Temples in Uthai Thani

Sangkat Rattan Khiri

built in 1900 at the foot of the Sake Krang hills, this temple housed a Buddhaimage in the " Subuing Mra" posture of the Kukothai era style, givent to various reginal town by king Rama I.

The image was originally kept at khwit Temple before it was burned in the great fire of 1935. After that the image was called " Phraphuthamongkno Saksit" and is highly revered by the people in this province.

A stairway of 449 steps runs from the foot of the hill to the top of the mountain where a mondop ( a cube-shaped structure normally contained Buddhist scriptures) was built to house the Buddha's footprint. A big bell has been placed at the front for people to ring and make a wish- and to indicate that they have visited the province.


Next to the nondop is a life-size statue of King Raman I sitting on a throne. Every year on April 6, there is a ceremony to commenmorate the first king ot the Rattnakosin dynasty. The vent usually coincides with the vblooming period of the golden silk cotton flowers, suphhnnika (coochlospermum bixaceae), which is the provinces regional flower, covering the hilltop of Sakae Krnag Mountain.

Wat Uposatharam

Wat Uposathram temple, or Wat bost Manorom, was built in the early Rattnakosin era (18th century). The ubosothe (ordination hall) vihara (assebly hallof worship) were built next to eacher. The art within the ordination hall was created by the hads of master craftsmen. Inside is a mural illustrartion the Lord Buddha's sories along with some buddha images from Sukhothai.

The nearby monastery also houses a beautful mural telling teh story of when the Loard Buddha preached to the angels, and depicts the scen of when Load buddha released his spirit and died. The Buddha immages yous ee in this buldin are in the Rattnakosin style. Behind the tow bulidngs stand three diffent styles of chedi (Pagoda) called the " Chedi fo Three Ages" (Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and Ratankosin). All the bulidng here were bulit on the smae base.

Another outstanding work of architecture at the temple is the occagoalnl riverside tower. It was built in 1899 by Luang Phitak Pasa. He built it as an offering to Phra Sunthon Muni, Chief Adminstrator of the Provincial Sangha Provincial Governor of Uthai Tahni. It was originall used as a cremotorium for moks' funerals and to store their remains. Interestingly, it was bult in a Europen style with two storeys.

The Raft Temple near the river bank stans a " raft temple" built for the occasion when KIng Raman V visited the provincial cities of the northern region in 1906. The orginal structure was a twin-raft with ordination halls decorated with roof finials and galbe-edge ornaments like general ordiantion halls. It was later reconstructed into a two-storey building with a hip-roof. The rafters now use it when performing religious rites.

This temple also stores the presents given to Luang Pho chan by King Rama V: an alm bowl with a Mother of Peral-decorated lid, an ancient polished brass alms bowl, a glazed alms bowl, a monk's shoulder bag, a water container and some vases- all well-presearved in the sala of the temple.


Wat Chantharam

This temple was originally named " Wat Than Sung" ude to the logging along Sake Krang River. The log rafters would stop by rthe temple regularly before heading on to the Chao Phraya River. The name was later changed to Wat Chantharam, after the abbot, Luang Po chan. The temple was left abandoned for a long time and then Luang Pho Yai cane to stay in the areas to practice asceticism. The people in the area asked him to be the abbot and they heoped renovate the temple.

Nowadays, the temple has been much extended from the original, built during the Ayutthanya period (1350-1767 AD). The only remains of the old temple are the ruined sala and an old assembly hall. The assembly hall holds a folk art mural of the Lord buddhas's stories and an ancient preaching seat for abbots.

The present temple was expanded by Phra Maho Wera Thawaro, or Luang Pho Ruesi Link dam, a famous monk. one well-known structure in the new temple is the ordination hall that is delicately decorated with what resembles a crystal wall.


There is also a grand assembly hall , a length of 100 meters, called the " Crytal vihara" It is a rectangular building with glass tiles decorating all the interior walls. The front veranda is 28 by 100 mether size, built for performing alms offerings. The monastery holds a buddha image and a cry tal coffin of the presearved body of the monk who built the temple, placed on a golden base.

There's also the Golden pavilion, built to honor HM the King. It is considered one of Thailand's most beautiful temples. Extending from the temple is a pier on the bank of Sake Krang River with a riverside recreational sala for laypeople to come and feed the fish.

Wat Ammarita Waree

the original name of this temple was Wat Nong Nam Khan, because it was situated near a large pond and whoever bathed in the pond would fell itchy until they dried the water off themselves completely. The local folk didn't feel that the name was auspicious, so they changed it ot " Wat Ammarita Waree "(Temple of Immortal Waters).

The temple consists of an ubosoth (ordination hall), an assembly hall for worship , five Morn-style pagodas and a monk's quarters. The original building was founded at eh end of Ayutthanya period. It was only a small brick building with one entrance, but it contained a mural depicting the legend fo one of the Buddha's past lives.


Besides, those buildings. There is alarge pogoda in the middle bulit in the style of the ancient Morn people, and four smaller pagodas in each corner. All five are decorated iwht original stucco motifs making it another invaluable part of Uthai Thani's historiacal heritage.



Wat Phicahi Puranaram


Phichai Puranaram temple was originally known as " Wat Krang" It is an " Uthong " style temple, built during the Ayuttaya era around 2301 B.E., or around 200 years ago. It has been renovated many times and is still in remarkably good condition.


Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the temple's architecture is its an assembly hall which was built in a rectangle on any windows along the walls. There are only air-vents and holes punched in the walls for the sun to enter the room . This is one of the rides of Uthai Thani.

Inside Wat Phichai Puranaram stands a Buddha image set in a standing positon which awas built at the end of the Uthong period (14th-15th century).


Wat Nong Pluang

Another ancient temple built during the final years of the Ayutthanya era (1350-1767 AD), Wat nong Plunag contains a small one-storey ordiantion hall iwtha gabled roof. The only indication that this temple is from the Ayutthaya ear (late 18th century) and is believed to have been built by local people because it lacks skilled art decorations and has only one entrance.

the temple is located at Ban Nong Plunga, Moo 2, Tambon Nong Kha Yan, Nong Kha Yang District.


Khaowaong Monastery

situated some 12 kilometers from Ban Rai District, this monastery was established in 1987. It has a four-storey Thai-style descending sala, which blends in beautifully with the limestone mountain in the distance. In front of the building there is a fish pond with a flower garden surrounding it.

Behind Khowaong Monastery are seven or eight caves which are kept as a meditation area for monks. Some of the caves are full of bats; others are filled with stunning stalagmites and stalactites.