Temple visit day and we managed four in the Ang Thong & U Thong regions of Thailand, about two hours outside Bangkok – so a pretty big day for us, good job Nigel likes driving over here!
1. Wat Khun Inthapramun – a 50m long reclining Buddha image which was built in the 13-14th Century and is one of the most revered and oldest temples in Ang Thong. Legend has it that it was named after a revenue officer who embezzled the government to built the Buddha statue, when the King asked where the money came from he refused to answer for fear the King would take the credit but unfortunately he was sentenced to death by the King. It has been renovated in recent years and is now one of the most important temples in Thailand.
2. Wat Tha It – a gold pyramid like pagoda on 7 floors, Nigel managed to climb the stairs but unfortunately you could only see out of half opened windows. You can see across the fields to our next Buddha temple due to it’s height. Courtyard hosts a large number of seated Buddhas around the outside.
3. Wat Muang – only completed in 2008 after 18 years to complete and said to cost of over £2 millon. The Buddha is 95m high, currently the largest seated Buddha in Thailand. Within the complex there are a number of other buildings together with scenes of the Buddhist version of hell (pretty gruesome). Fed the fish in the lake, some extremely large catfish (I think). Had a lovely coffee at Baan Nok which came with a cup of flower tea (most refreshing I have had in a long time) – I asked about purchasing the tea and the lovely owner gave me some for free (I did leave a large tip in recognition).
My thanks to www.bucketlisly.blog for the info ofn the temples above which were so near to each other that it helped make our decision to venture into the area.
4. Luang Pho U Thong (Phra Phuttha Khiri Sri Suvarnabhumi) – carved out of stone in an old quarry. Stands 108m high and 88m wide with a tunnel underneath, lit a candle here in memory of a friend’s father who has recently passed away.. The Buddha was started in 2014 by Phratham Phutthi Mongkol the abbot of Wat Pa Lelai as he wanted to highlight U Thong as the first place the influence of Buddhism reeached Thailand more than 2,500 years ago. External landscaping and ponds (even saw a lizard swimming in one of the ponds) still to be completed but well worth a visit nonetheless.
