Thailand – Temples

There are around 300 temples in Bangkok. To see everyone is almost impossible and who wants that. You should look at the five most important ones and plan enough time for them.

Buddhist, Thai temple districts consist of several buildings and also have similar functions such as praying, learning, working, living and living.

Bot
The most sacred and most important building for the faithful is the “Bot”. Bots are usually not accessible to tourists (and non-monks in general).

Viharn
While the bot is often reserved only for monks for ritual acts, vihars serve as a place of prayer for the whole people. Thailand’s most famous viharn is the one at Wat Po in Bangkok, which houses the gilded reclining Buddha.

Chedi
Visible from afar are the tower-high, slightly bell- or cone-shaped “Chedis”, comparable to church towers in the European sense. Relics are often buried inside.

Sala
are open and small outbuildings to linger without ritual significance.
Wat Phra Keo, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is part of the royal palace and is Thailand’s highest-ranking temple. The Buddha himself, a 60 cm high figure, is considered Thailand’s national shrine. Three times a year at the beginning of the three Thai seasons (summer, rainy season, winter), the king personally hangs the new gem-studded robe around this Buddha that matches the climate. The small statue is made of jade. The origin of the figure is unknown. Supposedly, it comes from Ceylon, turned up in Laos, was stolen in the meantime and found again. Then King Rama I finally laid his hand on it and brought the Emerald Buddha to Bangkok in 1785.

There has been and is much controversy about the artistic qualities of Wat Phra Keo. Some consider it the most beautiful temple in the world, others consider it a colorful jumble of colors, building materials and styles. What is certain is that it is neither uniform nor thoroughly of high artistic value. The monuments erected in 1785 have been constantly repaired and enlarged. The temple must be understood as a colorful summary of all architectural styles in Thailand and Bangkok. Between the individual buildings and statues, however, you can discover many beautiful and interesting things.

Wat Traimitr is the temple of the Golden Buddha. The East Asiatic Company wanted to enlarge its airport on the site where an almost destroyed temple stood on the banks of the Menam River for a long time. The temple was demolished and the statues were temporarily moved to a warehouse. When in 1953 a three-meter-high, black-lacquered Buddha figure from the Sukothai period (around 1300) broke down, the heavy statue remained standing in the soggy dirt of the construction site. It was exposed to the rain overnight. The next day, the worried abbot tried to clean her. In the process, he brushed off the black paint. Under this layer of varnish, the figure shimmered out of solid gold. It was painted a long time ago only to protect it from predators. Now it stands in a new golden splendour, shining in a small temple.

Here again the etiquette for temple visitors for those who do not want to embarrass themselves and do not want to be seen as prolls:

Never lose your composure and always smile. Scolding or even outbursts of anger disqualify us in the eyes of most Thais.

It is 35 degrees in the shade and the humidity is like in a steam bath. You would like to tear off all your clothes and put on your beach clothes. Embarrassing professionals present cellulite, fat wrinkles and the consequences of excessive consumption of Singha and sunshine to anyone who does not want to see it. Not only the Thais are not very pleased with such unappetizing views.

It is extremely rude in the temples and according to the Thai Penal Code it is sometimes forbidden to disturb people while praying, as well as to point their feet at Buddha statues, touch Buddha statues or climb Buddha statues. In addition, it is forbidden to enter temples with shorts or a short skirt and a light T-shirt, etc. Many Thais also find long outer clothing improvised from sarongs and scarves extremely ridiculous.