang
and see also
Krom Phra
Rachawang Bowon Sathaan Mongkhon,
as well as
Wang Nah Chan Kasem in
Ayutthaya (map
-
fig.).
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Wang Parutsakawan (วังปารุสกวัน)
Thai.
‘Parutsakawan Palace’.
Name of a European-style royal mansion in
Bangkok's
Dusit area,
named after one of the four paradise gardens of the
Hindu
god
Indra.
READ ON.
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Wang Pramuan (วังประมวญ)
Thai.
‘Combined Palace’.
Name of the royal residence of
Prince
Phitayalongkorn
(fig.)
and later of his son
Phisadet Ratchani.
READ ON.
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Wang Sra Pathum (วังสระปทุม)
Thai. ‘Lotus Pond Palace’. The residence of Princess Maha Chakri
Sirindhorn,
located in
Bangkok's Pathumwan District,
along
Khlong Saen Saeb
(fig.).
It has been in use since 1915 and was previously the residence of
Queen
Sawang Watthana
(fig.),
a consort of King
Rama V and the
grandmother of King
Bhumipon Adunyadet.
The compound has several buildings, the main one being Phra Tamnak
Yai (พระตำหนักใหญ่
-
fig.), i.e.
‘Large Royal Residence’.
See also
sra
and
pathum,
as well as
MAP.
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Wang Theptaroh Daen Mangkon Hom (วังเทพธาโร
แดนมังกรหอม)
Thai. ‘Selasian Wood
Palace, Realm of the Aromatic Dragons’. Name of a garden in
Trang.
READ
ON.
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Wang Wei (王维)
Chinese. Name of a Chinese poet and artist from the Tang Dynasty,
who was also known as the Poetic Buddha, and one of the most
celebrated men of arts of his time. Besides a poet, he was also a
renowned painter, a successful statesman, and a talented musician
who played the
pipa (fig.). He was born in 701 AD
and died
in 761 AD. Of his poetic opus, a corpus of around 400 poems survive.
Of the Jade Gate, the pass that was once at the frontier where
China ended and Central Asia began,
he infamously wrote: ‘If you go further West, you will see no more
friends’.
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Wang Witthayu (วังวิทยุ)
Thai. ‘Wireless
Palace’. Name of
the former
residence
of
Prince
Rangsit Prayurasakdi in
Bangkok.
READ ON.
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Wang Woradit (วังวรดิศ)
Thai-Pali. ‘Palace of the Glorious Ditsakun
Family’. Name of the former
residence
of
Prince
Damrong Rachanuphaap.
READ ON.
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wan kohn (วันโกน)
Thai. ‘Shaving day’. The day of the month on
which Buddhist monks and novices shave their heads anew, in Thailand
traditionally on the day before
wan phen,
i.e. the day of the new moon or full moon. It is said that one
reason for monks and novices to shave their heads is to resemble the
features of a
naga, for just as the naga
helped the Buddha in his ordeal to reach
Enlightenment, also the children
help their parents to get a better afterlife, by making merit for
them by ordaining or becoming a
buatnaag.
In Thailand, monks and novices also shave off the eyebrows, whereas
in neighbouring
Theravada
Buddhist countries, i.e.
Myanmar,
Cambodia,
and
Laos,
monks and novices do not shave off the eyebrows, and in Myanmar,
monks and novices shave their heads four times a month (fig.). See also
buat
and
wan.
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Wan Kruh (วันครู)
Thai.
‘Day of the teacher’. A day, in the past usually on a Thursday
somewhere in June or
July, because Thursday in the
Phra prajam wan-system
is associated with meditation and hence with learning and teaching.
However, now the day is officially set to be on January 16th of each year,
irrespective of what day it is (though depending on the school, it
may still be held on another day or date), when students collectively pay respect to their teachers (wai
kruh). On this day teachers (kruh
means ‘teacher, tutor or master’
and derives from the word
guru) receive offerings from
their students. These could be anything, but usually include trays
with
phum dokmai,
called
phaan
phum, as well as other flowers
and gifts. However, formerly they would receive a
golden tray with three kinds of flowers: i.e. the
ixora, in
Thai called ‘kem’, the flower of the ‘makeua’ or eggplant,
and a
lotus.
These flowers each have their own symbolic implication: ‘kem’ means
‘needle’, and refers to the wit that the students will obtain by their tuition; the flower
of the eggplant bends under the weight of its fruit and thus indicates obedience
and respect; and the lotus is the general symbol for
Enlightenment. Wan Kruh dates
back to the period when the temple was the only centre of education.
of each year. The day is now officially known as
Wan Kruh Haeng Chaht, i.e.
‘National Teacher's Day.
Alternatively spelled Wan Kroo. Compare with
ram muay.
See also
Phra Phareuhadsabodih
and the postage stamp issued to mark the Centennial of Thai Teachers
Training (fig.).
See also
ajaan
and
wan.
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Wan Kruh Haeng Chaht (วันครูแห่งชาติ)
Thai. ‘National Teacher's day’. See
Wan Kruh.
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Wan Mae (วันแม่)
Thai.
‘Mother Day’. Thai public holiday and birthday of queen
Sirikit. This refers to the queen's status
as a public mother figure. It is annually celebrated on 12
August. Since
jasmine,
known in Thai as
dok
ma-li,
is in Thailand
considered a symbol for maternal love, it has been assigned to be
the flower of
Mother Day (fig.).
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Wan Makha Bucha (วันมาฆบูชา)
Thai for the day when
Makha Bucha is annually celebrated.
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Wan Muay Thai (วันมวยไทย)
Thai. ‘Muay
Thai Day’.
Initiated in 2012 and annually on 6 February.
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Wanna Uthayaan
(วนอุทยาน)
Thai name for any forest park, similar to a National Park (Uthayaan Haeng Chaat),
but with a different status and usually covering a smaller area.
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wannayuk
(วรรณยุกต์)
Thai linguistic term meaning
‘tone mark’. A
tone mark is used to change the tone and the meaning of a word. Thai language
has four tone marks but five tones: the middle or common tone (siang sahman - uses no tone
mark), the low tone (mai ek - อ่), the
falling tone (mai toh - อ้), the high tone (mai trih - อ๊)
and the rising tone (mai
chatawah
- อ๋).
MORE ON THIS.
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Wannongkrahn (วรรณนงคราญ)
Thai. Name of one of the seven
guardian spirits that looks out for children and that are generally
known as
Mae Seua.
This
thevada guards all the children that are born on a
Monday and is represented with an off-white (khao-nuan)
human-like body and the head of a
horse.
Compare also with
Ma Mian,
i.e.
‘Horse-Face’
(fig.).
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wan phen (วันเพ็ญ)
Thai for ‘full-moon day’.
The day (wan) of full moon often coincides with Buddhist holidays.
A painting named
Full Moon (จันทร์เพ็ญ) by
the Thai artist Manit Poo-ahrih
(มานิตย์
ภู่อารีย์)
was depicted on a Thai postage stamp issued on 2 August 2013 (fig.)
as part of a set of eight stamps on contemporary art in the third
series of commemorative stamps to mark the 2013 World Stamp
Exhibition. See
also
Wan Phra and
Wan Tham Masawana.
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Wan Pheut Mongkhon (วันพืชมงคล)
Thai for the day when the
royal
ploughing ceremony is held.
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Wan Phra (วันพระ)
Thai. Buddhist holiday in Thailand. Often coinciding with
wan phen
or full moon day. Also
Wan Tham
Masawana. See also
wan.
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Wan Piya Maha Raj (วันปิยะมหาราช)
Thai.
‘Day of the beloved great king’. Thai name for
Chulalongkorn Day, a public holiday on 23 October. Also
transcribed Wan Piya Maha Raat. See also
Piya Maha
Raj.
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Wan Raeng Ngan (วันแรงงาน)
Thai for ‘Work Force Day’. Thai
term for Labour Day. It is a public holiday, held annually on May
1st.
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Wan Rattamnoon (วันรัฐธรรมนูญ)
Thai.
‘Constitution Day’. Thai name for the public holiday celebrated on 10 December commemorating the
constitution.
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Wan Tamruat (วันตำรวจ)
Thai. ‘Police Day’. Thai name
for the national observance day that since 1915 is held annually on
13 October in honour of the
Royal Thai Police
(fig.).
National Police Day is celebrated in various ways,
usually with every city and police station in the nation organizing
its own ceremonies and events. Celebrations usually begin by a
speech in front of the local police station and attended by local
dignities and religious leaders, and followed by a memorial service
in honour of police officers who died in the line of duty. After the
official rituals, various events are organized that are usually also
open to the public. Also referred to as Wan Tamruat Haeng Chaht (วันตำรวจแห่งชาติ),
i.e. ‘National Police Day’.
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Wan Tham Masawana (วันธรรมสวนะ)
Thai. Buddhist holiday. Often coinciding with full moon
or
wan phen. Also
Wan Phra.
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Wanthong (วันทอง)
Thai. ‘Day of Gold’ or ‘Golden Day’. One of the main characters from the story
Khun
Chang Khun Paen written by King
Phra Phutta Leut La. The
bigamous Wanthong vacillated between true love and respectability
and was eventually executed by the king as a troublemaker. Her
headless spirit
Praet Wanthong
later appeared to halt a fight between her son and her stepson. Wanthong is depicted on the fourth design of a set of four
postage stamps (fig.)
on the story, issued in 2011 to
mark National Children's Day.
Also known as
Nang Phimphilalai.
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wan tua (วันตัว)
Thai for the day of the week on which one was born. Like a horoscope
in the West, the days of the week are in Thailand used to verify
one's personality and fortune, like in the systems
phra prajam wan,
thep
prajam wan,
dao prajam wan,
sat prajam wan
and
sih prajam wan.
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Wan Visakha Bucha (วันวิสาขบูชา)
Thai name for the day when
Visakha Bucha is annually celebrated.
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Wan Waithayakon (วรรณไวทยากร)
Thai.
Name of a grandson of King
Mongkut (fig.),
who was born on 25 August 1891. He studied at Oxford University and the Paris
Institute of Political Studies, and was an Army Major General with
the royal rank of
Krom Meuan.
READ ON.
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Wan Yahwachon Haeng Chaht (วันเยาวชนแห่งชาติ)
Thai. ‘National Youth Day’. Set
up in Thailand in the year 1985, after the United Nations announced 1985 as
International Youth Year and invited its members to participate in
the celebrations under the slogan Participation, Development and
Peace. So, on 18 June
1985, the then government passed a decree to make September 20th of
each year National Youth Day, a date chosen in honour of
King
Rama VIII, who was
born on
20
September 1925 and
ascended the
throne as a
youthful king, as well as
of King
Rama V, whose
birthday is
20 September 1853. In 2010, a Thai
postage stamp was issued to mark the 25th anniversary of the
National Youth Day (fig.).
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wararam (วราราม)
Pali-Thai. Title
that derives from combining the words
wora and
araam,
meaning ‘superb’ or ‘excellent’, and
‘temple’ respectively. It
is often included in names of temples, e.g.
Wat Sothon Wararam Worawihaan,
Wat Thawon Wararam
(fig.),
Wat Arun Rajawararam,
Wat Suthat Thepwararam,
etc. It can also be transcribed warahrahm or waraaraam, and is
sometimes pronounced woraram.
回
war elephant
See
chang seuk.
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warih (วารี)
Thai-Pali
term for
‘water’, as in
Warih Kunchon,
i.e.
‘Elephant [of the] water’, and
Sri
Warih, i.e. ‘Holy water’.
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Warih Kunchon (วารีกุญชร)
Thai-Pali.
‘Elephant [of the] water’. Also transcribed Waree Kunchorn. See
Chang Nahm.
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Warunih (วารุณี)
Thai goddess of wine.
Also transliterated Warunee.
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wasabi
(わさび, 山葵, 和佐比)
Japanese. ‘Japanese horseradish’. Name of a plant which root is used
as a spice.
READ ON.
回
wasp
See
feng.
回
Wasp Moth
Common name of a species of day-flying moth, that belongs to the
family of Syntominae. The species, known by the scientific names Syntomis
and Amata, has several subspecies, usually discerned by the
different wing patterns and the rings on their abdomen. Species
found in Southeast Asia include Syntomis huebneri (fig.)
and Syntomoides imaon (fig.),
the latter which is also commonly known as the
Handmaiden Moth
(fig.) or Tiger Grass
Borer. Wasp Moths are about the same size of
a small wasp and mimic its colouring. This disguise aides them in their
protection, as predators are less likely to attack them if they
believe they could be harmed. Even humans often take them for wasps. Adults feed on pollen
and nectar from
flowers. Their caterpillars can do substantial
damage to orchard trees as they bore into the wood. It is
found in
Malaysia, as well as
in
Thailand,
where it is known as
phi seua yah, meaning ‘grass
butterfly’.
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Wasuthep (วาสุเทพ)
1. Thai name of
Gustave Schau (fig.),
the Danish
Lieutenant Colonel
who in 1897
AD was hired
by King
Chulalongkorn (fig.) to
set up a
Siamese Provincial
Police force, and of
which he became the first
Commander-in-Chief. From 1913 to 1915 he was appointed to the fifth
Chief of Police, with the rank of Major General and was bestowed
with the
bandasak
or
title
of
Phraya.
Also transliterated Vasuthep.
See also
Royal Thai Police.
回
2. Another Thai name for
Narai or
Vishnu.
Also
transliterated Vasuthep.
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wat (วัด,
ວັດ)
Thai and Laotian word for a Buddhist temple or monastery,
derived from the Pali word avasa, as well
as from the Sanskrit word
avasatha.
A typical wat in Thailand is generally used for both religious,
educational and residential purposes, and consist in general of a
bot (boht -
fig.),
the ordination hall; a
viharn (fig. -
wihaan), the prayer hall; a
sala (fig.),
an open shelter with a roof; and a number of
kutis (fig.),
the quarters of the monks. Larger temples usually also have a
ho trai (fig.),
a library for Buddhist writings; a
mondop sometimes
housing a
Buddhapada; a
ho klong (fig.),
a drum tower; and a
ho rakhang (fig.),
a belfry; whilst smaller temples like the
wat pah, forest temples,
have in general no boht or ordination hall. In rural Thailand the wat
usually serves as a religious centre as well as a social meeting place.
Thailand has around 27,000 Buddhist temples. Also
araam.
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Wat Angthong (วัดอ่างทอง)
1.
Thai. Name of
a
Theravada
Buddhist temple in
Prachuap Khirikhan.
回
2.
Thai. Name of
a
Theravada
Buddhist temple in
Ayutthaya.
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Wat Arun (วัดอรุณ)
Thai.
‘Temple of dawn’. An 86 meter high structure alongside the
Chao Phrya
River, with
prangs in
Khmer style consisting of a main
stupa flanked by four smaller ones, which are
actually prangs on a
chedi shaped base. Its grooved towers indicate that the authority who commissioned the
construction was a king.
When General
Taksin after the fall
of
Ayutthaya appeared with a liberating army on the Chao Phraya river at dawn the temple name was changed in
Wat Jaeng,
a synonym for the later Wat Arun which is derived from the Indian god
of dawn,
Aruna. In 1772 AD, when general
Chakri,
the later king Yotfa, was appointed supreme commander of the Siamese armies by
King Taksin, he conquered the Laotian city of
Vientiane
and brought the
Emerald Buddha
(fig.) back to
Thonburi
where the statue was placed in Wat Arun. Today the temple is still in use by members of the royal court for religious
state ceremonies, such as the annual
kathin phra racha thaan (fig.).
Its official name is
Wat Arun Rajawarahrahm
and the temple is one of the few throughout Thailand conferred
with the highest royal title of
Rajavora
Maha Vihaan.
Its outline is part of the logo of the
Tourism Authority of Thailand (fig.).
On the quayside in
front of the temple is a banner with in Thai the full name of
Krung Thep,
i.e.
Bangkok
(fig.).
See also POSTAGE STAMPS (1),
(2),
(3),
(4),
(5),
(6),
(7)
and
(8),
as well as
MAP,
TRAVEL PHOTOS (1),
(2)
and
(3),
QUADCOPTER PICTURE,
and
PANORAMA PICTURES (1),
(2),
and
(3).
回
Wat Arun Rajawarahrahm
(วัดอรุณราชวราราม)
Thai. The full and official name for
Wat Arun.
Often this name is followed by the highest royal title for temples, i.e.
Rajavora
Maha Vihaan.
See MAP.
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Wat Asokaraam (วัดอโศการาม)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist
temple in
Samut Prakan,
named after
the Indian-Mauryan Emperor
Asoka.
READ ON.
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Wat Ban Den (วัดบ้านเด่น)
Thai. Name of an 80
rai Buddhist
temple complex in the Mae Taeng area of
Chiang Mai
province. Located on a small hill the enormous compound is visible
from afar.
READ
ON.
回
Wat Bang Khae Yai (วัดบางแคใหญ่)
Thai. Name of an ancient
Buddhist temple in
Samut Songkhram,
which dates from the
Ayutthaya
period and was renovated in the reign of
Rama II.
READ ON.
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Wat Bang Kung (วัดบางกุ้ง)
Thai. Name of an ancient temple
in
Samut Songkhram,
which dates from the
Ayutthaya
period and was once used as a military camp for Siamese navy troops
during the 1765 war against the invading Burmese.
READ ON.
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Wat Bang Peng Tai (วัดบางเพ็งใต้)
Thai. ‘Riverside Village Temple
Underneath The Full Moon’. Name of a Buddhist temple in Minburi,
located on
Khlong Saen Saeb,
a major canal that runs through
Bangkok (fig.).
On weekends and holidays the area around the temple turns into a
floating market,
which is known as
Talaat Nahm
Khwan-Riam
(fig.)
and on such days, when many people are expected to visit the area,
the temple may organize special events to allow visitors to make
merit.
As is the case with most temples in Thailand, it serves as a
social meeting place and blends in perfectly with the adjoining
market. A section of the temple has a garden with statues of
reusi,
i.e. Thai hermits, in various poses that represent exercises to
promote
physical health (fig.)
akin to those at
Wat Poh
(fig.). See also
Ban Suan Phuttasin.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS,
MAP, and
WATCH
VIDEO.
回
Wat Bang Phli Yai Klang (วัดบางพลีใหญ่กลาง)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist
temple in
Samut Prakan, that houses the
over 53 meters,
Somdet Phra Sakayamuni Sri Sumet
Bophit
Buddha image,
the largest
reclining Buddha
in Thailand (fig.).
Scattered
throughout the
temple's compound are hundreds
of life-sized statues representing disciples of the
Buddha
seated in
lotus position
upon a
lotus
pedestal which doubles as a burial vault for the ashes of deceased
local residents.
The temple is located
along
Khlong Samrohng, the main
watercourse of Samut Prakan, and in the vicinity of
Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai (fig.).
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai (วัดบางพลีใหญ่ใน)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist
temple in
Samut Prakan, that houses the much venerated
Buddha image
Luang Pho Toh
(fig.),
i.e.
one of the five Buddha
images mentioned in the
Legend of the Five Floating
Buddha Statues
(fig.), known in Thai as
Tamnaan Luang Pho Loy Nahm Hah Phi-Nong.
Besides the
Luang Pho
Toh image, it also
houses copies of two of the other
Buddha images
mentioned in the legend, namely Luang Pho Wat Ban Laem from Wat
Phetchasamut Worawihan in
Samut Songkhram
and Luang Pho or
Phra
Phutta Sothon
(fig.)
from
Wat
Sothon Wararam Woriwihaan in
Chachengsao (fig.).
The temple is located along
Khlong Samrohng, the main
watercourse of Samut Prakan, and in the vicinity of
Wat Bang Phli Yai Klang
(fig.).
See MAP.
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Wat Bang Thong (วัดบางโทง)
Thai. Previous name for the
Buddhist temple
Wat Mahathat Wachiramongkhon
in
Krabi (fig.).
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Wat Ban Laem (วัดบ้านแหลม)
Thai. Former name for
Wat Phet Samut Worawihaan in
Samut Songkhram.
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Wat Banrai (วัดบ้านไร่)
Thai. Name of a
Buddhist temple
in the
tambon Kut Phiman,
amphur
Dan Khun Thot, in
Nakhon Ratchasima
province. This
Korat
temple is
associated with the noble monk
Luang Pho Khun
(fig.), whose
portrait and statues are found found all over the
complex. It has a unique
wihaan,
which is named Whihaan Thep Withayakhom, after Luang Pho Khun's honorific name,
i.e.
Phra Thep Withayakhom. The hall
is built in a pond, features a tusked elephant's
head, is surrounded by mythological and religious
characters, and is accessible via a long
naga-bridge.
Inside is a exhibition devoted to the life and work of Luang Pho
Khun.
See
MAP.
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Wat Benjamabophit
(วัดเบญจมบพิตร)
Thai. The
Marble Temple in
Bangkok (fig.).
Built around the turn of the 19th. century by order of King
Chulalongkorn.
The temple is built of white Carrara marble from Toscana and has a cruciform
bot.
The base of the central Buddha image (fig.),
which is a copy of the
Phra Phutta Chinnarat image (fig.)
from
Phitsanulok, contains the ashes of king
Rama
V. In the gallery of the courtyard behind the
bot there are
53 Buddha images (33 originals and 20 copies) that represent different poses
and
styles from throughout Thailand and other Buddhist countries. Half
of the images are in a seated pose while the other half are in
depicted in a standing pose, and hey have been erected in an
alternate way, so that a seated image is always displayed next to a
standing one and vice versa. Often abbreviated Wat Ben.
See MAP.
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Wat Boromaracha Kanchana
Phisek Anuson (วัดบรมราชากาญจนาภิเษกอนุสรณ์)
Thai. Name of the largest Chinese Buddhist temple in Thailand.
READ ON.
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Wat Borom Niwaat Rachaworawihaan
(วัดบรมนิวาสราชวรวิหาร)
Thai. ‘Great
Royal
Abode Temple’. Name of a
royal temple in
Bangkok of
the
class
Phra Araam Luang.
READ ON.
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Wat Bowonniwet Wihaan Rachaworawihaan (วัดบวรนิเวศวิหารราชวรวิหาร)
Thai. ‘Royal Temple Hall
and Glorious
Abode’. Name of a temple in
Bangkok's Phra Nakhon
district.
READ ON.
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Wat Bowonsathaan Suthawaht
(วัดบวรสถานสุทธาวาส)
Thai. ‘Exalted Temple
and
Pure
Avasa’.
Name of a temple in
Bangkok's Phra Nakhon
district.
READ ON.
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Wat Buak Khrok Luang (วัดบวกครกหลวง)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple
in the
tambon
Tha Sala (ท่าศาลา) of
Chiang Mai
city. The temple's
wihaan,
believed to be more than 300 years old,
is built in the
Lan Na
style and was restored during
the reign of Kaew Nawarat, the last King of Lan Na and Prince Ruler
of Chiang Mai. The wihaan houses a
Buddha image
in the
marapajon pose
and its walls are covered
with 14
murals in blue, red, and white. The murals on the
northern wall depict scenes from the
Mahosot Chadok,
while the
murals on the
southern side depict scenes from the
Totsachat
Chadok.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS,
TRAVEL PICTURES
and
MAP.
回
Wat Buppharam (วัดบุพพาราม)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple
in
Chiang Mai.
READ ON.
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Wat Burapha Ku Ka Sing (วัดบูรพากู่กาสิงห์)
Thai. Name of a
Khmer
prasat-style
ancient religious monument in the
Tambon
Ku Ka Sing
in
Roi Et
Province, built in a mixture of
laterite and sandstone.
The historical site comprises of three stone spires called
prang
that are built on a base, with the central prang being somewhat
larger than the other two prangs. There is a
Nandi mandapa with the statue of a
bull, i.e. the
vahana
or vehicle of the
Hindu
god
Shiva
known as
Nandi,
evidence that the site,
thought to date from
BE
1560-1630, i.e. the early to late 11th century AD, was likely
dedicated to the worship of
Hindu god
Shiva. In the front are
rectangular library buildings and the ruins are surrounded by a
wall, with
gopura entrance
pavilions at the four cardinal directions. On the outside thereof is
a U-shaped moat that surrounds the outer wall. It has a long
antechamber with three
entrances at the front and at both sides. Many of the door posts
have Khmer-style
colonettes,
i.e.
decorated columns
that are also referred to as
pilasters.
The base of the prang is made of sandstone and carved with
lotus petals and
flame-like
kanok figures. Inside
the inner chamber of the central prang, there is a
yoni, i.e. the base
meant to hold a
lingam. The
lintels
found over the door posts depict the god Indra on his mount, i.e.
the
three-headed
elephant
Airavata, and
kala faces, some with
hands that hold a garland. Often referred to as simply
Ku Ka Sing, which may also be
transliterated Ku Kah Singh.
See also EXPLORER'S MAP and
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Burapha Phiram (วัดบูรพาภิราม)
Thai. ‘Temple of the Pleasing East’ or ‘Temple of Happiness in the
Foreground’. Name of a third-class royal temple in
Roi Et,
that was formerly known as Wat Hua Ro (วัดหัวรอ), and later as
Wat
Burapha,
due to its location in the east of the city.
The
temple was built in 1913 AD and was at that time used as overnight
accommodation for traveling merchants and other people, who then
traveled mainly on foot. Adjacent to its
ubosot is
a large standing Buddha statue known as
Phra Phuttha Rattana
Mongkhon Mahamuni (พระพุทธรัตนมงคลมหามุนี). It is the tallest
Buddha image in Thailand
and stands in the
pahng prathan phon pose, i.e. the
‘posture of giving a blessing’. The statue is also known as Luang Pho Yai (หลวงพ่อใหญ่)
and was built with in 1973 with reinforced concrete. The statue is
59.2 metres tall, though
including the pedestal, which doubles as a museum with many rooms,
it has a total height of 67.85 metres. Luang Pho Yai is
a symbol of the province and is also mentioned in the slogan of Roi
Et as Phra Soong Yai (พระสูงใหญ่), i.e.
the
‘Big Tall Buddha’. To the east of the
temple is an old city moat and a shrine dedicated to Chao Pho Mahe
Sakdanuphaap (เจ้าพ่อมเหศักดานุภาพ).
In between this is an artificial cave with a gilded
reclining Buddha,
which on the outside is surrounded by
niches
of which each houses a Buddha statue of
the
Phra prajam wan system, in
which each day of the week corresponds to a certain representation
of a Buddha image in a different pose.
Adjacent to the cave is a garden with statues depicting the main
scenes from the life of the Buddha.
See also EXPLORER'S MAP and
WATCH VIDEO (1)
and
(2).
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Wat Chai Chumphon Chana Songkhram
(วัดไชยชุมพลชนะสงคราม)
Thai. ‘Temple of the Glorious Assembly that Won the War’. Name of a temple in
Kanchanaburi,
that due to its location in the south of Kanchanaburi city, just
south of the confluence of the rivers
Kwae
Yai (แควใหญ่) and Kwae Noi (แควน้อย), is also known as
Wat Tai (วัดใต้), i.e. ‘Southern Temple’. At
its compound, is the JEATH War Museum
(fig.),
a small museum
dedicated to the
history of the
Thailand-Burma Railway
during WWII, built from 1942 to 1943 by Allied POWs under the
direction of the Imperial Japanese Army, who at the time occupied
the area, and aimed to create a safe overland route via the historic
Three Pagoda Pass (fig.)
in order to supply their troops fighting at the front in
Burma.
The name JEATH is an acronym made up of the first letters of the
countries whose POWs worked on the construction of the railway,
namely: Japan, England, Australia and America, Thailand, and
Holland. The museum consists of
bamboo huts that recreate
the sleeping quarters of the Allied POWs and narrates life in the
camps and work on the railway by means of paintings, drawings and
photos, many made by former POWs, as well as weapons, scale models,
and maps. The museum was founded in 1977 by
Phra Thammakhunaphon (พระธรรมคุณาภรณ์), who is also known as
Luang Pho Phaiboon Katapunnoh (หลวงพ่อไพบูลย์ กตปุญฺโญ),
the then abbot of the temple.
Also on the temple's compound is a
mondop, a kind of temple
hall, dedicated to Phra Wisutthirangsih (พระวิสุทธิรังษี), a former
abbot of this place, who is also known by the names
Luang Poo
Pliyan
Inthotsaroh (หลวงปู่เปลี่ยน อินทสโร) and
Luang Pho
Wat Tai (หลวงพ่อวัดใต้),
who was born on 5 April 1862 and passed away on 4 April 4 1947, 85
years old and a day short of his 86th birthday. In the centre on the
grounds
of the temple compound is the former crematorium used to cremate the body
of Phra Thammakhunaphon, who besides the founder of the museum and a
former abbot of Wat Tai, also was the former
Ecclesiastical Provincial Governor of Kanchanaburi (fig.).
He passed away in India on 25 December 2002, while he led Buddhist
pilgrims to pay homage to Buddhist holy places in India. The
former crematorium is fashioned in the shape of a divine vehicle pulled by
a white
horse, the animal of the
Chinese zodiac that symbolizes the
year in which he was born, as well as the year of his demise. The
male deity seated on the horse raises a
dhammachakka, the
Buddhist ‘Wheel
of Law’ (fig.)
that symbolizes the ongoing cycle of cause and effect in ones life,
known as
kam
(karma) and resulting in perpetual reincarnation.
Inside the edifice is a memorial museum dedicated to this monk, with
pictures and some of his personal belongings and
borikaan, i.e.
eight permitted
articles Buddhist monks may have for daily life, such as his
alms bowl,
robe, etc.
See also TRAVEL PICTURE and
WATCH
VIDEO.
回
Wat Chai Sri Phum (วัดชัยศรีภูมิ)
Thai. ‘Temple of the glorious field of victory’. Name of a temple in
Chiang Mai,
built in 1519 AD, during the reign of King
Phaya
Meuang Kaew (1495
- 1526). It is
located opposite of the
remnants of the ancient city wall at the northeastern corner of the
moat surrounding the old city. The temple has a white
prasat-style
chedi,
decorated with a gilded pinnacle and gilded ornaments, as well as
with
niches that house gilded
Buddha images,
each standing in the
pahng prathap yeun pose.
In addition, the temple has a wooden
ho trai,
besides the other, expected temple buildings.
See also
Chai
and
Sri,
and compare with the name
Chaiyaphum.
Also spelled Wat Chai Si Phum.
See MAP.
回
Wat Chaiwatthanaram
(วัดไชยวัฒนาราม)
Thai. One of the most impressive of ancient Buddhist monasteries, built in 1630
AD on the banks of the
Chao Phraya River in
Ayutthaya.
READ ON.
回
Wat Chaleum Phrakiat Phrachomklao Rachanuson
(วัดเฉลิมพระเกียรติพระจอมเกล้าราชานุสรณ์)
Thai. Name of a
stunning hilltop temple in
Lampang,
which was originally named
Wat Phraphuttabaht Poo Pha Daeng.
The most impressive part of the temple is the bare rocky mountain on
which it is located and which is dotted with small
chedis,
mostly white in colour, and which gives the location the epithet
Temple of the Floating Pagodas. A climb to its summit offers stunning views
of the area. Also transliterated Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat Phrachomklao
Rachanusorn.
See also
TRAVEL PICTURES,
EXPLORER'S MAP, and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Wat Chalo (วัดชลอ)
Thai.
Name of a Buddhist temple in the
amphur Bang
Kruwey (Kruai)
of
Nonthaburi.
READ ON.
回
Wat Chamadevi (วัดจามเทวี)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple in
Lamphun.
READ ON.
回
Wat
Chang Lom (วัดช้างล้อม)
1.
Thai. ‘Temple of the
Encircling Elephants’. Name of an ancient
Buddhist temple in
Sri Satchanalai
Historical Park.
The temple's
chedi,
in Singhalese style and surrounded by 39 sculptures of
elephants,
was built around
1285 AD, i.e. in the
Sukhothai
Period, in order to house relics of the
Buddha,
that were dug-up elsewhere and re-buried at this spot by King
Ramkamhaeng
(fig.).
See also
Wat Mahaeyong
(fig.),
Wat Sorasak
(fig.),
and
chang, as
well as
TRAVEL PICTURES,
POSTAGE STAMPS
and
MAP,
and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
2. Thai.
‘Temple of the Encircling
Elephants’. Name of an ancient
Buddhist temple in
Sukhothai
with a large bell shaped
chedi,
of which the square base is surrounded by 32 caryatid-like figures in the form of
White Elephants,
as well as
another name
for
Wat Sorasak
(fig.),
i.e. another similar temple in
Sukhothai
Historical Park, with a base surrounded by 24 White Elephants. See also
chang,
MAP,
and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Watchanihsoon (วัชนีสูร)
Thai. Name of the
consort to
the
demon king
Thao
Chakraphad,
ruler of
Maliwan, a city or kingdom in the
Ramakien,
whom she bore a son called
Banlaichak,
the younger brother of
Suriyapop (fig.)
and the
elder brother of
Nonyuphak.
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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Wat Chan Tawan Tok (วัดจันทร์ตะวันตก)
Thai.
‘Western
Moon Temple’. Name of a
Buddhist temple in the northern Thai city of
Phitsanulok
and of which the surrounding wall, as well as its main prayer hall,
known as
Maha
Wihaan
Reuan
Thong
(มหาวิหารเรือนทอง), are completely gilded. The many and often
multi-leveled roofs of this wihaan have multiple
chofa, i.e. bird's head-like
finials at either end of Thai Buddhist temple roofs, that are at the
bottom front adorned with crystals and the depiction of a
thepanom (fig.),
i.e. an angel (thep)
in a respectful posture clasping the hands as a token of worship and
sign of respect (phanom),
whilst the hook at the crooked peak is shaped into a
Garuda-like face. Once
attached to the roofs, many are adorned with wings and a tail making
them reminiscent of the Golden Swan or
Hamsa (fig.),
which is in Thai referred to as
Hong Thong,
whilst at the beak a small temple bell, called a
kradeung (fig.),
is attached, that
tinkles in the wind, akin to wind chimes. The yellowish orange to
golden colour of this prayer hall makes it reminiscent of the wax
edifices that are carried to the temple in a procession (fig.)
during the annual
Wax Castle Festival
in
Sakon Nakhon,
in order to mark the ending of the
Buddhist Lent.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Charoen Rat Bamrung (วัดเจริญราษฎร์บำรุง)
Thai. Name of a
Buddhist temple in
Nakhon Pathom,
which is also known as Wat Nong Phong Nok (วัดหนองพงนก). In front of
the complex is a large statue of
Luang Pho Prathan Phon,
i.e. a
Buddha image
in the
pahng prathan phon
pose
(fig.),
i.e.
the
‘position of giving a
blessing’ or the ‘blessing pose’. The image is
seated
in western style, with one hand held up the thumb and index finger
touching or nearly touching, while the other arm is held down with
hand palm up and the elbow in L-shape.
This large gilded Buddha statue is flanked by six
crowned Buddha
images, three on
either side and seated in the
half lotus position,
each with a different animal depicted on the
pah thip,
i.e. the ornamental cloth hanging from the bottom of the image, in
front of the pedestal (fig.).
On either end of this row of statues is a large
Buddha image
standing in the
pahng um baat pose, i.e.
holding an alms bowl.
See also PANORAMIC PICTURE and
WATCH VIDEO (1),
(2)
and
(3), and
VIDEO (E).
回
Wat Chedi
Hoi (วัดเจดีย์หอย)
Thai. Name of a temple (wat)
in the
Tambon
Bo Ngun (บ่อเงิน) of the
Amphur Laht Lum Kaew
(map)
in
Pathum Thani
Province. It is famed for its stupa (chedi)
made from a great number of fossilized oyster shells (hoi), that
were found in the temple's compound. The shells were first
discovered when the temple's abbot ordered a water reservoir dug for
the irrigation of the temple's 20
rai large herbal garden. After the
discovery, the abbot and members of the temple committee continued
to search in other places of the compound for more shells. Many more
were found, including some large ones, believed to be about 8
million years old. Their quest, which ended in 1995, lasted for 12
years and resulted in the construction of the temple's stupa (fig.).
See MAP.
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Wat Chedi Jed Thaew (วัดเจดีย์เจ็ดแถว)
Thai.
‘Temple with Seven Rows of
Stupas’. Name of an ancient
Buddhist temple in
Sri Satchanalai
Historical Park.
The complex has 26
chedi
arranged in a U-shape around the
wihaan
and main
pagoda,
with the latter being in the Singhalese style and topped by a
lotus-bud.
See also
POSTAGE STAMPS
and
MAP.
回
Wat Chedi Jed Yod (วัดเจดีย์เจ็ดยอด)
Thai. ‘Temple with the Seven
Stupas’. One of the most important sanctuaries of
northern Thailand in
Chiang Mai, also
known by the name Wat Photharam Maha Wihaan.
READ ON.
回
Wat
Chedi Luang (วัดเจดีย์หลวง)
Thai.
‘Temple of the Royal
Stupa’,
sometimes referred to as ‘Temple of the Big Stupa’.
Name of a Buddhist temple in
Chiang Mai.
READ ON.
回
Wat Cheung Tha (วัดเชิงท่า)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple located on the banks of the
Meuang
Canal in
Ayutthaya,
to the north of the city island
of
Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya.
READ ON.
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Wat Chiang Man
(วัดเชียงมั่น)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple
in
Chiang Mai,
located within the old city moat.
READ ON.
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Wat Chiang Yeun (วัดเชียงยืน)
1. Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple
in
the northern
Thai town of
Chiang Rai.
Both its
ubosot and
wihaan
are erected in a reddish-brown
colour mixed with parts of brown
laterite,
especially at the windows and in the ubosot also at the doors, and
overall adorned with contrasting golden embellishment in typical
Lan Na
style. On each corner, the
ordination hall has a large statue of one of the
Si Tian Wang,
i.e. the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’,
one for each of the cardinal directions of the world,
normally typically found at the entrances of
Taoist
and
Mahayana
Buddhist
temples, and here depicted in a rather
Thai style.
The interior of the ubosot is richly decorated with colourful murals
with scenes from Buddhism, as well as depictions of Thai and
regional traditional festivals. The principal
Buddha image
in the
bot,
as well as some lesser Buddha statues on his sides, are all gilded
and seated in the
maravichaya pose, while adjacent to
the main altar is also a white Buddha statue cut from marble in the
same pose, while on the opposite side, at the end of the elevated
row of seats reserved for monks, is a wax statue of
Phra Kruh
Methangkon (เมธังกร), a
late famous Buddhist monk from Phrae who was a
thera, i.e.
a
senior Buddhist monk who has been more than ten years in the
priesthood, and who as a teacher was instrumental in bringing about
important reforms into the religious and secular education system
of temple schools. Adjacent and to the south of the ubosot is a
small pavilion dedicated to
Kruh Bah Khamlah Sangwaroh (คำหล้า
สังวโร),
another
great
thera
monk of Lan Nah, who restored many important relics. This pavilion,
with a
naga
staircase, houses both a wax image and a bronze statue of
this important monk of the past. See also
TRAVEL PICTURE,
EXPLORER'S MAP and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
2. Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple
in
the northern
Thai town of
Chiang Mai.
回
Wat Chom Si (ວັດຈອມສີ)
Lao. Name of a Buddhist temple
in the city center of Luang Prabang (ຫຼວງພະບາງ)
and which is also
known as Wat Phou Si (ວັດພູສີ), due to its location on Mount Phousi.
READ ON.
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Wat Chuthathittham Sapharam Worawihaan
(วัดจุฑาทิศธรรมสภารามวรวิหาร)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple
complex located at the foot of a Mt.
Phra
Chulachomklao,
on the
island of Koh Si Chang, off the coast of
Chonburi,
located just
across from Thah Lahng Pier. The
ubosot
houses a 1.25 meters tall
Buddha image
in the
Sukhothai
style. On the slope above
the temple complex are Thai-Chinese shrines
dedicated to Chao Mae
Kwan Im
(fig.)
and Chao Pho
Khao Yai (fig.),
while the white
mondop
just below the summit houses a
Phraphuttabaht
(fig.).
See also TRAVEL PICTURE
and
MAP.
回
Wat Doi Suthep (วัดดอยสุเทพ)
Thai. Temple in North Thailand, built at a height of 1,053 meters on the hill of
Doi Suthep, 14
kms to
the West of the city of
Chiang Mai.
READ ON.
回
Wat Doi Ngam Meuang (วัดดอยงำเมือง)
Thai. Name of a
Buddhist hilltop temple in the city of
Chiang Rai.
READ
ON.
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Wat Doi Thep Somboon (วัดดอยเทพสมบูรณ์)
Thai.
‘Mountain Temple
of the Perfect Deity’.
Name of a Buddhist
hilltop temple in
Nong
Bua Lamphu, with
on its summit the Phra
Phuttha Chayanti Nong Bua Lamphu (พระพุทธชยันตีหนองบัวลำภู) Buddha
statue that stands in the
pahng prathan phon
pose,
i.e. the
‘position of giving a
blessing’ or ‘blessing pose’,
and that overlooks the city. Both the main road and subsequent
staircase towards the summit are flanked by golden
naga-balustrades, of which the
former is about 630 meters long. Underneath the base of the Phra
Phuttha Chayanti Nong Bua Lamphu Buddha statue is a small museum
that displays two human skeletons and some ancient tools, jewelry
and pottery, that were discovered in the area, which has many
pre-historical limestone caves, such as those at
Phu Pha Ya (ภูผายา),
some of which have prehistoric paintings estimated to be around
2,000 to 3,000 years old.
A short walk through a wooded area leads to a hut for monks, as well
as to a building with a
reclining Buddha
statue, of which the bottom of the staircase is flanked by two
guardians in the form of
nok hadsadi,
mythical birds with the head of an elephant (fig.).
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Dok Kham (วัดดอกคำ)
Thai. Name of a
Lan Na-style
Buddhist temple in
Chiang Mai,
located within the walls of the old city, along the eastern moat,
just a short distance north of
Tha Phae Gate
(fig.).
Inside the
wihaan
is a
Buddha image
seated in the
bhumisparsa
pose whereas the
eastern outer wall has a standing Buddha image
with an
abhaya
mudra.
See MAP.
回
Wat Dong Phra Chao (วัดดงพระเจ้า)
Thai. Name of a
Buddhist hilltop temple in
Phayao
that features a large outdoor
reclining Buddha
image, that —situated on the roadside summit of this temple— has
fast become a landmark
of the area visible to anyone
traveling on National Highway No. 1 between Phayao and
Lampang.
Besides two streets that give access to the temple, the summit can
also be reached by a wide staircase that is flanked by
naga balustrades and that
leads straight to the feet of the reclining Buddha statue.
回
Wat Don Sak (วัดดอนสัก)
Thai. Name a Buddhist temple in
Surat Thani
that features a giant
statue
of
Luang Poo Thuad (fig.),
and despite the fact that many similar giant statues of this popular Buddhist monk
(fig.)
have been popping up allover Thailand in recent years, including the
allegedly 59 meter tall Luang Poo Thuad
Khao Yai statue in
Nakhon Sri Thammarat,
which declares to be the tallest in the world, this one
with an supposed height of 34.9 meter (excluding the base) also
claims to be the largest in the world. The temple
was founded in ca. 1507 and also has a cave that today is
known as Tham Singkhon (ถำสิงขร).
In the mid-Ayutthaya period, there were troops of
Nakhon Sri Thammarat
and
Chaiya
stationed in the area in order to oversee the safety of the local
people and traders whilste
the cave was used to store
materials and was hence referred to as Tham Sing Khong (ถำสิ่งของ),
which means
‘Cave [with]
Things’
or
‘Material Cave’,
which over time developed into the current name. The complex also a
couple of decommissioned wooden fisher boats that are used as
decoration, one of which has been installed at the entrance of the
cave.
See also TRAVEL PICTURE
and
PANORAMA PICTURE.
回
Wat Duang Dih (วัดดวงดี)
Thai.
‘Temple of Good Luck’, but also
‘Temple of the Auspicious Stars’ or ‘Temple of Good Karma’.
Name of a small
Lan Na-style
Buddhist temple in
Chiang Mai,
located within the walls of the old city,
near the
Three Kings Monument
(fig.).
Its buildings are
characterized by carved wood architecture, and it has a
redented chedi
with on its square base
a statue of an
elephant on each of its corners.
It has a rather
small
ubosot
and hence the larger
wihaan
is typically used by the monks and novices to assemble for prayers.
It is one of the oldest temples in
Chiang Mai, and it is assumed that it was built sometime shortly
after King
Mengrai (fig.)
founded Chiang Mai, and was at some point used as a school for the
children of the local nobility. Throughout its existence, the temple
has been known by a variety of names, including Wat Phantunom Dih or
Wat Phantunom Dih (วัดพันธุนมดี);
Wat Udom Dih or Wat Udom Dee (วัดอุดมดี);
Wat Phanom Dih or Wat Phanom Dee (วัดพนมดี);
and Wat Ton Mahk Neua (วัดต้นหมากเหนือ),
i.e.
‘Temple of the Northern
Betel
Nut
Tree’, of which an derivation
is still used today by some as yet another name, i.e. Wat Phan Dih
or Wat Phandee (วัดพันธู์ดี), which translates as
‘Temple of the Good
Strain’.
Wat Duang Dih was
declared an ancient monument by the Fine Arts Department in 1981.
Also transliterated Wat Duangdee.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Ek Phnom (វត្តឯកភ្នំ)
Khmer.
‘Temple of the Prime Hill’.
Temple near the Cambodian city of Battambang. It consists of an
ancient Hindu temple that dates back to the 11th century AD and was
built in the reign of King
Suryavarman
I, as well as a modern
Buddhist prayer hall
and a giant Buddha statue, seated
on a concrete building that houses a number of gilded Buddha images.
Besides this, there are also modern edifices in the Khmer style.
See also TRAVEL PICTURE
and
MAP.
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Water Buffalo
The Asian domestic buffalo is a
large bovid, with the scientific designation Bubalus bubalis, that
originated and is widely found in South, East and Southeast Asia.
READ ON.
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water
cabbage
See
jok.
回
water chestnut
For Thai water
chestnuts
or water caltrop,
see
krajab; for Chinese water
chestnuts, see
somwang.
回
Watercock
Common name for a waterbird with the scientific name Gallicrex
cinerea. This rather secretive
bird is distributed in South, East and Southeast Asia, where it
lives near swamps and marshes. Adults are dark brown with buff and grey fringing above,
and paler underparts,
which are streaked and barred with darker markings. Males have grow up to 43
centimeters tall and females up to 36 centimeters. The bill of both sexes is yellowish-grey
and the
legs are greenish-grey
with females and rather yellowish-grey in males. Their bodies are
flattened laterally to allow easier passage through reeds and
undergrowth. In the breeding season the females are somewhat darker
and the plumage of the males becomes black-grey, with brownish-buff
wingtips, red legs and a red facial
shield. In Thai it is
known as nok ih-lum (นกอีลุ้ม)
and nok ih-lom (นกอีล้ม).
回
water coconut
Colloquial name for the woody fruit cluster of the
nipa palm.
Its fruit consists of a cluster of woody nuts, compressed into a
large ball, that grows upward on a single stalk (fig.).
It is used to be made into a refreshing drink, usually consisting of
both the sap and the translucent flesh of this fruit (fig.).
In
Malaysia and Singapore, the immature fruits
are used as a dessert ingredient.
回
waterfall
See
nahm tok.
回
water hyacinth
Originally, a native weed of the Amazon river basin in
South America, where its shiny green leaves and lilac flowers (fig.)
with purplish-blue and yellow colouring (fig.), made it a favourite pool decoration in colonial European gardens.
The
plants stay buoyant due to large air cavities in the
hollow and partly bulbous stems. In the 19th
century Dutch colonialists took it to Java from where it was taken to
Siam by
visiting Thais who called it
pak tob chawa,
i.e. ‘Java grass’ or ‘Java weed’. However, the
invasive plant eventually found its way into the wild, where it soon became a menace. A
single water hyacinth produces namely enough seeds to generate 3,000 offspring
in less than two months, doubling its size in just over a week. In the Amazon
this poses no problem as certain herbivorous fish and water floods keep it under
control, but elsewhere such explosive growth over time forms a dense mat of
floating foliage (fig.), resulting in lack of oxygen
and sunlight that consequently
threatens fish and other aquatic life. It can grow so densely that
it completely blocks rivers and canals, and the water is no longer
visible. Besides being an nuisance for navigation, it also hinders
shipping traffic, as plants easily get stuck in the blades of a
boat's propeller. This actually led to the invention of the
longtail boat, which has a motor with a
propeller on a long shaft, specially designed to avoid floating
rubble and which can easily be lifted out of the water and cleared
if the propeller gets stuck in the floating foliage. The problems is now
largely eradicated by
using the weed as pigs food and the dried stems for weaving,
especially in furniture (fig.). The water hyacinths
are taken from the water surface by special equipped boats (fig.).
The
indigenous
Intha people
(fig.),
that live on and around
Inle
Lake
(fig.)
in
Myanmar's
Shan State,
dredge up (fig.)
grass-like weeds (fig.)
from the bottom of the lake, which they mix with buoyant water
hyacinths in order to create floating gardens (fig.)
on which they grow a variety of crops, most commonly tomatoes. Its scientific name
is Eichhornia crassipes.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES (1)
and
(2).
回
water
lettuce
See
jok.
回
water lily
A aquatic plant with floating leaves
and colourful flowers of the family of
Nymphaeaceae, sometimes confused with the
lotus
(fig.).
Often found in ponds near temples and in colours that vary
from white (fig.)
and yellow (fig.),
over pink (fig.)
and lavender blue to purple, and with a number of gradations in between,
as can be seen in Beung Kum (บึงกุ่ม) a marsh
with lilies on the outskirts of
Bangkok (map
-
fig.). The floating
leaves of the water lily make great rafts for insects and animals to
rest or bask on (fig.).
They are completely water-repellent and often hold miniature pools
of stagnant water, that form convenient watering-places for many
insects to drink from. As is known from fossils, water lilies are
one of the very first flowering plants to have evolved. In Thai
known as
dok
bua.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS
and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
watermelon
See
taeng moh.
回
water mimosa
See
krachet.
回
Water Monitor
A
large species of
monitor lizard
with the binomial name Varanus
salvator, capable of growing up to 3 meters in length with a maximum
weight of over 90 kilograms, though most are only about half that
size. Their body is muscular with a long, powerful, laterally
compressed tail, used for swimming and in defense. There are several
subspecies, such as the
Black
Water Monitor (Varanus salvator komaini -
fig.), and they are one of the most
common monitor lizards found throughout Asia, ranging from Indian
subcontinent to Indochina, the Malay Peninsula and various parts of
Indonesia. They typically inhabit areas close to water (fig.).
See also
TRAVEL PICTURE,
WILDLIFE PICTURES (1),
(2),
(3),
(4),
VIDEO (1),
(2),
(3) and
(4), and
VIDEO (E).
回
water pipe
A hookah. A
bamboo cylinder
(fig.)
filled with water with a valve used by some hill tribes (fig.) in North Thailand to
smoke
gancha (marihuana). The water acts as a filter
and coolant.
It is singed and smoked similar to
opium. In Thai called
bong or bong gancha.
回
water puppetry
See
mua roi nuoc.
回
Water Scavenger Beetle
Common name for a large family of mostly aquatic beetles, known
scientifically as Hydrophilidae. Generally, they are dark in colour
and have extended mouthparts used for directing food to their
mouths, which aids them in scavenging for food on the water surface. In addition to scavenging,
some adults may be predatory or vergetarian, and some members of
this family are only semi-aquatic
or even terrestrial. There are many different species, and one
species in particular, i.e.
Hydrous cavistanum, which
belongs to the order Coleoptera
and in Thai goes by the names
maeng tab tao
and malaeng niang (แมลงเหนี่ยง),
is fried and eaten as a snack (fig.)
in some parts of Thailand, especially in
Isaan.
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Water Scorpion
Name for a large aquatic bug, belonging to the family Nepidae.
READ ON.
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Water Snowflake
Common name for an aquatic
plant, that is also commonly known as Floating Hearts and which
bears the botanical name
Nymphoides indicum.
READ ON.
回
water spinach
See
phak bung.
回
Wathoun Darei (ဝသုန္ဒရေ)
Burmese name for
the earth production spirit (fig.)
in
Myanmar,
i.e. the spirit of the earth, a figure akin to the Thai goddess
Thoranih,
i.e. the mother of the earth
(fig.).
Also transcribed Wet Thonedaree.
回
Wat Hong Thong (วัดหงษ์ทอง)
Thai.
‘Temple of the
Golden
Hong’.
Name of a Buddhist seaside temple in Bang Pakong District of
Chachengsao
Province. The
ubosot
and gilded bell-shaped
chedi
(fig.)
adorned with
Garudas
are built on stilts above the
sea, making this temple a top location for a sea breeze sunset, with
its image reflecting in the water below.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES (1)
and
(2),
and
MAP.
回
Wat Huai Mahin Fon (วัดห้วยมะหินฝน)
Thai.
Name of a Buddhist
temple in
Chiang Rai's
Mae Chan District,
located on a hill and featuring a steep
naga-staircase.
Behind the main prayer hall is a gilded stupa. The platform on which
it sits, as well as the top of the naga-staircase, offer a panoramic
view of the area below. At the main entrance to the temple, some
distance past the main gate, there is a small bridge with two
statues of guardian
lions,
yet not the more commonly found mythological ones that in Thai are
called
singh,
but rather of true lions that in Thai are referred to as
singtoh.
Also at the bridge is a statue of
Phra Siwalih
(fig.),
a venerated monk who as a result of his merit gained in previous
lives attained Enlightenment as soon as he got ordained. At the time
of our visit the main prayer hall apparently had the status of a
wihaan, since
it lacked the
bai sema
(fig.),
i.e. boundary markers at the eight cardinal points, that surround an
ubosot,
the counterpart of a wihaan. However, in a storage hall with some
coffins and Buddha statues adjacent to the prayer hall, lay some
look nimit
(fig.),
i.e. nine large round stones that are buried in the ground, one in
the centre of the chapel and eight underneath the bai sema, in order
to mark the boundary of the consecrated area of a Thai temple on
which the ubosot is built, thus suggesting that the main prayer hall
was likely awaiting an upgrade to te status of ubosot.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Huai Mongkhon (วัดห้วยมงคล)
Thai.
‘Temple of the
Auspicious Creek’. Name of a Buddhist temple in the
tambon
Thap Tai (ทับใต้), near the seaside resort of
Hua Hin
in
Prachuap Khirikhan
Province, and
originally called Wat Huai Khot (วัดห้วยคต), after its location in
the local community of Huai Khot (ห้วยคต). The temple has a giant
statue of
Luang Poo Thuad (fig.),
that was built in the honour of
King
Bhumipon Adunyadet's
72
birthday, i.e. his sixth birthday cycle according to the
Chinese zodiac and which was
inaugurated by Queen
Sirikit
Kitthiyagon
on 27 August
2004, who subsequently granted permission to enshrine her monogram
on the
pah thip
in front of the
statue
which, with a lap width of 9.9 meters and a height of 11.5
meters, at the time was claimed to be the largest in the world.
However, similar large statues of this famous historical monk from
southern Thailand have later been erected in other places too,
sometimes seated on a
cobra
snake
(fig.)
and many with much larger dimensions (fig.),
such as those of
Wat Don Sak
(fig.)
and at
Phuttha Uthayaan Maharaat (fig.)
in
Ayutthaya which
is
part of Wat Wachira
Thammaram. The statue at Wat Huai Mongkhon sits on a
3-storey base, 70 meters wide and 70 meters long, which doubles as a
large hall for worshiping. Also transliterated Wat Huay Mongkhol,
Wat Huai Mongkhon, Wat Huay Mongkol, or similar.
See also EXPLORER'S MAP.
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Wat Huai Pla Kang (วัดห้วยปลากั้ง)
Thai.
‘Temple of the
Crayfish Creek’ or ‘Temple of the
Dwarf Snakehead Fish Rivulet’.
Name of a Buddhist temple in
Chiang Rai,
which features a
nine-tiered Chinese-style
pagoda
and a 79 meters tall white
Kwan
Yin statue,
said to be the largest image of this goddess of mercy in Thailand.
The balustrades of the staircase towards the plateau on which the
statue is erected, consists of large white
Chinese dragons. In front of the
stairs is a giant bronze
joss stick
pot, whilst at the top anyone climbing the staircase is greeted by a
statue of
Wei Tuo,
the
guardian of
Mahayana
Buddhist monasteries.
Flanking this, are life-sized statues of the
Eighteen
Arahats, nine
on either side,
lining the edge
of the platform. Surrounding the hall underneath the Kuan Yin base
are statues of the twelve animals of the
Chinese zodiac. Inside the giant
Kuan Yin statue itself is a lift that takes visitors up 25 storeys,
offering an amazing bird’s eye view of the area, literally
through the
third eye of Kwan Yin.
The wall at the elevator ground floor features
bas-relief stuccos of the
Four Heavenly Kings,
the
four guardian gods in
Mahayana
Buddhism, i.e. one for each of the cardinal directions of the world.
On the
inside, the walls of the giant statue have white
stucco
decorations of Kwan Yin in various poses, as well as other
characters from
Mahayana
Buddhism and
Taoism.
The inner walls of the prayer hall also have white stucco
decorations depicting scenes from Buddhism and the
jataka, whereas the main pagoda
houses a collection of various woodcarver statues of Kuan Yin in
different manifestations, with the largest located at the ground
floor and flanked by her child disciples
Golden Boy and
Jade Girl. In addition, the upper
floors also feature wooden statues of
Maitreya, the Buddha, the Buddhist
monk
Luang Poo Toh,
and a framed woodcarving with the portraits of the past monarchs of
the
Chakri Dynsaty, from
Rama I
to
Rama IX. Also transliterated Wat Huai Pla Kang.
See also
PANORAMA PICTURE,
TRAVEL PICTURES (1),
(2),
(3)
and
(4),
WATCH VIDEO (1) and
(2),
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT,
and
MAP.
回
Wat Huai Sai Khao (วัดห้วยทรายขาว)
Thai.
‘White Sand
Creek Temple’.
Name of a Buddhist temple in the northern Thai province of
Chiang Rai
with an exquisite architecture, strangely beautiful, with bright
colours, and many statues. The temple combines a variety of styles
from Thai and Burmese art, as well as from India. Walking into the
temple somewhat feels like entering a colourful theme park, with
almost every corner of the temple being decorated with some
eye-catching attraction, such as pumpkin-shaped
amalaka-like
domes with golden spires, male and female giants, a majestic serpent
staircase, and many other statues of various deities and
mythological creatures. The temple is located along the main
Phayao-Chiang
Rai road on the western side, while on the opposite eastern side of
the road are some large statues of
war elephants with their respective
mahouts and historical kings in
battle dress, that also belong to the temple.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Hua Khoo (วัดหัวคู้)
Thai.
‘Temple of the
Twisted Head’.
Name of a Buddhist temple of the
Mahanikaai
Sect
in
Samut Prakan.
READ ON.
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Wat
Hua Lampong (วัดหัวลำโพง)
Thai. Name of a third class royal temple in
Bangkok's
Bang Rak district and that
dates from the early Rattanakosin period.
READ ON.
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Wat Intharawihaan (วัดอินทรวิหาร)
Thai.
Name of a Buddhist temple
in
Bangkok, which
contains a
32-meter high
standing
Buddha image
(fig.),
known
as
Luang Pho Toh.
READ ON.
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Wat Jaeng (วัดแจ้ง)
Thai.
‘Temple of dawn’. Old name of, and synonym for
Wat Arun.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS.
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Wat Jong Kham
(วัดจองคำ)
Thai. Name of a temple located on the bank of the Nong Jong Kham (หนองจองคำ)
city lake in
Mae Hong Son, adjacent to
Wat Jong
Klang (fig.).
Both temples and their environment are a popular postcard picture (fig.)
often used by the
Tourism Authority of Thailand
in their promotion of Thailand as a picturesque holiday destination.
The temple was built in 1827 by
Singha Nat Racha
(fig.)
as the first temple of Mae Hong Son and is in the Burmese-Thai Yai style. Between 1932
and 1936 the artisan Sla Po Tong Te-Chagomen
(สล่าโพโต่ง เตชะโกเมนต์) built a
wihaan with three facades to house
a large Burmese style Buddha statue with a lap width of 4.85 meters
and called Luang Pho Toh (หลวงพ่อโต). It is
equal in size to
Phra
Sri
Sakyamuni, the
Phra prathaan or principal Buddha
image in the royal wihaan of
Wat Suthat
in
Bangkok
and the oldest remaining Buddha image from the
Sukhothai
period. Also
transcribed Wat Chong Kham.
See MAP.
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Wat
Jong Klang (วัดจองกลาง)
Thai. Name of a temple in Burmese-Thai Yai style, located on the bank of the Nong Jong Kham (หนองจองคำ)
city lake in
Mae Hong Son, next to
Wat Jong
Kham (fig.).
It is located in picturesque surroundings and often features,
together with its neighbouring temple, in holiday brochures. The
temple contains a
wihaan that houses a gilded replica of the Sihing (สิหิงค์)
Buddha image. It also has 33 wooden human and animal figures
representing scenes from the
Vessantara Jataka, carved by
Burmese
craftsmen and taken from Burma in 1857 AD. The temple also has
stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the life of prince
Siddhartha
and once again from
prince
Wetsandorn, as well as the
way of folk life in the past. According to a record they were made
by Burmese artisans from Mandalay. Recently also a
Bamboo Buddha,
i.e. a style of
Buddha image
from
Myanmar,
has been added (fig.). Also transcribed Wat Chong Glang
or similar.
See MAP.
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Wat Jong Mahkkaeng (วัดจองหมากแกง)
Thai-Shan.
Former
name of
Wat Sri Boon Reuang,
a temple in Mae Sariang, in
Mae Hong Son
province (fig.),
in which the word
mahkkaeng (หมากแกง)
is a Shan word that means
‘tamarind’
(in Thai called
makhaam)
and that refers to the fact that
the temple grounds once used to have many tamarind trees.
回
Wat Jong Soong (วัดจองสูง)
Thai.
Temple situated in the
tambon
Mae
Sariang, in the
homonymous
amphur
Mae
Sariang, and in the province of
Mae Hong Son.
Like many temples in this region, it is built in a mixture of
Burmese and
Shan
art styles. The temple compound is
located in the centre of town and features several Shan-style
chedi,
as well as some wooden monastic buildings. The temple is located
adjacent to
Wat Sri Boon Reuang.
Also transcribed Wat Jong Sung and alternatively known as Wat
Utthayarom (วัดอุทธยารมณ์).
See MAP.
回
Wat Kaew Phichit
(วัดแก้วพิจิตร)
Thai. Name of the very first Buddhist temple
of the
Thammayut sect in
Prachinburi. It was
built in 1879 by a local
millionaire. In 1918,
Chao Phraya Aphaiphubet,
a relative to the
Bunnag family,
had a new
ubosot constructed,
replacing the old building that was by
then in disrepair. The new ordination hall
has an architectural design of mixed styles
of Thai, Chinese, Cambodian and European art.
回
Wat Kaew Korawarahm (วัดแก้วโกรวาราม)
Thai. Name of a
third
class
Buddhist
temple of
royal rank
in
Krabi,
situated on a hill in the heart of this coastal town.
READ
ON.
回
Wat Kanlayanamit Woramahawihaan (วัดกัลยาณมิตรวรมหาวิหาร)
Thai. Name of a first class
Buddhist
temple of
royal rank, located
on the west bank
of the
Chao Phraya
River
in
Thonburi.
READ ON.
回
Wat Ket Karam (วัดเกตการาม)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple
in
Chiang Mai,
of which the main
stupa
houses a hair relic of the
Buddha.
READ
ON.
回
Wat Ketu Madi Sri Warahrahm
(วัดเกตุมดีศรีวราราม)
Thai. Name of a
Buddhist
temple in
Samut Sakon,
which was built in 1963 AD and claims to have the tallest
wihaan
in the nation.
READ
ON.
回
Wat Khae (วัดแค)
Thai. Name of
an old
Buddhist
temple in
Suphanburi,
whose name appears in the
story of
Khun Chang Khun Phaen.
READ ON.
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Wat Khao Bandai It (วัดเขาบันไดอิฐ)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple
in
Phetchaburi,
which is located on a 121 meter tall hill named Khao Bandai
It, from which it gets its name.
READ ON.
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Wat Khao Cha Ngok (วัดเขาชะโงก)
Thai. Name of a
Buddhist temple located on a mountain overlooking the
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy or
CRMA (fig.) in
Nakhon Nayok Province, in
Central Thailand. The temple consists of several attractions, such
as a cliff with a mural of the Phra Phutthachai (พระพุทธฉาย)
Buddha image
wearing a brown robe and of which it is said
to be in ‘various poses’ and named after a
similar image painted on the wall of a cave at
Wat Phra Phutthachai
(fig.) in
Saraburi; a waterfall; old overgrown
jungle dwellings; a section with statues of various animals; statues
of the protagonists from the Chinese epos
Journey to the West, and
some royal figures from Thai history; a hilltop shrine with statues
of
tigers and hermits, who
are in Thai called
reusi, as well
as stunning panoramic views of the area, including the CRMA complex;
and a
mondop with the
Buddhapada or ‘actual’ footprints of
the Buddha, which is accessible by a long
naga-staircase. Adjacent to the
mondop is a large standing Buddha statue in a brown robe and in a
standing pose crafted to resemble the mural of the Buddha on the
cliff below.
Whereas the waterfall is adjacent to the main temple area, the
hilltop shrine and mondop are a good climb away from it, but in part
accessible by a steep road that at times requires low gear use. Also
transliterated Wat Khao Cha-ngohk.
WATCH VIDEO (1)
and
(2).
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Wat Khao Chom Thong (วัดเขาจอมทอง)
Thai. Name of a
Buddhist temple at the foot of Khao Chom Thong, i.e. the ‘Golden
Peak Mountain’, which area is maintained by the temple, who also
built the staircase that leads towards the summit and that opened on
21 August 2016. The mountain trail, that ascends one way and
descends another, takes visitors through dense bamboo forest and
steep cliffs with stunning views. Along it, several Buddha statues
and a temple bell are erected. On the way up the path derives to a
small grotto with a well, whilst on the way down the trail passes a
lush rock face adorned with golden images of the
Buddha, as well as some
other characters from
Buddhism. The temple and its
mountain are located in Khonburi Tai (ครบุรีใต้), in Khonburi (ครบุรี)
District of
Nakhon Ratchasima
Province. To its east and south, the summit overlooks the Moon/Mun
Bon (มูลบน) Reservoir, on which fishermen have built traps and
platforms with nets. On this lofty side of the mountain's peak is a
cliff in the shape of a
turtle's
head. There are plans to built a
Khmer-style
sanctuary at the summit and in 2014 a foundation stone towards this
goal was laid in a special ceremony, while a scale model of what the
finished
prasat-like
building must look like is located in a hangar of the temple at the
foot of the mountain. However, a decade later, construction on the
—initially estimated— 20 million baht project, has yet to be
commenced. Also known as
Phu Chom Thong and sometimes
transliterated Wat Khao Jom Thong.
WATCH VIDEO
and
VIDEO (E).
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Wat Khao Chong Chat (วัดเขาช่องชาด)
Thai.
‘Maroon Mountain
Pass Temple’. Name of a rural Buddhist
hill top temple in
Udonthani
province. It features a gilded
naga-staircase that leads up to a
giant white Buddha statue seated in the meditation pose, and with a
third eye
and an elongated golden flame on its head. The base of the statue is
connected to the summit of the mountain it sits on by a pedestrian
bridge. A nature trail further leads to the edge of the mountain's
rock face, which is in fact the border with the neighbouring
province of
Nong
Bua Lamphu. From
here, visitors can enjoy some magnificent views of the valley below.
The trail further leads down, away from the cliff edge, past a
number of Buddha statues in various poses. Besides some dogs,
domestic chickens and plenty of roosters, the temple also has some
Lesser Whistling Ducks
(fig.).
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Khao Chong Krajok (วัดเขาช่องกระจก)
Thai. ‘Temple at the
Mountain with the Hole Mirror’. Name of a Buddhist temple in
Prachuap Khirikhan
(fig.).
Part of the temple is located on Khao Chong Krachok (เขาช่องกระจก),
a mountain that overlooks Ao Noy or Ahw Noi (อ่าวน้อย), Ahw Manahw
or Ao Manao (อ่าวมะนาว) and Ao/Ahw Prachuap (อ่าวประจวบ), i.e. the
'Small Bay', 'Lemon Bay' and the 'Bay of Prachuap',
respectively. The name of the mountain means ‘Mt. Hole Mirror’ and
is named after an opening in a side of the mountain in which the sea
and sky seem to reflect, and which can be visited by either climbing
some stairs, or by descending a steep ladder from its summit. At the
summit large Thai letters read Meuang Sahm Ahw or Mueang Sam Ao (เมืองสามอ่าว),
i.e. ‘City of Three Bays’, referring to the three aforementioned
bays. On the seaside there is a cave that has a
niche
that can be used for
meditation, whilst the grotto also
features a statue of
Kuan Yin (fig.),
the Chinese goddess of mercy, as well as a gilded statue of
Sun Wukong,
i.e. the Monkey King, holding his magical golden staff (fig.)
which can be used for measuring the depth of the sea water and for
flood control by holding down the sea, thus causing the sea to be
turbulent. At the cave is a glass balcony that offers stunning views
from the area below. Both the temple and the mountain are also the
home to a large group of
macaques.
Also transliterated Wat Khao Chong Krachok and officially known as
Wat Thammikaram/Thammikarahm (วัดธรรมิการาม
-
fig.).
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Khao Din (วัดเขาดิน)
1. Thai. ‘Earth
Mountain Temple’,
‘Earthen Mount Temple’,
or
‘Temple [on the] Earth(en) Mountain’. Name of a Buddhist
hill top temple in
Bang Pakong
District of
Chachengsao Province. On the summit is a large
stupa
that in part doubles as a museum. The museum's inner walls are
decorated with murals depicting the monarchs of the
Chakri
(fig.)
Dynasty and some of their main accomplishments. At the back of the
ordination hall or
ubosot
is a statue of King
Taksin
on horseback (fig.).
There are also murals with scenes of episodes from the life of
Buddha. The temple also
has a small grotto and is home to some animals, such as several
kinds of
fish,
turtles,
chickens and
cocks,
dogs and cats, and some
Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris). The temple has many statues,
both secular and religious in nature, and indoor as well as outdoor.
The religious statues are from various eastern religions, including
Theravada
and
Mahayana
Buddhism,
Hinduism, and
Taoism.
WATCH VIDEO (1),
(2)
and
(3).
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2. Thai. ‘Earth Mountain
Temple’,
‘Earthen Mount Temple’,
or
‘Temple [on the] Earth(en) Mountain’. Name of a Buddhist
hillside temple located in
Prahnburi (ปราณบุรี), a district of
Prachuap Khirikhan
Province. This notable cultural and religious site is renowned for
its expansive grounds and tranquil ambiance. The temple offers a
guided journey through various sacred spots, where visitors can pay
respects to prominent
Buddha statues and
statues of revered Buddhist monks, including those of
Luang Pho Toh
Maha
Phutta
Kwak. The
central attraction is the statue of
Luang Pho
Ong
Dam, majestically situated in a
serene pond with fish, inviting quiet contemplation.
WATCH VIDEO
and
VIDEO (E).
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Wat Khao Noi (วัดเขาน้อย)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist
hill top temple in the seaside resort
of
Hua Hin
(fig.),
that features a 21 meter tall statue of the mendicant monk
Phra Siwalih
(fig.).
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Khao Sanam Chai (วัดเขาสนามชัย)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist
hill top temple
just south of the seaside resort
of
Hua Hin. It features a Laotian-style pagoda
that
contains a
bone relic of the Buddha known as
Phra Boromma Sahrihrikathat.
The temple is a famous
meditation place and was established by the monk Phra Worawit Worathammo (พระวรวิทย์วรธมโม) with the intention
to disseminate proper meditation practices according to the
Tipitaka.
The top of the mountain has several viewpoints that offer panoramas
of the area, as well as of the nearby coastline and sea.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Khao Yoi (วัดเขาย้อย)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple at
Khao Yoi (เขาย้อย), a rocky mountain in
Phetchaburi
Province. The temple has an adjacent school and is associated with
the mountain after which it is named and that is home to several
limestone caves. The temple hosts a modern staircase to the
mountain's summit, that has a platform from which visitors can enjoy
panoramic views of the area. Besides this, it also maintains an old
path with stairs to two limestone grottos, the first one with
several large halls and steep ladders and corridors that connect the
various halls. The temple's
ubosot is made of wood and
features both wooden statues and carvings of
bas-reliefs that depict
scenes from
Buddhism. The temple's
compound is also home to a large group of
macaques, as
well as life-sized sculptures depicting monkeys from the
Ramakien.
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES,
TRAVEL PICTURES (1),
(2) and
(3), and
WATCH VIDEO (1)
and
(2), and
VIDEO (E).
回
Wat Khiriwan (วัดคีรีวัน)
Thai. ‘Wooded Mountain
Temple’ or ‘Forested Hill Temple’. Name of a
Buddhist temple in
Nakhon Nayok.
The temple's main attraction is
a
Khmer-style prasat
that
houses a 1,000
year old
Buddha image carved
from a sacred
bodhi tree
(ton poh).
The statue is seated
in the
naagprok
pose and is known as
Luang Pho
Poh.
The temple's
mondop, located on the top
of a hill, enshrines a replica of the
Emerald Buddha, which weighs 1 ton and
—akin to the genuine Emerald Buddha—
is dressed in different
attires
according
to the three seasons (fig.).
These garments
are
decorated with real diamonds with a combined weight of 7 carat, as
well as with over 2,000 genuine gems and rubies. See also
khiri
and
wan.
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Wat Khlong Suwannakhiri (วัดโขลงสุวรรณคีรี)
Thai. ‘Crowd of the Golden Mountain
Temple’. Name of the ruins of a former Buddhist temple in
Khu Bua,
a
tambon
as well as an archaeological site in
Ratchaburi. Its made of bricks on a
laterite
base.
Overgrown with trees and enshrined on the temple's cement platform
with wooden columns yet without a roof, three stone
Buddha images
were discovered, which were made in accordance with the iconographic
style and characteristics of the early
Ayutthaya
period. Hence, it was initially
assumed that the temple also dated to this period, though later
evidence showed that the temple is much older and actually dates to
the
early
Dvaravati
period, i.e. from around
the 6th century AD.
Also transliterated Wat Klohng Suwankhiri
or similar.
回
Wat Khong Khao (วัดโขงขาว)
Thai. Name of a
Buddhist temple and study center in
Chiang Mai's
Hang Dong (หางดง)
district.
It is located on a large forested domain and features both a
wihaan
and an
ubosot.
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Wat Khrua Khrae (วัดขัวแคร่)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple
in
Chiang Rai,
which is also known as Wat Mangkhon Thawararahm (วัดมังคลถาวราราม),
oftentimes transliterated Wat Mangkol Thawararam. This quiet temple
features many nicely decorated buildings and its prayer hall houses a
giant white
Buddha image with dark crystal eyes,
seated in the
half
lotus position and
performing a
dhammachakka
mudra.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES (1),
(2),
(3),
(4),
(5)
and
(6),
PANORAMA PICTURES (1)
and
(2),
and MAP.
回
Wat Khuan Inthanin Ngam (วัดควนอินทนินงาม)
Thai. ‘Crowd of the
Golden Mountain Temple’. Name of a Buddhist temple
in
Trang,
of which the
ubosot
has a roof that has been painted into the
thong chaht,
i.e. the National Tricolour of Thailand.
READ ON.
回
Wat Khuan Khah Mah (วัดควรค่าม้า)
Thai. ‘Temple Worthy of
a Horse’. Name of an ancient Buddhist temple
in
Chiang Mai.
READ
ON.
回
Wat Khunaram (วัดคุณาราม)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple on
Koh
Samui (fig.),
famous for the shrine of the so-called Mummy Monk, a glass box that
contains the mummified remains of
Luang Pho Daeng (fig.),
a revered Buddhist monk who in 1973 died whilst meditating and who
was consequently preserved in the
samahti
pose. The
mummified
monk
was then put on display as a reminder of the transience of human
existence.
回
Wat Klai Kangwon (วัดไกลกังวล)
Thai.
‘Temple Far From
Worries’.
Name of a
Buddhist temple of the
Mahanikaai sect
in
Chainat.
READ
ON.
回
Wat Kreun Kathin (วัดเกริ่นกฐิน)
Thai. ‘Temple
that heralds
kathin (laymen
offering of monk's robes)’. Name of a
countryside Buddhist temple complex in
the
Amphur
Ban Mih (บ้านหมี่)
of
Lopburi Province.
READ ON.
回
Wat Kumpha Pradit (วัดกุมภประดิษฐ์)
Thai. ‘Temple of the
Artificial Pot’. Name of a picturesque Buddhist temple in the
Amphur
Mae Rim (แม่ริม) of the northern Thai
province of
Chiang Mai.
READ ON.
回
Wat Ku Phra Kona (วัดกู่พระโกนา)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple
located in the
Amphur
Suwannaphum
in
Roi Et
Province and
situated in a forest
that includes
rubber trees
and which is abound with numerous
macaques.
READ ON.
回
Wat Lahm Chang (วัดล่ามช้าง)
Thai. ‘Temple of the
Thetered
Elephants’. Name of a
Lan Na-style
Buddhist temple
in
Chiang Mai,
located within the walls of the old city.
READ ON.
回
Wat Lahn Boon (วัดลานบุญ)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple
located along
Khlong Prawet Burirom (fig.)
in
Laht Krabang (ลาดกระบัง),
a
khet or zone (city
district)
that belongs to Greater
Bangkok
and until 1972 had the status of an
amphur
or provincial
district
in the then still province of Minburi (มีนบุรี), which in 1931 was
dissolved and incorporated into the capital Phra Nakhon (พระนคร) as
an
administrative subdivision,
changing its status from an amphur or provincial district to a city
district or zone known in Thai as a khet,
together with
Laht Krabang. Wat Lan
Boon was established in 1897 and today covers an area of 21
rai,
2
ngan
and 98 square
wah,
i.e. circa 3.4 hectares. It has a Chinese-style
ubosot,
as well as a
wihaan
that houses the
Luang Pho
Phet (หลวงพ่อเพชร)
Buddha image. See also
EXPLORER'S MAP and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Wat Lahn Kuat (วัดล้านขวด)
Thai. ‘Temple of a Million Bottles’. Buddhist temple complex located
in the
amphur
Khun Hahn of
Sri Saket
province. This temple was constructed in 1981 and is decorated with
innumerable glass bottles and bottle caps, that glitter and sparkle
in the sunlight and were donated by the people. The majority of the
empty bottles used in the construction of the temple are large-sized
green or brown bear bottles, said to have been acquired during a
major cleanup of the litter in the area. They are used in each and
every building within the complex, including even the water tower,
the monks quarters or
kuti,
bathrooms, and the crematorium or
Phra
Meru.
It is also called
Wat
Maha
Chedi
Kaew, i.e. the ‘Temple of the Great
Crystal (or Glass) Pagoda’ (fig.).
It is sometimes referred to as a forest temple (wat
pah). Also
transcribed Wat Lan Kuat.
See MAP.
回
Wat Laht Phrao (วัดลาดพร้าว)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple in
Bangkok's
Chokchai 4 area, located on Laht Phrao Wang Hin Road.
READ ON.
回
Wat Laksi Raht Samohson
(วัดหลักสี่ราษฎร์สโมสร)
Thai. Name of a
Buddhist temple complex located along the
Damnoen Saduak Canal in
Samut Sakon.
The highlight of the temple is the
Luang Pho Toh
Mahayana Park with a Mahayana-style
Buddha image
enshrined in a replica cliff, that totally surrounds the statue,
giving it a cave-like appearance and from which —behind the Buddha
image— a waterfall flows. On the inside of the surrounding cliff are
several
niche-like
grottos with statues of characters from Buddhist folklore. The
temple also has a large statue of
Rahu
and a unique giant reclining image of
Kuan Yin,
a large
reclining Buddha, and
a hall with an image of
Bhumibalo
(fig.),
i.e. King
Rama IX
ordained as a
monk and
seated in the
lotus position
in front of a giant
bodhi
tree
leaf
(fig.),
surrounded by statues of
thepchumnum,
i.e. angels or
thevadas
in
phranommeua
posture.
回
Wat Lan Kuat (วัดล้านขวด)
See
Wat Lahn Kuat.
回
Wat Lat Phrao (วัดลาดพร้าว)
See
Wat Laht Phrao.
回
Wat Leng Hok Yi (วัดเล่งฮกยี่, 龙福寺)
Thai-Tae Chew.
‘Buddhist temple (wat/yi)
of the
dragon
(leng) of
good fortune (hok, as in
Hok Lok Siw)’.
Name of a Chinese-style
Mahayana
Buddhist
temple in
Chachengsao.
It is located in the
tambon
Ban Mai,
about a kilometer from the city centre and is an extension of Wat
Leng Ney Yi (วัดเล่งเน่ยยี่) in
Bangkok. It was built in 1906 during
the reign of King
Rama V.
When the latter visited the area in order to inaugurate the Bangkok-Chachengsao
railway track, he gave the temple the Thai name Wat Jihn Pracha
Samohson (วัดจีนประชาสโมสร), i.e. ‘Chinese Temple Citizens' Club’.
Amongst the temples' buildings is
a 7-storey
pagoda.
See MAP.
回
Wat Lohk Molih (วัดโลกโมฬี)
Thai.
Name of a Buddhist temple in
Chiang Mai,
located in the area just North of the old city moat. It was built in
the first half of the 16th century, presumably by command of
Phaya
Meuang Kaew, who ruled
the city from 1495 to 1526 AD. See also
lohk
and
molih. Sometimes
transcribed Wat Lok Molee.
WATCH VIDEO
and
MAP.
回
Wat Lokayasutharam (วัดโลกยสุธาราม)
Thai.
Name of an ancient Buddhist temple in
Ayutthaya,
which features a
42 meter long and 8 meter high outdoor
reclining Buddha.
Hence the temple is also referred to as
Wat Phra Non,
i.e.
‘Temple of the
Reclining Buddha’.
It was presumably built somewhere between the later half of the
early to middle Ayutthaya Period and was allegedly commissioned by
Somdet
Phra
Nakhon Inthrathirat (1409–1424
AD), while some
sources mention roughly the year 1452 AD as the date [of the
completion?] of its construction.
See
MAP.
回
Wat Luang (วัดหลวง)
Thai. Another name for
Phra Araam Luang,
i.e. a Buddhist
temple that a King or a member of the royal family had built or
restored.
回
Wat Luang Phih Saem (วัดหลวงพี่แซม)
Thai.
Name of a Buddhist temple in
Chonburi.
The compound features a modern and very stylish prayer hall and an
artificial cave, set in a tranquil garden with streams and a
waterfall. The grotto,
referred to as
Tham
Phayanaag
Phaya
Muchalin
(มุจลินทร์), i.e. the ‘Royal Naga King
Muchalinda
Cave’, houses various serpent-like
naag or
naga;
reusi or hermits; a
statue of
Yom, the Vedic god of death; a
statue of
Ganesha holding a naga;
several Buddha statues, and other edifices and images related to
Buddhism, local folklore,
and Thai history. The naga is, besides the guardian of the
Buddha and protector of the earthly waters, also the symbol of
fertility, steadfastness, wealth and abundance, and being associated
with water, it dwells in bodies of still and flowing water, as well
as beneath the earth, where it guards minerals and gems. Hence, the
cavern has a pool with a multi-headed naga, as well as a niche that
holds a large treasure in the form of jewelry, gold and gems. In
front of the
wihaan is an immense bronze
Buddha image seated
on a
lotus base which is
supported by an overarching naga. Inside the ordination or prayer
hall are several unique displays related to Buddhism and Thai
history. On the porch in between the two entrance doors, is a bronze
Buddha statue standing on
Brahmanaspati (fig.),
a composite animal known as Lord of the Jungle (fig.)
which combines features of the animal mounts or vehicles of the
three main Hindu gods, thus having the beak of
Vishnu's
Garuda, the
horns of
Shiva's
bull, and the wings of
Brahma's
hamsa,
i.e. a sacred swan, whilst this
creature mounted by the
Buddha, represents
the ascendancy of
Buddhism over
Hinduism.
On one inner wall are some framed
stuccos of
Vishnu seated on
Garuda, who are
known in Thai as
Phra Narai
and
Krut
respectively; of King
Bhumiphon
with his Mother, Princess
Sri Nagarindra,
the Queen Mother; and of the Buddha standing inside a coiled
multi-headed naga whilst making an
abhaya
mudra,
i.e. a hand position that symbolizes ‘fearless’, ‘calm’,
‘reassurance’ and ‘no fear’.
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Wat Mahaeyong (วัดมเหยงคณ์)
Thai-Singhalese.
Name of
an ancient Buddhist temple in
Ayutthaya,
which
was built in
1438 AD and commissioned by King Borommarachathiraat II (1424–1448).
READ ON.
回
Wat Mahawan (วัดมหาวัน)
Thai.
Name of a
Buddhist temple
in
Chiang Mai
built in a mixture of
Lan Na
and Burmese styles.
READ ON.
回
Wat Mahathat (วัดมหาธาตุ)
1. Thai. Name given to
temples in Thailand that house a relic of the
Buddha,
hence temples with this name are found in many locations throughout
the nation, e.g. in
Ayutthaya (map
-
fig.),
in
Sukhothai (map),
etc. See
also
that.
See POSTAGE STAMP (1),
(2),
(3) and
(4),
TRAVEL PICTURE,
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT,
WATCH VIDEO,
and
VIDEO (E).
回
2. See
Wat Mahathat Yuwaraja Rangsarit.
回
Wat Mahathat Wachiramongkhon (วัดมหาธาตุวชิรมงคล)
Thai. Name of
a Buddhist temple
complex in
Krabi, which is
also
known as
Wat Bang Thong.
READ
ON.
回
Wat Mahathat Wora Maha Wihaan (วัดมหาธาตุวรมหาวิหาร)
Thai. Name of a temple in
Nakhon Sri Thammarat
which is over a thousand
years old, dating back to the
Srivijaya
period.
READ
ON.
回
Wat
Mahathat
Yuwaraja Rangsarit (วัดมหาธาตุยุวราชรังสฤษฎิ์)
Thai.
Name of one of the few
temples in Thailand that is bestowed with the highest possible
royal title of
Rajavora
Maha Vihaan.
READ ON.
回
Wat Meun Nah Som Phu Araam (ວັດໝື່ນນາ ຊົມພູອາຣາມ)
Thai. ‘Ten Thousand
Fields Mountain View Temple’. Name of a
picturesque
Buddhist temple in the city of Luang Prabang,
in northwestern
Laos.
It, i.e. the ‘Temple’, is situated on the plains or ‘Ten Thousand
Fields’, with a view or ‘Mountain View’ on
Mount Phousi, a towering hill (phu)
in the city center of Luang Prabang
(fig.), which also has
a Buddhist temple (araam)
at the top (fig.).
The temple's name is also transliterated in various other ways, such as
Vat Munna Somphouaram and Wat Mouanna Somphouaram, which can lead to
some confusion.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Meun Toom (วัดหมื่นตูม)
Thai. ‘Temple of
the Ten Thousand Buds’.
Name of a
small
Lan Na-style
Buddhist temple in
Chiang Mai,
located within the walls of the old city, which features a striking front and
entrance gate, decorated with mythological figures and animals from
the mythical
Himaphan Forest, as well as a
garden with a
sala-style
shrine that houses a statue of
Thao
Wetsuwan.
See also
TRAVEL PICTURE
and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Wat Ming Meuang (วัดมิ่งเมือง)
1. Thai. ‘Temple of the
Auspicious City’ or ‘Temple of the City's Cherished
Possession’. Name of an
important and prosperous
Buddhist temple in the city of
Chiang Rai.
It is a former
Thai Yai
temple which was reportedly founded by
Nang
Ua Ming Jom Meuang (fig.),
the mother of King
Mengrai (fig.),
and renovated by
Chao
Nang
Talamae Sri
(fig.),
the wife of King Mengrai (fig.)
and daughter of a
Mon King from
Hongsawadih.
Hence the temple was under royal patronage. The temple's
Burmese-style
architecture and
iconography
are mixed in with local
Lan Na-style,
and houses a statue of King
Mengrai seated besides his Queen. Sometimes transliterated Wat Ming
Muang.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES (1),
(2) and
(3),
and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
2. Thai. ‘Temple of the
Auspicious City’ or ‘Temple of the City's Cherished
Possession’. Name of a
Buddhist temple in the city of
Nan,
known for its striking
Lan Na
architecture and intricate
white
stucco
design. In front of it's
ubosot
is Nan's
City Pillar
Shrine (fig.),
known locally as
Sao
Phra
Lak Meuang
Nan.
The City Pillar was established in 1790 by Prince Atthaworn Panyoh (อัตถวรปัญโญ),
the 57th ruler of Nan. The original pillar was a large golden teak
structure with a diameter of about 60 centimeters and a height of
about 3 meters, round in shape and its top was carved in the shape
of a flower bud. The pillar embedded directly into the ground.
By the mid-19th century, the temple had been abandoned. Prince
Ananta Woraritthidet (อนันต วรฤทธิเดช), the 62nd ruler of Nan,
re-established the temple, naming it Sao Ming Meuang (เสามิ่งเมือง),
after the city pillar. In 1963, a major flood caused the collapse of
the city pillar due to erosion. The temple's devotees and local
people collaborated to create a replica of the city pillar using
bricks. In 1971, Dr. Sukit Chulanan (ดร. สุขิต จุลานันท์), the 27th
governor of Nan Province, led the construction of a new pillar and a
jaturamuk-style shrine. The
original pillar was carved into the head of
Brahma with four faces, each
representing a different aspect, namely
metta,
karuna,
mudita, and
upekkha.
In 1972, Princess
Sri Nagarindra
(fig.)
had 84,000 small statues of
Thao
Wetsuwan
(fig.)
placed into the hole at the base of the city pillar. The following
year, King
Maha
Vajiralongkorn
(fig.),
then still then Crown Prince, presided over the establishment
ceremony. The ordination hall at Wat Ming Meuang was rebuilt in 1984
in the contemporary
Lan Na
style, featuring beautiful stucco patterns and murals depicting the
local way of life. In the late 1990s, Princess
Sirindhorn
(fig.)
visited the pillar twice. By the early 2000s, the shrine was in poor
condition and was demolished. In 2005, a new shrine was constructed
as a tribute to King
Bhumipon Adunyadet (fig.).
The construction, led by Mr. Saokaew Laodi (นายเสาแก้ว เลาดี), was
completed in 2007. In February 2008, Princess Sirindhorn raised the
spire of the shrine, marking its completion.
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Wat Muang Chum (วัดม่วงชุม)
Thai.
Name of a rural temple
in
Kanchanaburi,
that displays a glass casket with the body of the
mummified
monk
Luang Poo Thiang (fig.),
the former dean and abbot of this temple, as well as a
kejih.
回
Wat Na Phra Men
(วัดหน้าพระเมรุ)
Thai. A temple in
Ayutthaya,
located on the bank of the
Chao Phraya
River, to the North of the
former palace.
READ ON.
回
Wat Nawong (วัดนาวงศ์)
Thai.
Name of a Buddhist temple, also known
as
Wat Pahng Kho,
that is situated in the
tambon
Chedi
Chai
(เจดียชัย) of the
ampheu
Pua (ปัว), in
Nan
Province. This temple, constructed in
the
Lan Na
style, is a magnificent structure made from golden
teak.
The temple is adorned with intricate gold decorations and features a
three-tiered roof with a raised
chofa,
bird's head-like
finial at either end of Buddhist temple roofs in Thailand.
In front of the temple, there is a
phayanaag
serpent and a large
singh
lion
statue. Inside, the temple houses a
finely crafted
Buddha image,
which was enshrined to honour King
Rama IX's
60th anniversary in 2006. This Buddha image was bestowed by King
Bhumipon Adunyadet
and is one of the nine Buddhist temples honoured by the monarch on
this occasion, the number corresponding to his regnal title, Rama IX.
The compound also has a pristine white
stupa
adorned with a golden pinnacle, golden ornaments, gilded
Buddha statues, and depictions of
the twelve animals of the
Lan Na zodiac (fig.).
In this
zodiac,
the
elephant holds the
position that the
pig
occupies in the more widely known
Chinese zodiac
(fig.).
The four Buddha statues situated in
niches
at the upper part of the stupa, one on each of the four sides of
this
redented chedi
(fig.),
represent the four different standing images of the Phra prajam wan
system. This system of personal worship in Thailand associates each
day of the week with a Buddha image corresponding to the day one is
born
(fig.).
The four statues, all in a standing pose, are: on the northeastern
wall, a Buddha statue in the
pahng
tawaai
naet
(fig.)
pose, representing Sunday; on the northwestern wall, a Buddha statue
in the pahng
um baat (fig.)
pose, representing Wednesday; on the southwestern wall, a Buddha
statue in the
pahng ram peung
(fig.)
pose, representing Friday; and on the southeastern wall, a Buddha
statue in the
pahng hahm yaht (fig.)
pose, representing Monday. The smaller Buddha statues in the niches
at the base are all seated in the
maravijaya pose,
also known as
bhumisparsa (fig.).
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Naxao Sukharaam (ວັດນາຊາວສຸຂາຣາມ)
Lao. ‘Naxao
Temple of Happiness’
or ‘Naxao Monastery of Well-being’.
Name a serene
Theravada Buddhist temple
located in the tranquil village of Naxao (ນາຊາວ) in Khwaeng Luang
Pha Bang (ແຂວງຫຼວງພະບາງ), a province in northern
Laos,
approximately 27 kilometres from its capital city of the same name,
Luang Pha Bang (ຫຼວງພະບາງ), commonly transcribed in English as Luang
Prabang and formerly the capital of the
Lan Xang or
Lan Chang
Kingdom. The temple
features a
Maha Bodhi-style
pagoda (fig.),
symbolizing the ‘Great
Enlightenment’
or ‘Great Awakening’, modelled after the original
stupa at
Bodh Gaya in Bihar
(बिहार) State, North India, where the
Buddha
attained
Enlightenment
or
bodh, near the town
of Gaya (गया). This pagoda, constructed in the
sikhara-style (fig.),
is a truncated pyramidal structure, typically topped with an
amalaka
(fig.),
a circular, decorative, ribbed ornament found on the summit of
northern-style
Hindu temples, and
crowned with a spire. Adjacent to this pagoda is an edifice
featuring a raised platform with a rectangular pedestal supported by
four pillars with
lotus-shaped
cornices
(fig.).
Atop this pedestal are two golden rocks, one stacked on the other,
with the uppermost rock topped by a stupa, reminiscent of the Golden
Rock (fig.)
at Mount
Kyaihtiyo (fig.)
in
Myanmar's
Mon State. The outer walls
of the temple's prayer hall are adorned with murals depicting
stories from the life of the Buddha, as well as the Totsachat (ທົດສະຊາດ),
representing the last ten incarnations or lives of the Buddha before
his final birth as Prince Siddhartha. These murals are part of the
Jataka tales, which narrate
a total of 550 incarnations that every soul must undergo before
achieving Buddhahood. Opposite this, there's a spacious assembly
hall, accessible from the front via stairs flanked by guardian
lions, or from the side through a ramp adorned with a naga
balustrade. Inside, it features an altar with various Buddha
statues, several large gongs, and an ornate gilded pavilion throne,
referred to as a banlang kheuonthi (ບັນລັງເຄື່ອນທີ່), the Lao
equivallent for the Thai
busabok (fig.),
which comprises a square, open structure intricately carved from
wood, supported by four posts that uphold a tapering roof crowned
with a spire. The term Sukharaam (ສຸຂາຣາມ) can be broken down into
two parts: sukha (ສຸຂາ), which means ‘happiness’ or ‘well-being’,
and aaraam (າຣາມ), which means ‘temple’ or ‘monastery’. So,
Sukharaam essentially means ‘Temple of Happiness’ or ‘Monastery of
Well-being’. Wat (ວັດ) is another word for ‘temple’ or ‘monastery’,
and Naxao (ນາຊາວ) is the name of the village. The name of the temple
may hence be translated to ‘Naxao Temple of Happiness’ or ‘Naxao
Monastery of Well-being’.
WATCH VIDEO
and
VIDEO (E).
回
Wat Neramit Wipatsanah (วัดเนรมิตวิปัสสนา)
Thai. ‘Temple of creative
meditation
or
Enlightenment
(wipatsanah)’. Name of a picturesque temple (fig.)
located on a hillside near Phrathat Sri Song Rak
in the
amphur Dahn Saai
(Dan
Sai) in the
Isaan
province
of
Loei. Its
gates, surrounding walls and buildings
are
constructed in
laterite,
giving the place an ancient, yet very natural look (fig.). It has a large
ubosot
(fig.) that
is surrounded by a verdant garden with tropical plants and trees,
and houses three
replicas of the
Phra Phutta Chinnarat
Buddha image, a large one flanked by two smaller. The ubosot's roof
is supported by large pillars that are painted black and decorated
with golden
kranok-style
designs. Its interior also has several colourful murals and
paintings, depicting both scenes from the
chadok and
the
Buddha's
life. The gable on the back of the ubosot has a
detailed relief of monks out on
thudong.
On the left side of the
bot
is a
mondop with a
nicely adorned interior,
dedicated to the late
phra kruh Phawanawi Suttiyahn (ภาวนาวิสุทธิญาณ)
and which houses a shrine, the coffin, a bronze statue and a wax
figure of this venerated monk (fig.). Both its walls
and ceiling are
decorated with colourful angels and golden thepada.
See MAP.
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Wat Nikon Rangsarit (วัดนิกรรังสฤษดิ์)
Thai. Name of a
rural Buddhist temple in the
tambon Yan Ta Khao (ย่านตาขาว), located
in the
amphur
of the same name, in
Trang
province, i.e. in southern Thailand.
READ ON.
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Wat Niwet Thammaprawat (วัดนิเวศน์ธรรมประวัติ)
Thai. ‘Temple Estate of the
Dhamma Chronicles’. Name of a
Buddhist temple in
Bang Pa-in,
cleverly disguised as a Gothic church, down to stained glass windows
and the spiky eaves. It is located on a small island in the
Chao Phraya River, opposite of the Bang
Pa-in Summer Palace. The temple was built in 1878 on
the orders of King
Rama V. It is only accessible by boat or by a
cable-car that goes across the river (fig.)
and which is operated by
the monks of the monastery. The temple garden also features an ancient
sundial and several
Buddha images.
See MAP
and
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Nong Nok Chum (วัดหนองนกชุม)
Thai. ‘Swamp Bird Community
Temple’. Name of a quiet Buddhist countryside temple
in the
tambon
Thung Sai (ทุ่งทราย) of Sai Thong Watthana (ทรายทองวัฒนา) district,
in
Kamphaeng Phet
province.
READ
ON.
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wat pah (วัดป่า)
Thai.
‘Forest temple’. Popular Thai name for temples in the jungle where
monks stay to live and meditate in tranquility. Also known as
aranyawasi
and the
practice of clergy
dwelling in caves and forests is referred to as the
Thai Forest Tradition, and
was established by
Phra Ajaan Man
(fig.).
Several forest temples have the suffix
wanaram added to their name.
回
Wat Pah Daet (วัดป่าแดด)
Thai. ‘Sunlight Forest Temple’.
Name of a Buddhist temple in
Chiang Mai,
yet not an
aranyawasi-style
forest temple, as the inclusion of
wat pah in
the name
might suggest, but an
ordinary Buddhist temple located in the
amphur
meuang
of Chiang Mai. The temple has a large and striking
wihaan,
and features a mural that is depicted on a Thai postage stamp issued
to commemorate the Thai Heritage Conservation Day
in 2017 (fig.).
Also transliterated Wat Pa Daed.
See MAP.
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Wat Pah Dong Rai (วัดป่าดงไร่)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist
temple in
Udonthani
of which the
ubosot
is built in the form of a giant
lotus
and located in a small lake. It is fully known as Phutta Uthayaan
Wat Pah
Dong Rai (พุทธอุทยานวัดป่าดงไร่), i.e. ‘Jungle Farm Forest Temple Buddha Park’,
yet is also referred to as
Wat Pah Santi Wanaraam (วัดป่าสันติวนาราม),
and nicknamed
Lotus Temple.
Initiated in 2003
and entirely funded by
donations, it was completed only in early 2019 after a 16 year long
period of construction. Its
design is inspired by that of the Lotus Temple in Delhi, India (fig.).
See
also
TRAVEL PICTURES
and
MAP.
回
Wat Pah Huai Laht (วัดป่าห้วยลาด)
Thai. Name of a large Buddhist
forest
temple in
Phu Reua, in
Loei
province. It has a giant
wihaan
with a large white Buddha statue seated in the
meditation pose, whilst the
surrounding area features some unique sculptures.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Pah Khlong 11 (วัดป่าคลอง
๑๑)
Thai.
‘Canal 11 Forest Temple’.
Name of a Buddhist
wat pah or forest
temple in
Pathum Thani.
READ ON.
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Wat
Pah Lahn Kuat (วัดป่าล้านขวด)
See
Wat Lahn Kuat.
回
Wat Pahk Khao Sahn Tai (วัดปากข้าวสารใต้)
Thai. ‘Southern Pahk
Khao Sahn
Temple’. Name of
a Buddhist temple in
Saraburi,
named after the district in which it is located, namely
Pahk
Khao Sahn,
with pahk meaning
‘mouth’
and
khao sahn
meaning
‘polished
rice’.
To its north, there is another temple which is known
as Wat Pahk Khao Sahn Neua (วัดปากข้าวสารเหนือ),
i.e. ‘Northern Pahk
Khao Sahn
Temple’. Eye catcher at this temple are several statues of
Thao
Wetsuwan,
a yak or giant guardian, here depicted with a red complexion, i.e.
of
Tavatimsa level
and also referred to as
Thao Wetsuwan Thepbut Sutthep (เทพบุตรสูติเทพ), and here labelled
Thao Wetsuwannoh (ท้าวเวสสุวรรณโณ),
as well as Yak Wat Tai (ยักษ์วัคโค้). Two statues of this giant flank
one of the temple's entrances, and he is also erected in front of a
building, where he is flanked
on either side
by statues of his
attendant
Phaya Purisat,
a mythological creature depicted as a half-lion,
half-giant-angel
(fig.),
a creature similar in appearance to the Burmese
Manuthiha
(fig.).
On either side of this is a statue of a golden
naga (fig.).
See also PANORAMIC PICTURE.
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Wat Pahk Nahm Choloh (วัดปากน้ำโจ้โล้)
Thai. ‘Choloh Estuary
Temple’. Name of a temple in
Chachengsao.
READ ON.
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Wat Pahk Nahm Phasi Chareun
(วัดปากน้ำภาษีเจริญ)
Thai. ‘Phasi Chareun Estuary
Temple’. Name of a royal temple in
Bangkok's
Phasi Chareun district.
READ
ON.
回
Wat Pahng Kho (วัดปางเคาะ)
See
Wat Nawong.
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Wat Pah Ratana Suwan (วัดป่ารัตนสุวรรณ)
Thai. Name of a small but neat forest
temple located in
Chiang Mai's
Doi Lo (ดอยหล่อ) District. The temple is surrounded by longan trees,
known in Thai as
lamyai,
whose fruits are picked and sold
in order to finance the temple's material needs. The western name
for both the tree and fruit derives from the Chinese
longyan
and literally means ‘dragon eyes’. Besides monks, dressed
in safron coloured robes, the temple is also home to some Buddhist
nuns and a couple of temple boys, who all wear white clothes. Also
living on the compound are some dogs, some of whom have been given
names of soft drinks, e.g. Cola, Sprite, etc.
WATCH
VIDEO.
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Wat Pah Ruak Tai (วัดป่ารวกใต้)
Thai. Name of
a Buddhist temple in the vicinity of
the
Lao River in the
northern province of
Chiang Rai
and of which the majority of the buildings are painted red. The
temple has some well-maintained and neatly manicured gardens that
surround many of the edifices, as well as some
topiary
sculptures (fig.)
of which the bright green colours contrast nicely with the red
walls. On the outside there is a topiary hedge in the form of
rabbits and other animals, and whereas chickens roam feely in and
around the compound, in the back of the temple complex are some
cages with a special breed of chickens, a
Black-collared Starling (fig.),
and a couple of
Talking Hill Mynas (fig.).
Whereas no specific reason is given as to why the temple buildings
are painted red, the colour is understood to be auspicious and in
China it is symbol for good
fortune and good luck, as well as for health, happiness, harmony,
peace and prosperity, while it in general also represents loyalty
and righteousness. In the
thong chaht,
i.e. the Thai national
flag, the colour red represents the nation and its citizens. The
temple's name means
‘Southern
Ruak Forest Temple’,
with
Ruak
being both the name of a species of small
bamboo
and the name of a river
in Chiang Rai province.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Pariwaht Ratchasongkraam (วัดปริวาสราชสงคราม)
Thai. Name of a
riverside Buddhist temple
with an enclosing wall
along the
Chao Phraya in
Bangkok,
which features flamboyant
mosaics and sculptures from various religions and cultures,
international history and mythology,
and even international
idols from famous cartoons and pop-culture icons, as well as
creatures of fantasy and imagination, all incorporated into typical
Thai-style beautification.
READ ON.
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Wat Pah Sorayoh Ban Khum Din
(วัดป่าโสรโยบ้านขุมดิน)
Thai. Name of a
Buddhist forest temple in
Khon Kaen
Province, located on the main road to
Chaiyaphum.
It is situated on a large domain in a desolate
wooded area and
features a white and golden
chedi,
known as
Phrathat
Chedi
Manja
Khiri
Sri
Sorayoh (พระธาตุเจดีย์ มัญจาคีรีศรีโสรโย
-
fig.),
that is built on a small hill. In the front center of the
stupa,
on the platform of the first level, is a bronze statue of the
travelling monk
Phra Siwalih. The
balconies surrounding the higher levels of this
pagoda offer panoramic views of the
wider area.
The main chapel, adjacent to the stupa yet separated by some bushes,
consists of a simple
sala-like
open pavilion, but is enclosed with low brick walls that are
decorated with
bas-reliefs that depict major
episodes from the life of the
Buddha,
as well as
elephants,
lotusses,
and scenes of traditional village life. The temple's entrance
along the main road has a multi-headed,
naga-bridge and gate in auburn
stone, reminiscent of those at
Khmer-style
temples in
Cambodia.
Since the chedi is located some 800 meters away from the main
entrance of the temple and several dirt roads crisscross the domain,
a Good Samaritan has put up a road sign with the English text ‘Go to
J.D.’, with J.D. being a rather unique and somewhat funny spelling
for chedi.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Pah Thamma Uthayaan (วัดป่าธรรมอุทยาน)
Thai. Name of a
large but rather odd
Buddhist forest temple
in the northeastern Thai province of
Khon Kaen.
The temple is located on a large domain and has a mixture of
religious and secular statues and edifices. Scattered throughout the
forest in which the temple is located there are a number of spacious
open-sided hangars. Each one has at its centre a large Buddhist item
or a tall Buddha statue in a pose depicting one of the major scenes
in the life of the Buddha, i.e. his birth, his
Enlightenment,
his demise, etc. One hall has a giant
Wheel of Law, which represents
the
dharma,
i.e. the teachings of the
Buddha
in
Theravada
Buddhism.
Besides this, the temple features many items that appear to be
somewhat out of place, such as statues of Kung Fu Panda, Mickey
Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pokemon, Doremon, and the Hulk, as well as of
protagonists from other famous cartoons. There are also plenty of
statues and figurines of animals scattered all over the domain and
many of the walkways are lined with replica trees that are decorated
with colourful flowers, birds and other animals. Besides the many
dogs, chickens and roosters, that dwell freely all over temple,
there is also an enclosed animal section that houses carp,
pheasants, rabbits, turtles and tortoises, and even an albino
crocodile,
that in front of its enclosure has a statue depicting a scene from
the Thai love story
Kraithong
which features a giant
crocodile called
Chalawan
(fig.).
Whereas construction is still ongoing in some parts of the temple,
including the building of a new
stupa
called
Phra
Maha
Chedi
Phutta
Metta
Luang, other parts of the temple seem
rather neglected, with some edifices already having fallen in
disrepair.
Also transliterated Wat Pa Thamma Utthayan.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Pakung (วัดป่ากุง)
Thai. ‘Kung Forest
Temple’.
Name of a Buddhist temple
located in Sri Somdet (ศรีสมเด็จ) in
Roi Et
Province. It was originally an abandoned temple dating back to 1770
AD and was revived in 1953 by Phra Thep Wisutthimongkhon (พระเทพวิสุทธิมงคล),
also known as
Luang Poo Sri Maha Wiro
(ศรีมหาวีโร), a revered meditation master who led the faithful in
re-establishing the temple under the name Wat Prachakom Wanaram (วัดประชาคมวนาราม),
i.e.
‘Wanaram
Citizen's Temple’.
In 2007, in honour of Luang Poo Sri Maha Wiro’s 90th birthday,
following six decades of dedicated service to the
Dharma, his disciples united
to construct a sandstone
pagoda at the temple. This
pagoda, inspired by Luang Poo Sri Maha Wiro’s visit to the
Borobudur temple in
Indonesia, is the first sandstone pagoda in
Thailand. The
octagonal pagoda, measuring 101 metres in both width and length to
symbolize the province’s name, features four levels. Its exterior
walls are adorned with intricate bas-relief carvings in yellow
sandstone, featuring scenes of the
Vessantara Jataka,
the
Buddha's final life
in which he perfected generosity; the life story of the
Buddha; and victory
mantras. The top floor consists of a circular wall with images
of four significant pilgrimage sites for the Buddha's birth, his
Enlightenment, first sermon, and
his passing into
nirvana. On top of this sits
a
central dome-shaped
stupa
crowned with a golden spire weighing 101
baht, again to symbolize the
name
Roi Et,
which means
‘Hundred-and-One’,
and which is equivalent to approximately 1.52 kilograms of pure
gold. This main stupa is surrounded by eight, perforated,
bell-shaped, subsidiary stupas, one for each of the corners of the
octagonal structure and symbolizing the
Eightfold Path of
Buddhism. On the first floor
is a staircase that gives access to a spacious hall within the main
structure, which has two levels. The first level recounts the life
of Luang Poo Sri Maha Wiro, while the second level houses various
relics, including those of the Buddha and Luang Poo Sri Maha Wiro,
who died in 2011.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Pathum Wanaraam Rachaworawihaan
(วัดปทุมวนารามราชวรวิหาร)
Thai. ‘Royal
Lotus
Hall Abode Temple’. Name of a
royal temple of
the class
Phra Araam Luang
in
Bangkok's
Pathum
Wan district.
READ ON.
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Wat Phah Nahmthip Thepprasit Wanaram (วัดผาน้ำทิพย์เทพประสิทธิ์วนาราม)
Thai. ‘Elixir of
the Angelic Accomplishment Cliff Temple’. Name of a forest temple (wanaram) located
on a huge 2,500
rai
domain in
Roi Et
and
featuring a
pagoda
known as Phra Maha Chedi Sri Chai Mongkhon
(พระมหาเจดีย์ศรีชัยมงคล).
With Roi Et meaning
‘Hundred-and-one’, the six-floor
pagoda has the symbolic
height of 101
meters and is at its base also 101 meters wide. It is furthermore
built in an area of 101 rai, and enshrines the portraits of 101
monks of the past.
The main pagoda is surrounded
by 8 smaller pagodas, their number representing the Buddhist
Eightfold Path,
that Buddhism aims to spread in all cardinal
directions, akin to the location of the smaller pagodas, , whereas
each one house a
look nimit (fig.),
i.e. large round stones, normally buried in the ground and marking
the boundary of the consecrated area of a Thai temple on which the
main prayer hall is built, yet here still above ground, with the
ninth ball that is normally buried in the centre of a prayer hall,
here still on the ground floor of the pagoda . The top
floor, which has a
pinnacle of real gold that weighs around
60 kilograms,
houses relics of the
Buddha.
Designed by the
Fine Arts Department, construction on
the temple started in 1985, and was still ongoing in 2023.
WATCH
VIDEO.
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Wat Phai Rong Wua (วัดไผ่โรงวัว)
Thai. ‘Bamboo
Shed Cow Temple’, a Buddhist temple in
Suphanburi,
named after the area in
which it is located and originally a
bamboo grove where local villagers
brought their cattle to rest in the shadow whilst they were farming
the fields.
READ
ON.
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Wat Pathum Wongsawaht (วัดปทุมวงษาวาส)
Thai. Name of a
Buddhist temple in the
tambon
Ko Wai (เกาะหวาย) of the
amphur
Pak Phli (ปากพลี) in
Nakhon Nayok
Province. It is an old temple associated with the
Thai Phuan
community, which are Laotian immigrants who settled in this area
over 200 years ago. Most of this temple's buildings are painted
pink. Its square features a statue of
Luang Poo Thuad
(fig.),
a highly venerated
Buddhist monk from the 16-17th century AD,
seated on a giant pink
lotus.
The temple has an
ubosot that is surrounded by
bai sema
(fig.),
stone
boundary markers at the eight cardinal points around a
bot,
that are erected on top of a
capital of four
lions,
akin an
Asoka Pillar
(fig.),
whilst at the front it has a large bronze statue
of
Rahu (fig.),
the
god of darkness
and legless demon who causes the eclipses of the sun and moon.
Adjacent to the temple square is another field with a building that
on its roof has a giant statue of the
Vedic god
Indra seated
on is mount,
the three-headed
White Elephant
Erawan
(fig.),
as well as
the Indian-style white Kusawadih (กุสาวดี)
stupa,
a white
dome considered the
highlight of this temple. It houses a relic of the
Buddha which is also
placed atop of
an
Asoka Pillar-like
capital with four
lions, carved from Indian
jade. In front of this is a
statue of a
crowned Buddha
and next to it lies a fortune stone, known in Thai as hin siang thai
(หินเสี่ยงทาย), a heavy and
rather large stones
used to foretell
if a wish will be granted or not, and in
Myanmar
hence
known as
oracle stones.
Fortune seekers
will rub the stone while making a wish, and then predict if the
stone will feel either heavy or light when lifted. If the feel of it
corresponds to their prediction, it is believed that their wish will
be fulfilled. The ceiling of the dome has a bright painting
depicting
thevada
or angels in heaven. Against the inner walls surrounding the relic
are eighty gilded
buddha-like
statues, seated in
meditation
in the
half lotus position,
that is one for each year that the
Buddha
has lived on earth. The temple also has a building that is home to the
Human Wisdom Center, known in Thai as
Soon Phumipanyah Manut (fig.).
Also transliterated Wat Pathum Wongsawat.
WATCH VIDEO,
and
VIDEO
(E).
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Wat Phah Bong (วัดผาบ่อง)
Thai. ‘Temple of the
Pierced Cliff’. Name of a Buddhist temple in
Chiang Mai
located within the old city moats.
The temple's compound features several interesting objects.
READ ON.
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Wat Phah Laht (วัดผาลาด)
Thai. ‘Cliff Slope
Temple’ or ‘Monastery at the
Sloping Rock’.
Name for a ca.
500 year old Buddhist temple in
Chiang Mai,
built on a
forested mountain slope on
Doi
Suthep,
adjacent to a small waterfall.
Formerly, this spot was a resting
place for people walking up to worship the reliquary at mountain top
monastery of
Wat Doi Suthep
(fig.).
When
Kruh Bah
Sri Wichai
(fig.)
from 1934 to 1935 built the road up Doi Suthep, the local workers
for their input are said to have reached the third stage of
spiritual development, known as
anagami, the last stage before
becoming an
arahan, which is the final stage
before reaching buddhahood. The place later developed into a
dwelling place for monks and was named
Wat Sagitaka
(วัดสกิทาคา), sometimes referred to as Wat Sagitakami (วัดสกิทาคามี),
after the second stage of the four stages of
Enlightenment in
Buddhism,
known as
sakadagami.
See also
TRAVEL PICTURE (1)
and
(2), and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
Wat Phanan Choeng (วัดพนัญเชิง)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple
in
Ayutthaya.
READ ON.
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Wat Phet Samut Worawihaan
(วัดเพชรสมุทรวรวิหาร)
Thai. ‘Temple of the Jewel of
the Ocean’. Name of
a royal Buddhist temple
located along the
Mae Klong
River in
Samut Songkhram
Province.
READ ON.
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Wat Phitchaya Yahtikarahm Worawihaan
(วัดพิชยญาติการามวรวิหาร)
Thai. Name of a royal Buddhist temple
in
Bangkok's
Thonburi
District.
READ ON.
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Wat Phnom (វត្តភ្នំ)
Khmer.
‘Hill
Pagoda’
or ‘Mountain Temple’. Name of a temple on a 27 meter tall hill,
called
phnom in
Khmer,
and built by a wealthy
lady, called
Penh (fig.).
It is located in the
Cambodian
capital
Phnom Penh, which
derives its name from this place.
Statues of lady
Penh can today be found in and around Wat Phnom (fig.).
See also
wat
and
MAP.
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Wat Phohn Chai (วัดโพนชัย)
Thai. ‘Victory Hill Temple’
or ‘Temple on the Mound of Victory’.
Name of a Buddhist
temple in the district Dan Sai/Dahn Saai (ด่านซ้าย) of
Loei
Province. The temple's compound is home to
Phiphithaphan
Phi Tah Khohn,
i.e. the ‘Phi Tah Khohn Museum’
(map
-
fig.),
which displays a variety of items related to this annual festival of
ghosts known as
Phi Tah Khohn
(fig.).
The main prayer hall of this local village temple houses the
principal Buddha statue and its upper walls are decorated with
cartoon-like murals in bright colours, depicting scenes from the
Totsachat,
i.e. the stories about the last ten
chaht or lives of the
Buddha before his final
birth as Prince
Siddhartha.
See also EXPLORER'S MAP, and
WATCH VIDEO (1)
and
(2).
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Wat Phothisat Banpotnimit (วัดโพธิสัตว์บรรพตนิมิต)
Thai. Name
of a Buddhist temple in
Kanchanaburi
Province, that features a mixtures of iconographic styles from both
Mahayaan
or
Mahayana
Buddhism and
Therawaht or
Theravada Buddhism, as well
as influences from
Lan Na
and Burmese architecture.
On the temple domain are also statues of the late 16th to early 17th
Century King
Naresuan
(fig.)
of
Ayutthaya;
and of the 7th Century Queen
Chamadevi
(fig.)
of
Lopburi,
the legendary first ruler of the
Mon
city of
Haripunchai,
then part of the
Dvaravati
Kingdom.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Phra Borommathat Chediyaram (วัดพระบรมธาตุเจดียาราม)
Thai. Name
of a Buddhist temple in
Kamphaeng Phet, situated on the west side of the
Ping
river.
READ ON.
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Wat Phra
Chetuphon (วัดพระเชตุพน)
See
Wat Poh.
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Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaraam (วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลาราม)
See
Wat Poh.
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Wat Phra Dhammakaya (วัดพระธรรมกาย)
See
Wat Phra Thamma Kaay.
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Wat Phra Kaew (วัดพระแก้ว)
1. Thai.
‘Temple of the Jewelled Buddha’. The most
important temple in
Bangkok and Thailand, housing the
Emerald Buddha
(map
-
fig.).
It is a royal temple without a
Sanghavasa, built
next to the old royal palace
Phra
Rachawang in Phra Nakhon
(fig.). The inner walls of the gallery
that encloses the temple have elaborate murals depicting the complete story of the
Ramakien.
They were initially painted during the rule of
Rama I, but restored
several times afterwards. The temple is much publicized. The main
pagoda and the outer wall is shown on the one
baht coin
(fig),
as well as on several Thai postage stamps (fig.),
the
mondop and a
mural are depicted on the
2nd Series of
the 2008 Amazing Thailand postage
stamps
(fig.), while the
gilded Chinese-style
portal guardians carved on the wooden door panels of the Southern
Porch (fig.)
feature
on a Thai postage stamp issued in 2008
(fig.),
and its belfry, i.e. the
ho rakhang (map
-
fig.),
was printed on a postage stamp in 1967 (fig.).
The temple's official name is
Wat Phra Sr Rattana Sahtsadahrahm.
See also
PANORAMA PICTURE,
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES,
and
MAP.
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2. Thai.
‘Temple of the Jewelled Buddha’. Name of
the temple in
Chiang Rai that initially possessed the
Emerald Buddha. The Buddha
image was discovered in 1434 when lightning struck the
temple's octagonal
chedi
revealing the statue. The current temple complex consists of several
edifices. The
ubosot,
i.e. the main prayer hall, is home to Phra Chao Lan Thong, i.e. a bronze
Buddha image
seated in the
maravijaya pose.
When the original Emerald Buddha
was removed and housed
in
Wat Phra Sr Rattana Sahtsadahrahm
in
Bangkok
(fig.),
the temple
produced a replica
(fig.),
which is also known as
Phra
Yok
Chiang Rai, i.e. the
‘Chiang
Rai
Jade
Buddha Image’.
Today, it not enshrined in a
stupa
but on display in a small, elevated,
Lan Na-style
building in the back of the temple complex. The complex also has a
museum, in Thai fully known as
Phiphithaphan
Hohng Luang Saeng Kaew (พิพิธภัณฑ์โฮงหลวงแสงแก้ว),
literally the ‘Principal Palace of the Shining
Crystal Museum’, yet in English usually referred to as Saeng Kaew Museum
(map
-
fig.), which focuses
on the history and development of Wat Phra Kaew, with ample displays
of Buddhist and Lan Na artifacts. The original name of the temple was Wat Pa Yia, a local dialect meaning ‘bamboo forest temple’.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES (1),
(2) and
(3),
MAP,
and
WATCH VIDEO.
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3. Thai.
‘Temple of the Jewelled Buddha’. Name of a
temple in
Kamphaeng Phet adjacent to a former royal palace. Many of the Buddha images in
this temple are now tarnished by weather conditions and corroded by the ravages
of time, but are because of this even more impressive.
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4. Thai.
‘Temple of the Jewelled Buddha’. Name of a
hilltop temple at
Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park, in
Phetchaburi.
See also POSTAGE STAMP.
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Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao (วัดพระแก้วดอนเต้า)
Thai.
‘Temple of the Jeweled Buddha on the highland of palm fruits’. Name of a
temple in
Lampang that was built by order of
King
Anantayot
and
where between 1436 and 1468 the
Emerald Buddha was housed.
Legend tells that a senior monk of the temple one day found an
emerald stone in a watermelon which he had carved into a precious
Buddha image. A watermelon in Northern-Thai dialect is called ‘mahk tao’, hence the etymological origin of the temple's name
(map
-
fig.). The temple architecture is a mixture of styles
and influences from
Haripunchai,
Burma and modern Thailand, with images and art in Mandalay and
Lan Na styles,
among others.
The temple also has a building
known as
Wihaan
Phra Phutta Sayait
that is home to an ancient
reclining Buddha
statue believed to date to the 7th century, when the temple was
first built. See also EXPLORER'S MAP, and
WATCH VIDEO (1),
(2),
(3),
(4),
(5)
and
(6).
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Wat Phra Non
(วัดพระนอน)
1. Thai. ‘Temple of the
reclining Buddha’. Buddhist
temple at the foot of the hilltop temple
Wat
Phrathat Doi Kong Moo
(fig.)
in the
amphur
meuang of
Mae Hong Son.
It houses a 12 meter long
reclining Buddha image in
Thai Yai style which was cast in
1875 AD, commissioned by the wife of
Singha Nat Racha,
the city's first ruler (fig.).
The temple also features a herbal garden and in the yard behind the
temple's wihaan is a
naga-staircase leading to a
Shan
style Buddha image, seated in the
bhumisparsa
pose (fig.).
See MAP.
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2.
Thai. ‘Temple of the
reclining Buddha’. Buddhist temple in
Kamphaeng Phet.
回
3.
Thai. ‘Temple of the
reclining Buddha’. Another name for
Wat Lokayasutharam,
a Buddhist temple
in
Ayutthaya
(fig.).
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Wat Phra Non Chaksi (วัดพระนอนจักรสีห์)
Thai. ‘Temple of the
Chaksi
reclining Buddha’. Buddhist temple in
Singburi.
READ
ON.
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Wat Phra Non Chaksi Worawihaan
(วัดพระนอนจักรสีห์วรวิหาร)
See
Wat Phra Non Chaksi.
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Wat Phra Phai Luang (วัดพระพายหลวง)
Thai. Name of a large
and
important temple complex in the northern section of
Sukhothai
Historical Park, which was
likely constructed during the reign of the
Khmer
King
Jayavarman VII.
READ ON.
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Wat Phra Phut Sri Wilai (วัดพระพุทธศรีวิไล)
Thai. ‘Temple of the
Brave Buddha’ or ‘Temple of the Beautiful Buddha’. Name of a Thai-Chinese Buddhist
temple in
Samut Prakan.
READ ON.
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Wat Phra phuttabaht
(วัดพระพุทธบาท)
Thai.
Temple in the province of
Saraburi that houses a
Phraphuttabaht,
i.e. a footprint of the Buddha, in a small nicely decorated
mondop.
This giant footprint was discovered during the
rule of King
Song Tham (1610-1628)
and bears the 108 auspicious signs of a
buddha.
The temple is one of the only few
throughout Thailand conferred with the highest royal title
Rajavora
Maha Vihaan
and as one of nation's landmarks, a scale model of the iconic mondop earned itself a spot (map
-
fig.)
in Mini
Siam
in North
Pattaya
(fig.).
It is also the location of the annual
Flower Offering
Ceremony during the
Tak Baat
Dokmai
Festival, in
which devotees offer the clergy
Weeping Goldsmith
flowers (fig.),
in Thai called
dok khao phansa,
literally ‘entering
Buddhist Lent
flowers’.
Also transliterated Wat Phra phuttabaat.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS (1),
(2)
and
(3),
as well as
MAP.
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Wat Phraphuttabaht Poo Pha Daeng
(วัดพระพุทธบาทปู่ผาแดง)
Thai. ‘Grandfather
Pha Daeng's Temple of the
Lord Buddha's Footprint’.
Former name of
Wat Chaleum Phrakiat
Phrachomklao Rachanuson,
a stunning hilltop
temple in
Lampang
province.
See also
wat,
Phraphuttabaht,
poo,
and
Pha Daeng.
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Wat Phra Phutthachai (วัดพระพุทธฉาย)
Thai.
Name of a
Theravada
Buddhist temple in
Saraburi
that features a cave-like cliff that has a mural of Phra Phutthachai
(พระพุทธฉาย), a
Buddha image
wearing a brown robe and of which it is said to be in ‘various
poses’. The Buddha image is painted on a stone slab that sits on a
ridge. There are also some prehistoric drawings at the base of the
cliff, including lines of animals with lines resembling a deer. Near
the entrance to this Buddha image, a human-like figure as well as
some pictograms were found, similar to the circa 3,000 years old
prehistoric paintings that were previously discovered at Pha Taem
National Park
(fig.)
in
Ubon Ratchathani
Province. On top of the hill, also a footprint of the Buddha was
found, which appears as an imprint in the exposed bedrock. At the
bottom of the staircase that leads to the
mondop
with the
Buddhapada
or
Phraphuttabaht,
there often are
macaques
hanging around that belong to a large group that lives in the
surrounding forest.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Phraphuttha Saengtham (วัดพระพุทธแสงธรรม)
Thai. ‘Temple of the
Light of the Lord Buddha's
Dhamma
(Law)’. Name of a large Buddhist temple complex
in
Saraburi,
set on 300
rai
of land, i.e. ca. 48 hectares. Its
name is symbolized in the temple's
shiny mushroom-shaped hall,
that
houses a giant Buddha statue
seated in the
lotus position whilst
making a
dhammachakka
mudra,
a
pose also known as
pahng pathom thetsanah
which symbolizes the
Buddha's
first public discourse of his doctrine and that was given to five
ascetics at
Mrigadava, a
deer park in Sarnath, hence
the depictions of two deer and the five
panjawakkih
at the base of the statue.
Uniquely, the temple's
ubosot is marked with
bai sema
on top of the
capital of an
Asoka Pillar,
i.e. four
lions
perched on a
circular platform that rests on an inverted
lotus flower.
The
Phra prathaan or
principal Buddha image at the
temple's
ubosot is
seated in the
half lotus position and is
depicted with a
varada
mudra,
indicating the
‘granting of a wish’.
In a corner of the compound is a garden with a statue of
Kuan Yin,
the Chinese goddess of
mercy,
flanked by her two most loyal disciples,
i.e.
Golden Boy and Jade Girl.
The entrance of the path to this garden has two
Imperial Guardian Lions, whilst
the end of the path is flanked by a
Bi Xie on either side,
a fierce but
auspicious creature from Chinese mythology that resembles a winged
lion.
WATCH VIDEO (1)
and
(2).
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Wat Phra Prang Muni (วัดพระปรางค์มุนี)
Thai. ‘Temple of
the Hermit's Stupa’. Name of a
Buddhist temple in
Singburi.
READ ON.
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Wat Phra Singh (วัดพระสิงห์)
1. Thai. Name
of a Buddhist temple
in the city of
Chiang Rai,
that houses a replica of
the original
Phra Phutta Sihing
Buddha statue, which is also known as
Phra
Singh (fig.)
and from which the temple got its name. Phra Singh was brought from
Kamphaeng Phet
to
Chiang Mai
by
Thao
Maha Phrom (มหาพรหม), the ruler of Chiang Rai and the younger
brother of
Phaya
Keua Nah (fig.),
the eight
king of the
Mengrai
Dynasty who ruled the ninth reign of the northern kingdom of
Lan Na
from 1355 to 1385.
When the latter later ordered the sanctum where Phra Singh was
enshrined to be rebuilt,
Thao
Maha Phrom requested for the Buddha statue to be brought to Chiang Rai
in order to have a replica made at Koh Don Thaen (เกาะดอนแท่น), an island in the
Mekhong River near
Chiang Saen, with the aim to
enshrine it in Chiang Rai's
Wihaan
Luang.
After the death of Phaya Keua Nah, his son Phaya
Saen Meuang Ma (fig.)
succeeded his father as the new ruler of Lan Na. Jealous of Phaya Saen Meuang Ma's accession to the throne, Thao
Maha Phrom attacked Chiang Mai, but was captured by Phaya Saen Meuang Ma.
Consequently, Phra Singh was ordered to be returned to
Chiang Mai, where it has been enshrined in
Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihaan
ever since, whilst the replica of Phra Singh (fig.)
that Thao Maha Phrom had commissioned was later enshrined in Wat
Phra Singh in Chiang Rai, where it remains to this day.
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2. Thai. Short name for
Wat Phra
Singh Woramahawihaan.
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Wat
Phra Singh Woramahawihaan (วัดพระสิงห์วรมหาวิหาร)
Thai.
Full name and title of a first class Royal temple (Woramahawihaan)
in the city of
Chiang Mai,
built in 1345 AD by command of
Phaya
Phayu (fig.),
the seventh
king
(1337-1355)
of the
Mengrai
Dynasty (eight reign), to
house the ashes of his father Phaya Kham Fu (1328-1337).
It is an important Buddhist monastery, accommodating about 700 monks
and novices, as well as the ancient Phra
Singh (fig.)
or ‘Lion Buddha’,
a Buddha statue in Singhalese style after which the temple is named
and that is housed in a small
wihaan with
antique murals. This
Buddha image was
installed in this temple in 1367 and is one of three Buddha statues
in Thailand, that are claimed to be the
Phra Phutta Sihing.
The temple's main
chedi,
which was originally white and
with a
supporting
White Elephant
on each side of the square base, was eventually completely
gilded,
including the
elephants and the smaller surrounding
stupas. The temple is usually referred to by its abbreviated name, without
the royal title, i.e.
Wat Phra Singh.
See also MAP
and
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Phra Shiva Jao
(วัดพระศิวะเจ้า)
Thai. Another name for
Wat Phra Siwa Chao.
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Wat Phra Siwa Chao
(วัดพระศิวะเจ้า)
Thai. ‘Lord
Shiva
Temple’. Name of a Thai
Hindu
sanctuary in
Bangkok,
also known as
samahkhom tantra, i.e. the ‘Tantra
Association’ or ‘Tantra Society’.
READ ON.
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Wat Phra Sri (วัดพระศรี)
Thai. Popular name for
Wat Phra Sri Rattanamahathat in
Phitsanulok.
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Wat Phra
Sri Maha Uma Devi (วัดพระศรีมหาอุมาเทวี)
Name of an temple in
Bangkok which is commonly nicknamed Wat Kaek
Silom, the
‘Indian Temple of Silom’ and devoted to the goddess
Uma. It was built in the
Rattanakosin period, around 1879 by a group of Indian people who lived in
Bangkok and purchased a plot of land on Silom Road where they
initially built a small
sala
named Sala Sri Mari Amman. It was looked
after by a group of Indian Tamils who introduced their culture here,
as they did in other parts of Asia. Later, Indian settlers who lived
in Bangkok contributed in building the temple and in
installing the principal image of the goddess Uma in the
ubosot, in addition to images of
many other Hindu deities, some imported from India. Annually the
temple holds the ancient festival of
Navaratri (Dushera), a festival dating from
Vedic times
and in which rituals are performed worshipping Uma as well as other
deities (fig.). The festival continues for ten days
and
nine nights, and on the
last day ends with the feast of
Vijayadazaami in which images
of different forms of the goddess
Uma, such as
Kali
and other deities, such as
Kanthakumara, are
carried around in a chariot procession,
outside the temple (fig.).
See MAP.
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Wat Phra Sri Rattanamahathat (วัดพระศรีรัตนมหาธาตุ)
1. Thai. Important temple in
Phitsanulok that houses the
Phra Phutta Chinnarat Buddha image (fig.).
Abbreviated the temple is called Wat Phra Sri
(วัดพระศรี), but it is also referred to as
Wat Yai (วัดใหญ่). Besides housing one of the
country's most revered Buddha images, the temple's
pagoda
contains a relic of the
Buddha, hence the word
Mahathat in its name.
See MAP,
TRAVEL PICTURES (1),
(2),
(3),
(4) and
(5),
POSTAGE STAMPS (1) and
(2), and
WATCH VIDEO.
回
2. Thai. Name of a temple
at
Meuang
Chaliang (เชลียง), i.e. the former name of Meuang
Sri Satchanalai, in present-day Sri Satchanalai
Historical Park, in
Sukhothai
Province, and which is
depicted on a Thai postage stamp as part of a set of
four stamps, issued in 1993 to
mark the annual
Thai Heritage Conservation
Day
and to promote the
Sri Satchanalai Historical Park
(fig.).
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3. Thai. Name of a temple in
Lopburi.
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4. Thai. Name of a temple in
Suphanburi
(fig.).
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Wat Phra
Sri Rattana Sahtsadahrahm (วัดพระศรีรัตนศาสดาราม)
The official Thai name of
Wat Phra Kaew in
Bangkok.
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Wat Phra Sri
Sanphet (วัดพระศรีสรรเพชญ์)
Thai. The remains of a royal temple in
Ayutthaya with three distinctive
chedis.
READ ON.
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Wat Phra Thamma Kaay
(วัดพระธรรมกาย)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple in
Pathum Thani, located in the
tambon
Khlong Sahm of the
amphur
Khlong Luang.
READ ON.
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Wat Phrathat Cho Hae (วัดพระธาตุช่อแฮ)
Thai. A well-known place of pilgrimage about 10 kms from the city centre of
Phrae,
where worshippers wrapped a satin cloth named Cho Hae, around the 33 meters high
gilded
chedi
(fig.).
This satin fabric, after which the temple is named, is believed to have come
from
Sipsongpannah.
See MAP.
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Wat Phrathat Chomsak (วัดพระธาตุจอมสัก)
Thai. Name of
a Buddhist hilltop temple on the outskirts of the northern Thai city
of
Chiang Rai,
overlooking the rice paddies of the district or
tambon of Ban
Duh (บ้านดู่). At its foot there is a statue of
Mae Phra Thoranee (fig.),
the mother or goddess of the earth, who appears as a witness of the
Buddha's
accumulated merits from earlier lives, just before the moment of his
Enlightenment, and here depicted
wringing water from her long black hair, thus aiding
Siddhartha, i.e. the
bodhisattva or
buddha-to-be, in
his resistance against
Mara (fig.),
i.e. the Evil One, by flushing his army of spirits away and saving
the Buddha from the temptation of desire. A triple staircase,
flanked by four
nagamakara (fig.)
balustrades, leads to a platform at the summit, as well as to an
entrance of the temple. Located outside the temple's surrounding
outer wall and also overlooking the valley below are two statues of
senior monks with the title of
kruh bah, i.e. Kruh Bah
Khamlah Sangwaroh (ครูบาคําหล้า สังวโร) and Kruh Bah Inthah
Suthontoh (ครูบาอินถา สุทนฺโต). The ceiling of a
sala-like edifice in front
of the temple's main
stupa
is decorated with paintings depicting scenes from the life of the
Buddha, whereas the ceiling of the pitched roof at the front
features some religious drawings with
geometric and magical
diagrams called
yantra,
with written texts in ancient script,
some depictions of deities, as
well as of animals, some of which also appear on
vertical
thong kathin banners (fig.),
such as a
turtle,
which is known as
tao
and represents consciousness; a
fish which is called matcha (มัจฉา)
and symbolizes doubt;
a
centipede in Thai called
takaab
which symbolizes anger; and a
crocodile, known as
jorakae, with lotus
flowers in its mouth and here representing greed.
In the top corners on either side of this ceiling is on the left a
depiction of
a
peacock and
on the right a
rabbit,
which are
symbols of the moon and the sun,
that if depicted together
(fig.)
stand symbol for
Enlightenment (fig.),
akin to the Chinese characters for sun and moon, i.e.
ri (日)
and yue
(月),
that when placed together as
ming (明),
become to mean ‘bright’,
‘clear’, or ‘to understand’.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Wat Phrathat Doi Chom Thong (วัดพระธาตุดอยจอมทอง)
Thai. Name of a hilltop temple
in
the city of
Chiang Rai.
The temple predates the city and according to folklore
Poh Khun
Mengrai (fig.)
first came upon this solitary hill on the banks of the
Kok River (fig.)
when he was following an elephant that had wandered off. The location was then
the site of a
stupa, that according to chronicles of the
Yonok
Kingdom, an early legendary kingdom in present-day Northern Thailand that
probably existed several hundred years before ancient
Chiang Saen
(fig.),
was built in 940 AD by
Phaya Reuan Kaew (เรือนแก้ว), the then
ruler of Chai Narai (ไชยนารายณ์), i.e. the area of today's Wiang Chai (เวียงชัย)
District, in order to house relics of the
Buddha, that were acquired from a
Sinhalese monk by Phaya Phangkaraat (พังคราช) a ruler of Yonok, who divided them
into three parts, and had each enshrined in a separate stupa, at three different
temples, namely Wat Phrathat Doi Chom Thong,
Wat Phrathat Doi Tung (fig.),
and Wat Phrathat Chomkitti (วัดพระธาตุจอมกิตติ). King Mengrai so liked the area
of Wat Phrathat Doi Chom Thong that he in 1260 founded the city of Chiang Rai
near its location.
WAT |