Buddhism is the major religion practised in Thailand, and its numerous monasteries and temples are a feast for the eyes because of their exquisite craftsmanship. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant strain of Buddhism in the country and is characterised with its emphasis on reincarnation and attaining nirvana.
In Thai culture, the temple complex of a monastery is called a wat, the ordination hall is called the ubosot and is the most sacred part of the monastery, the wihan are the assembly halls, and the chedi is the stupa. Here’s our selection of five wats you should visit on your trip to the “Land of Smiles.”
Chiang Mai’s oldest Buddhist temple is the Wat Chiang Man and its construction is intertwined with the founding of the city itself. King Mengrai built the temple around 1296 to consecrate his capital. A standing Buddha statue inside its premises is reputedly the oldest one in Thailand, and depicts the enlightened one with an alms bowl in his hand. Along with the standing Buddha statue, the Phra Sae Tang Khamani is a 10 cm statue carved out of quartz crystal and is believed to protect against disasters, while the Phra Sila shows a standing Buddha taming an elephant in bas-relief, and is revered for its rain-giving powers.
Popularly known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok is perhaps the most sacred Buddhist temple of Thailand. Built from 1783-85, people flock to its grounds to see the Emerald Buddha, which is made of green jasper and clothed in gold. The statue is 66 cm tall and is revered as the palladium of Thailand. Mural paintings which depict the Hindu epic "Ramayana" are also displayed on the walls. The placement of the 178 murals outside of the main precinct of the temple ensures that they do not detract from the Buddhist nature of Wat Phra Kaew. The architecture is a stunning example of Thai craftsmanship and the colours and shapes are a visual treat for visitors.
The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is directly south of the Grand Palace of Thailand and is one of the most-visited tourist attractions in the country. More than 1,000 images of the Buddha are kept in the temple and the site is said to be the birthplace of Thai massage. Wat Pho was built before Bangkok was founded as the capital by King Rama I. The Reclining Buddha figure is 15 m high and 46 m long. It was completed in 1848 and represents the Buddha attaining nirvana. Visitors place coins in a row of 108 metal bowls to the rear of the Buddha statue for good luck.
A gorgeous white temple in Chiang Rai, the Wat Rong Khun opened to visitors in 1997 and was constructed by Thai artist Chalermchai Kosipipat. The building’s all white facade, glass and mirrors make it sparkle in the daytime, but the artist designed the temple to be viewed in moonlight, when it appears particularly ghostly and otherworldly. The temple depicts the Buddhist cycle of birth and death called samsara. Expansion of the temple complex continues to the present day as Kosipipat seeks to build a centre for learning and meditation. While the building is styled in classical Thai architecture, murals inside the temple depict Michael Jackson, “The Matrix”, Freddy Krueger and the “Terminator” movies.
Literally translated as “The Wilderness Temple of the Great Glass Pagoda”, it is popularly known as the Temple of a Million Bottles. This temple in the Khun Han district of Sisaket province is made of over 1.5 million empty Heineken and Chang beer bottles. When the local monks decided they had to take action to tackle the mounting litter problem, they solicited villagers to donate glass containers for building a temple. The collection of bottles began in 1984, and construction was finished two years later. Till 2009, some 20 buildings have been similarly constructed. The green Heineken and brown Chang and Singha beer bottles are interspersed into the concrete walls and spired roof, while the floors have the bottoms of bottles bored into them. The mural of the Buddha meditating under the Bodhi tree is constructed out of bottle caps.