Wat Makutkasattriyaram

Wat Makutkasattriyaram

Wat Makutkasattriyaram ( Wat Makutkasat ) is situated on Phadung Krung Kasem Road and the canal of the same name, near Rachadamnoen Nok Road. When the construction of the Phradung Krung Kasem Canal was completed as the outer moat of the city, King Rama IV wished to have temples built along its banks as had been done in Ayutthaya . Thus he had a temple constructed as companion to Wat Somanasvihara. This temple was completed in 1868 and was originally called Wat Nam Banyad. At the end of the reign the temple was renamed Wat Makutkasattriyaram, which was the royal style and title of King Rama IV.

Wat makutkasat and Wat Somanasvihara are the only two temples in Rattanakosin District that have two rings of sema, or boundary stones. The first ring, called the maha sima, is placed in inches in the temple walls, while the second ring, called the khantha sima, surrounds the phra ubosot. In temples that have two rings of sema, the monks can perform religious ceremonies in both the phra ubosot and the phra vihara.

Important buildings include the phra vihara and the phra ubosot. The gables and on the door and window frames are decorated with the royal crown which was the insignia of King Rama IV. The numerous murals inside the phra ubosot differ from those found in other temples in that they depict scenes from stories in Pali about the Buddha's disciples, commentaries from stories of 11 chief male disciples and the 9 chief female disciples, and illustration of meditation techniques, commandments to observe and so forth, Khmer incantations are inscribed on the door and window panels.

Wat Pathumwanaram Rajaworavihara ( Wat Srapathum )

Wat Pathumwanaram Rajaworavihara ( Wat Srapathum )

Wat Pathumwanaram Rajaworavihara ( Wat Srapathum ) is located on Rama I Road, between the World Trade Center and Siam Square. The temple was constructed at the same time as Srapathum Palace, which was built as a country residence . King Rama IV ordered the construction of the temple as a gift for Queen Thepsirin. Monks of the Dhammayutika sect from Wat Bowornniwet Vihara were invited to reside at the temple and the would sometimes board boats in the temple pond to receive alms from the King and his wives.

The door and windows shutters of the phra ubosot are decorated with plaster figures depicting farmers plowing their fields or fishing in the lotus ponds , which were common feature of life at that time.

The phra vihara of Wat Pathumwanaram houses important images that were brought from Vientiane, namely , the Phra Serm and Phra Saen. This harmonizes with the murals depicting scenes from the humorous and witty stories of Sri Thanonchai, or Chiang Mieng, which were popular among the Thais and Laos. The murals in the phra vihara were the work of artists of the Fourth Reign and shoe clear Wstern influence. One scene of interest shows a metal bridge on wheels that can be pulled aside to allow boats to pass. Such bridges are no longer in existence.

In 1926 Phra Srisawarinthra Borom Rajathevee the Royal Grandmother, built the Pali Studies School, which later became the repository of the remains of Somdej Phra Mahitalathibet Adulyadejvikrom. The father of King Rama IX.

Wat Phichayayatikaram Woravihara ( Wat Phichaiyat )

Wat Phichayayatikaram Woravihara ( Wat Phichaiyat )

Wat Phichayayatikaram Woravihara ( Wat Phichaiyat ) is situated near the Phra Phuttha Yodfa Bridge, on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River. It had been an abandoned temple, and then in 1841, Chao Phraya Phichaiyat ( That Bunnag ) commissioned the construction of Wat Phichaiyat and presented it to King Rama III as a royal temple. The temple was given the name of Wat Phraya Yatikaram; however, people generally call it Wat Phichaiyat.

Wat Phichaiyat has a beautiful ground. The phra ubosot is in the Chinese style and is not very large and does not have chofa, bai raka. Outside the phra ubosot there is a round stone pillars (phalai) at the base of which are bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the Chinese epic "Sam Kok". On both sides of the phra ubosot are chedi on tall pedestals.

The temple houses a large phra prang on a high base. This can be seen from afar, for the prang is 21 wa (42 meters) high, and the open space in front of it makes it look even taller. Of interest also are the monks' residences which are in the Western style. The once beautiful wooden fretwork and plaster decorations have mostly rotted away.

Wat Rajasittharam Rajaworawihara

Wat Rajasittharam Rajaworawihara

Wat Rajasittharam Rajaworawihara ( Wat Rajasit) is located close to the Charoenpart Bridge on Isaraphap road in Thonburi. The temple dated from the Ayutthaya Period and it was called originally Wat Phrab. King Rama I ordered the construction of a new temple next to Wat Phrab and the two temples were combined as one. In 1808 the temple was again renovated.

King Rama III resided at this temple while he has a monk, and after he ascended the throne, he ordered another renovation of the temple.

Wat Rajasittharam has several important buildings. The Phra Tamnak Chan was constructed by King Rama II for the future King Rama III when he was a monk. It is a small building with two rooms, the ground floor is of bricks and mortar, while the upper floor is of sandalwood (chan).

The apex of gable ( Cho fa, bai raka ) is beautifully decorated with mirrors. King Rama III subsequently had the building moved next to a Chinese-style building. The sandalwood, which had become rotten, was replaced with other types of wood such as teng (shorea), rang (dipterocarpaceae) and teak so that only part of the original sandalwood remains.

The Phra Ubosot was reconstructed in the Third Reign when the temple was completely renovated. Murals in the Phra Ubosot depict scene of a royal procession on land but the paintings have badly deteriorated.

Wat Rajathiwas Rajaworavihara

Wat Rajathiwas Rajaworavihara

Wat Rajathiwas Rajaworavihara ( Wat Raja ) is situated on bank of Chao Phraya River, near Tha Wasukri Pier, Samsen. When he was a monk King Rama IV, resided at this temple. It was there that the Dhammayutika sect was born. It is believed to be an ancient temple built before the Ayutthaya Period, and was originally called Wat Samorrai. King Rama V Believed that the word "Samor" was derived from the Khmer word "Thamor", meaning stone. Therefor the temples name meant Wat Silarai. King Rama IV gave the temple its present name of Wat Rajathiwas vihara. The temple is cool and shady as befitting its history as a forest retreat.

In the Fifth Reign the phra ubosot, which has been constructed in the early Rattanakosin Period, was in poor condition. King Rama V therefor ordered Prince Narissaranuwattiwong to reconstruct the phra ubosot but retain the original walls because of the significance of the building in the history of the Dhammayutika sect. The murals were done using the European fresco technique and depicted the story of Phra Vessandara, the Buddha's tenth reincarnation. Prince Narissaranuwattiwong prepared the drafts and Rigole, an Italian artist who painted the ceiling in the dome of the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, executed the frescoes.

The sala karn prian, or sermon hall, situated in the front of the temple is constructed entirely of teak and can accommodate up to 1,000 people. Prince Narissaranuwattiwong modelled it on a hall at Wat Suwannaram in Phetchaburi Province.

Wat Rajorasaram

Wat Rajorasaram

Wat Rajorasaram (Wat Rajaoros) is situated on the bank of the Darn canal, Bangkhunthien, Thonburi, near Wat Nang and Wat Nangnong. It is named Raja Orasaram it build by Prince Chesadabodin, a son of King Rama II. A temple build during the Ayutthaya Period, occupied this site called Wat Chomthong, It was a small temple used by commoners situated in a shady orchard. During the Second Reign, in 1820, there was a remour that the Burmese were preparing another invasion of Siam. King Rama II therefore sent an army led by his son Prince Chesadabodin, the future King Rama III, to the frontier at Kanchanaburi. On the way he stopped at this temple and performed the boak khlon thawan ceremony as prescribed for troops marching off to war in the ancient treatise on warfare. When the rainy season of 1821 arrived and the Burmese army had not appeared, the prince led his army back to the capital. Later, the ordered the temple to be renovated using plaster as a major materials, because it was more durable than wood. King Rama II bestowed on it the name "Wat Rajaoros". The rebuilding took 14 years, the celebrations on its completion being held in 1831.
The temple has a spacious compound. Important building and objects include the phra vihara and their ornaments, which are in the Chinese-style favored by King Rama III. Under a pikul tree near the phra ubosot, there is a much revered dais which was occupied by King Rama III when he visited the temple to view the progress of its construction.
The Phra Vihara Phra Buddhasaiyat was constructed on a tall pedestal surrounded by 32 chedi.

Wat Rakhangkhositraram Woramahavihara

Wat Rakhangkhositraram Woramahavihara

Wat Rakhangkhositraram Woramahavihara (Wat Rakhang) is situated on the Thonburi side, opposite Tha Chang Wang Luang Pier. Wat Rakhangkhositraram was originally called Wat Bang Wa Yai and was an ancient temple built during the Ayutthaya Period. King Taksin raised its status to that of a royal temple and had it used as the side of a Buddhist council to recompile the tripikata. In the First Reign , an ancient bell was discovered on the temple grounds and since that time the temple has been know as Wat Rakhang, or the Temple of the Bell. King Rama I has the bell, which has good tone, removed to the Wat Phrasrirattana Sassadaram.

The important buildings include the Golden Palace, where King Taksin and the Supreme Patriarch ( Sri ) resided, and the phra ubosot and tripitaka tower built in the First Reign and decorated with murals.

A building in Wat Rakhangkhositaram that is considered a beautiful example of Thai architecture is the tripitaka tower. Originally this tower was in the middle of a pond that was dug behind the phra ubosot. The tower consists of three identical structures built from timber removed from a palace in which King Rama I had resided before ascending the throne. The outside walls are painted with red ocher while the inside walls are covered with murals depicting the daily life of that time painted by Acharn Nak. The door panels are decorated with lai rod nam designs and beautiful carvings. There are also the large tripitaka bookcases dating from the Ayutthaya Period in the north and south rooms.

Wat Arunrajawaram

Wat Arunrajawararam Rajaworamahavihara

Wat Arunrajawararam Rajaworamahavihara ( Wat Chaeng ) is situated on the west, or Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya River opposite Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimonmangkhalaram (Wat Pho). Originally it was named Wat Makok, and later, Wat Makok Nok, as it was paired with Wat Makok Nai (Wat Nuan Noradis). It is said that after fighting his way out Ayutthaya, which was besigned by a Burmese army, King Taksin arrived at this temple just as down was breaking. He later had the temple renovated and renamed it Wat Chaeng, the Temple of the Dawn. During his reign, which is called the Thonburi Period, WatChaeng was the chief temple, and for time, there were enshrined the Emerald Buddha and another important Buddha image, the Phra Bang, both of which had been removed from Vientiane.
During the Bangkok Period, the temple has been renovated and extended, and it was given its present name by King Rama IV.

The most prominent structure, which stands in the front, is the phra prang. This is a Khmer-style chedi which is 81 meters high. Adjacent to this at each of four cardinal derection are smaller prang and mondop. All of these structures are decorated with brightly colored pieces of porcelain. Tourist often climb the stairs of the prang to gain a panoramic view of the city and the river. In days gone by when visitors from other lands arrived by sailing up the river, the prang was the landmark telling them they had at last arrived in Bangkok.

Wat Mahathat Yuwarajarangsarit Rajaworamahavihara

Wat Mahathat Yuwarajarangsarit Rajaworamahavihara

Wat Mahathat Yuwarajarangsarit Rajaworamahavihara (Wat Mahathat ), originally called Wat Salak, is situated between Sanam Luang and Tha Phra Chan Pier, near Thammasat University. The Supreme Patriarchs resided there during the early Rattanakosin Period. Maha Chulalongkrorn Rajavitthayalai, a Buddhist university, is also situated within the temple ground. The temple was built in the Ayutthaya Period and was renovated in 1783 by Prince Surasinghanart, younger brother of King Rama I, and renamed Wat Nipphanaram.

Before the first Grand Council to revise the Buddhist tripitaka was convoked in 1788 , King Rama I renamed the temple Wat Phra Sri Sanphechayadaram and later rename it "Wat Mahathat" following the tradition from the Ayutthaya Period to give this name to the temples that housed relics of the Buddha. King Rama IV added the name "Yuwarajarangsarit" in honor

of Prince Vachirunnahis.

Important structures include the phra mondop in front of the phra ubosot and the phra vihara in which the sacred relics of Buddha are installed. There is also the Supreme Patriarsh's residence, the Vihara Pho Lanka, or Vihara Noi, where King Rama IV resided when he was a monk, and Akarn Watthu, or Red Building , where once was housed Bangkok's first library.
The statue of Prince Surasinghanart at the front of the temple was erected long after his death and is a product of the imagination rather than a portrait.

Wat Makutkasattriyaram

Wat Makutkasattriyaram

Wat Makutkasattriyaram ( Wat Makutkasat ) is situated on Phadung Krung Kasem Road and the canal of the same name, near Rachadamnoen Nok Road. When the construction of the Phradung Krung Kasem Canal was completed as the outer moat of the city, King Rama IV wished to have temples built along its banks as had been done in Ayutthaya . Thus he had a temple constructed as companion to Wat Somanasvihara. This temple was completed in 1868 and was originally called Wat Nam Banyad. At the end of the reign the temple was renamed Wat Makutkasattriyaram, which was the royal style and title of King Rama IV.
Wat makutkasat and Wat Somanasvihara are the only two temples in Rattanakosin District that have two rings of sema, or boundary stones. The first ring, called the maha sima, is placed in inches in the temple walls, while the second ring, called the khantha sima, surrounds the phra ubosot. In temples that have two rings of sema, the monks can perform religious ceremonies in both the phra ubosot and the phra vihara.

Important buildings include the phra vihara and the phra ubosot. The gables and on the door and window frames are decorated with the royal crown which was the insignia of King Rama IV. The numerous murals inside the phra ubosot differ from those found in other temples in that they depict scenes from stories in Pali about the Buddha's disciples, commentaries from stories of 11 chief male disciples and the 9 chief female disciples, and illustration of meditation techniques, commandments to observe and so forth, Khmer incantations are inscribed on the door and window panels.

Wat Phrachetuphon

Wat Phrachetuphon Wimonmangkhalaram

Wat Phrachetuphon Wimonmangkhalaram Rajaworamahavihara ( Wat Pho) is situated behind the Grand Palace, near the Tha Tien Pier. It is a large temple originally called Wat Photharam, that was built during the Ayutthaya Period. King Rama I ordered its complete restoration in 1789 and installed many Buddha images that were removed from abandoned temples in other parts of the country.
King Rama III ordered another major renovation of the temple to make it a center of learning and art. This took 16 years to complete. Texts from treatises on various fields of knowledge were inscribed on marble slabs and placed in pavilions in the temple and stone statues. Wat Pho thus became a source of knowledge for people of all classes and has therefore been referred to as Thailand's first university.
Important features of the temple include phra vihara, phra mondop or the tripitaka tower, and the palace of a royal poet, Phra Poramanuchit Chinorot.

Thailand Travel Information

Do's and Don't in Thailand

The Monarchy : Thai people have a deep, traditional reverence for the Royal Family, and a visitor should be careful to show respect for the King, the Queen and the Royal Children.

Religion : Visitors should dress neatly in all religious shrines. They should never go topless, or in shorts, hot pants or other unsuitable attireIt is acceptable to wear shoes when walking around the compound of a Buddhist temple, but not inside the chapel where the principal Buddha image is kept.

Each Buddha image, large or small, ruined or not, is regarded as a sacred object. Never climb onto one to take a photograph or do anything which might indicate a lack of respect. Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by a woman, or to accept anything from the hand of one. If a woman has to give anything to a monk, she first hands it to a man, who then presents it.

About People with WAT Thai.

Buddhism was established in Thailand long time ago. Nowadays, Buddhism plays a very significant role in the daily life of the Thai people. Since about 95% of the people in the kingdom of Thailand are Buddhists, Buddhism inevitably involves almost every occasion such as birthdays, marriages, moving to a new house, funerals, opening business offices and buying new vehicles etc.