Thailand 2014

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BANGKOK – 2 February through 11 February: We returned to the lovely city of Bangkok after enjoying a holiday in Myanmar. Bangkok is a treasure chest of lovely temples and, of course, the Grand Palace. We always enjoy touring here as well as enjoying some “rest & relaxation” time. We did take time out to see a few great sites which are described below:

Grand Palace: Our initial visit at the Grand Palace occurred in 2002. It continues to be an amazing place! The Grand Palace is a huge compound – 2,351,000 square feet – surrounded by four walls. It sits on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. The Grand Palace is made up of numerous buildings, including the former royal residence, a monastery and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (a statue of Buddha resides inside; it is carved from a block of green jade). The complex was established in 1782. The present monarch of Thailand does not reside at the Grand Palace but royal ceremonies and state functions are held within the walls of the palace every year.

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	A Changing of the Guard at the Grand Palace
	The blend of traditional Thai architecture with Western architecture
	A beautiful gate into this section of the Grand Palace
	Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat - The Throne Hall
	The roof of one of the Royal Reception Halls
	Decorated entry doors into a Royal Reception Hall
	This is the Phra Thinang Aphorn Phimok Prasat - an open pavillion
	Chakri Maha Prasat - This building was finished in 1882. It served as a central court building and later as the home for King Rama V's mother
	A closer look at the traditional roofing on the Chakri Maha Prasat

IMAGES FROM THE TEMPLE OF THE
EMERALD BUDDHA - WAT PHRA KAEW

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	The Temple of the Emerald Buddha
	Guardians at the one of the Gates to the Temple's Balcony
	The Gold Chedi and the Temple
	See the decorative statues supporting the Gold Chedi
	A closer look at those statues supporting the Chedi
	Door Guards
	Exterior Corridors of the Temple
	Exterior Wall Decorations
	Additional Lion Guards

Wat Pho (Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklaram Rajwaramahaviharn): We first visited this complex in 2012. The key attraction of Wat Pho is its Reclining Buddha. The Buddha is a gold-plated monument. The Buddha is 48 meters in length and is the third largest Reclining Buddha in Thailand. The soles of the statute are inlaid with mother of pearl depicting 108 images. It is truly beautiful! Then, the overall complex was perhaps even more amazing. It contains numerous temples and halls containing beautiful statutes of Buddha. The temple entryways are beautifully decorated with inlaid pieces of small tiles of colored glass that glitter in the sunlight. Also, there are beautiful porcelain covered columns and stuppas. Wat Pho truly is magnificent!

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	A view of this amazing Temple complex
	A view of the Reclining Buddha
	The beautiful face of the Reclining Buddha
	The massive soles of Buddha's feet
	A close-up view of the inlay on the Reclining Buddha's soles
	A beautiful Bell Tower
	A beautiful Temple with surrounding Chedi
	Another beautiful setting
	A courtyard with Buddhas under the awning
	A closer look at the statues supporting the giant pillars shown above
	The rows of Buddha statues under the protective awning
	A gate within the Temple complex
	An interior altar dedicated to Buddha
	A closer look at the statue of Buddha
	A beautiful closing photograph - Chedi & Temple Roof Lines

Wat Arun (Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan): Wat Arun, the “Temple of Dawn” is a Buddhist temple on the Chao Phraya River. It houses the world’s tallest prang, a Khmer-style tower, rising to 86 meters (252 feet). It is decorated with very colorful porcelain. People believe that worshiping here and making merit will bring glory to their life.

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	Welcome to Wat Arun
	Isn't it beautiful?!
	A close look at the Prang
	The detail and design are amazing
	Another view
	Again, look at the detail in these figurines
	Beautiful buildings within the Complex
	An interior altar
	A closer view of the statute of Buddha
	A wall detailed wall mural
	A Buddhist monk who is studying

Chinatown during Chinese New Year: We had the fun of seeing Bangkok’s China Town during the Chinese New Year festival. In particular we enjoyed seeing Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (the “Dragon Lotus Temple). It is in the heart of Chinatown and is considered to be the most important and largest Chinese-Buddhist temple in Bangkok. As you can imagine, it was very busy with individuals visiting and leaving incense in hopes of good luck during the coming lunar year.

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Wat Traimit: This temple holds the world’s largest solid gold statute, the Golden Buddha. People believe that worshipping and making merit at this temple will bring success to their business and prosperity into their life. The Golden Buddha measures nearly three meters (9.8 feet) in height and weighs five and a half tons. In the past, artisans crafted statutes of Buddha in gold and then disguised them from invading armies by applying a covering of stucco and plaster. In 1955, the statute was being moved to a new location. Somehow the ropes or scaffolding that were holding it broke and the Buddha fell to the ground. Some of the plaster chipped off and the gold surface was discovered. Further work was done until it was finally determined that the Buddha was not a gold casting but instead a solid gold statute. Wow! Given the value of gold, if it had been discovered that the Buddha was made of solid gold, it most likely would have been destroyed by invaders. Thankfully it is preserved for both Buddhists and non-Buddhists to enjoy and admire.

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	Wat Traimit
	A bronze relief mounted within the Complex
	The beautiful roof lines
	The Golden Buddha
	Another view of the Golden Buddha
	Two beautiful doors that are mirror images of one another
	An interior altar
	Looking down on the Complex from one of the taller buildings

	The very busy Wat Mangkon
	Two of the Temple protectors
	A Happy Buddha
	An altar in the Complex