Wat Phra Keaw

The Wat Phra Kaew is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand. It is a "potent religio-political symbol and the palladium of Thai society". It is located in the historic centre of Bangkok (district Phra Nakhon), within the precincts of the Grand Palace. The main building is the central ubosoth, which houses the statue of Emerald Buddha. The legendary history of this Buddha image is traced to India, five centuries after the Lord Buddha attained Nirvana, till it was finally enshrined in Bangkok at the Wat Phra Kaew temple in 1782 during Rama I's reign (1782–1809). This marked the beginning and raise of the Chakri Dynasty of the present Kingdom of Thailand (the present head of the dynasty is King Rama IX. The Emerald Buddha, a dark green statue, is in a standing form, about 66 centimetres (26 in) tall, carved from a single jade stone (Emerald in Thai means deep green colour and not the specific stone). It is carved in the meditating posture in the style of the Lanna school of the northern Thailand. Except for the Thai King, no other person is allowed to touch the statue. The King changes the cloak around the statue three times a year, corresponding to the summer, winter, and rainy seasons, an important ritual performed to usher good fortune to the country during each season.

While legend traces this statue to India, its rich historical records dates its finding in Cambodia in the 15th century, moved to Laos in the 16th century and then to Vientiane where it remained for 215 years, and finally to Thailand in the 18th century. Considering the long history and Nagasena's (a Brahmin who became a Buddhist sage and lived about 150 BC) prophesy that the Emerald Buddha would bring "prosperity and pre-eminence to each country in which it resides", the Emerald Buddha deified in the Wat Phra Kaew is deeply revered and venerated in Thailand as the protector of the country.

Phukradung National Park

Floating Market

A floating market is a market where merchandise is sold from boats. Originating in times and places where water transport played an important role in daily life, most floating markets operating today mainly serve as tourist attractions, and are chiefly found in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Ratchaburi, Thailand, is one of the most famously known floating markets, and a major tourist destination.

Floating market at Damnoen Saduak is the old traditional way of selling vegatables, fruits,etc from a small boat. The excellent quality soil beside the canal is very fertile and suitable for growing many kinds of fruits and vegetables.The area is famous for Malacca grape, Chinese grapefruit, mangoes, bananas, and coconut. Thai style canoes laden with colourful, succulent fruits, vegetables, sweets and meats, gently ply their way through the canal.

Cover from Thailand

Cover from Thailand

Beautiful cover with so many flower stamps! Many thanks to Manuel! He sent this letter with nice stamps from Bangkok, when he made a travel there.

Wat Saket, Bangkok

Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan, usually short Wat Saket, is a Buddhist temple (Wat) in Pom Prap Sattru Phai district, Bangkok, Thailand. The temple dates back to Ayutthaya era, when it was called Wat Sakae. King Rama I renovated the temple and renamed it to Wat Saket. Phu Khao Thong (Golden mountain, ภูเขา ทอง) is a steep hill inside the Wat Saket compound. It is not a natural outcrop, but an artificial hill.

During the reign of King Rama III (1787 – 1851) the decision was made to build a Chedi of huge dimensions to add to the Wat Saket temple. However, the large Chedi collapsed during the construction process because the soft soil beneath would not support it. The resulting mud-and-brick hillock was left alone for about half a century, taking the shape of a natural hill and becoming overgrown with weeds. Since then it looked like a natural small mountain it received its name of "Phu Khao" (ภูเขา) at that time. Finally under King Rama IV, a small Chedi was built on the hilltop. This smaller structure was finished under King Rama V (1853– 1910), when a Buddha relic from India was housed in the Chedi. In the 1940s the surrounding concrete walls were built to prevent the hill from eroding. There is an important festival at Wat Saket every November that includes a beautiful candlelight procession up Phu Khao Thong. Phu Khao Thong has become a popular tourist attraction in Bangkok, but the rest of the Wat Saket temple area is much less visited.

Bangkok, Thailand

Mr. M. Vandenbrande sent this card from the capital city of Thailand, when he travelled there for a second time.

Wat Pho, Thailand

Wat Pho (วัดโพธิ์), or Wat Phra Chetuphon (วัดพระเชตุพน) as it is generally known to the Thais, is mainly famous for the huge Reclining Buddha statue it houses. At 20 acres large, it is the largest Wat in Bangkok, and is technically the oldest too, as it was built around 200 years before Bangkok became Thailand's capital. However, today the Wat today bears virtually no resemblance to that originally constructed, as it was almost entirely rebuilt by Rama I when the capital was moved to Bangkok. It holds the dual honors of having both Thailand's largest reclining Buddha image and the most number of Buddha images in Thailand.

Monks, Thailand

Many thanks to Mr. M.Vandenbrande, who sent this card to me when he travelled in Thailand.