Wat Pa Pathom Chai
The beautifully maintained forest mediation Wat Pa Pathom Chai temple is affiliated with the Buddhist Dhammayut order, and officially opened in February 2012.
As you go through the entrance you can feel the serene atmosphere, with the only sounds being birds calling to each other, and the gentle background tinkle of small bells.
The main viharn (above) is built in traditional Lanna style usually only found in the northern part of Thailand and has many lovely traditional northern architectural features.
The entrance doors are beautifully decorated with religious themes, and are guarded on each side by white mythical giants (“Yuk”), which are seated, contrasting with the more common brightly painted standing posture found in other temples.
The main hall is stunning and built entirely from wood, while a golden chedi behind it is surrounded by dozens of small seated Buddha images. The roof is multilayered in true Lanna style.
The interior of the covered walls have numerous Buddha images, some standing, some sitting, and other important relics.
Other parts of the temple grounds include a pretty garden, monks’ living quarters, meeting and prayer rooms, mostly wood built, and some are really wonderful examples of traditional Thai architecture.
Another standout is the imposing white chedi (stupa) which dominates the central area. It contains the relics of five important monks.
The walls are lined with panels of intricate carvings of religious and daily life activities, all in pure white, as is the whole building.
Nearby, there is also a statue of the first ruler of the ancient northern Hariphunchai state, Queen Camadevi.
On the day we visited, we were the only people there, and the chedi and a few other buildings were closed. While that was unfortunate, the good was that we had the place to ourselves and we were free to explore the whole place without being disturbed by anyone.
On religious holidays and festival days the Pa Pathom Chai Temple is fully open for donations, blessings, and prayers.
Wat Pa Pathom Chai is a center for meditation, retreats, and learning about Buddhism, and is remote and relatively unknown outside the local district.
Getting There: Google Maps reference is>>
R2M3+H6V, Tambon Phrong Madua, Muang Nakhon Pathom District, Nakhon Pathom 73000
You’ll need your own transport to get there from Nakhon Pathom city as it’s quite hidden away but worth the effort.
There are regular buses and other transport options from Bangkok, city to city takes about one to two hours depending on the type of service and traffic conditions.
There’s also several trains a day between the two city centers.