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Thailand Attractions

Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho)

Wat Pho, the official name being Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn, is the first grade royal monastery, regarded as the most important one during the reign of King Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty. The importance of this is due to the King having managed the restoration of Wat Pho...

Wat Pho, the official name being Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn, is the first grade royal monastery, regarded as the most important one during the reign of King Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty. The importance of this is due to the King having managed the restoration of Wat Phodharam, an old monastery from the Ayudhya period, and had it re-established as a the royal monastery located near the Grand Palace. Some ashes of King Rama I were also kept under the pedestal of the principal Buddha image known as Phra Buddha Theva Patimakorn in the main chapel.
The monastery is located in an area of 20 acres to the south of the Grand Palace, with Thai Wang road in the north, Sanam Chai road in the east, Setthakan road in the south and Maharat road in the west. Separated by a tall white wall on Chetuphon road, the monastery has two main quarters: the sacred or a chapel section, Buddhavas, and the residential or the monk's living section, Sangghavas.
It is said in a stone inscription that, after moving to the Grand Palace, King Phra Buddha Yod Fa The Great (King Rama I) recognized that there were 2 old temples along both sides of the Grand Palace: Wat Salak (Wat Mahatart) in the north, and Wat Phodharam in the south. He ordered his noblemen from the department of the Ten Crafts to restore Wat Phodharam in 1788. This first restoration took 7 years 5 months and 28 days. Then there was a celebration in 1801 and the Royal named it “Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklavas”, which was changed to “Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm” during the reign of King Rama IV.
The great restoration, having taken 16 years and 7 months, was done during the reign of King Rama III, by extending both the South Vihara and West Vihara where the large reclining Buddha image is kept, the Missakawan Park, Phra Mondob (Library Hall) and teaching-learning hall as they are of today. Although there was another restoration before the Bangkok Bicentennial Celebration in 1982, no more other major work has been done on the monastery, except for some minor repairs.

Top Thailand Tours

$25 Per Day

Home Industries

          On Sankampaeng road, running for 13 km. to the North of Chiang Mai,  is the heart of the handicraft industry, which most popular of the local handicraft factories are situated. Sankampaeng District of Chiang Mai is the largest has long been known as Thailand's City of Handicrafts , Many of Thailand's major producers are located here and you'll find all of the traditional crafts of the old days and the new in the shops along the Chiang Mai - Sankampaeng Road. So don’t miss this opportunity of discover the making of :-
         

          Umbrella  :   The local history has been told that there was a monk travelling to neighboring Myanmar where he came cross Sa paper umbrellas that offered protection against both the sun and the rain. He returned with the protection technique and introduced  the umbrella to the elders of Borsang village, who added their own first, making umbrellas was just a hobby to do after the annual rice crop, which could supplement villager’s earnings.
         

          Lacquer wear  :  The art of making lacquer-ware is a 400 year old Chiang Mai and Thai tradition. Lacquer-ware is entirely handmade. Lac Resin is produced by insects from sap taken from fig trees. The exquisite oriental designs on the flawless glossy black surface are made entirely by hand. The world renowned Thai lacquerware can be decorated in paint, gold leaf, egg-shell or simply engraved.
         

          Celadon  :  Although ceramics were produced in Thailand as far back as the 9th century, the expertise and techniques for producing to tradition, the special glaze was developed to simulate the appearance of jade which, for thousands of years, has been reserve by the Chinese as the royal gemstone. Today’s celadon center on Sankampaeng Road. Baan Celadon and Siam Celadon factories use the same process as previously.
         

          Silk and Textiles  :   At the Thai Silk Village you will discover the production of Thai Silk that begins with a small worm that comes from the eggs of silk moth and that eats leaves of mulberry trees before building a cocoon, with lengths from 500 to 1,500 yards per cocoon. A single thread filament is too thin to use on its own so  Thai women combine many threads to produce a thicker, usable fiber. They do this by hand-reeling the threads onto a wooden spindle to produce a uniform strand of raw silk.
         

          Wood-carving : Wood carving is considered one of Thailand's finest traditional handicafts that have been passed down from the Sukhothai period (1238 - 1438 ). The evidence of the long existing sculpture art can be found on windows, door and other wooden parts of Buddhist temples, It's easy to understand why ornamental wood carving in Thailand is such a highly specialized skill when you consider just how much intricate detail goes into every item created.
         

          Silver Wear : Chiang Mai offers a wide selection of modern and antique silverware. The city is a prime source of such objects d'art because generations of artisans have made their homes here. Chiang Mai's laid back atmosphere has brought together many ethnic groups, each with its own distinctive style, providing you with a wide range of beautiful artifacts to choose from. The majority of the best silver works are situated along the Chiang Mai - Sankampeang Road. Here you will find delicately patterned silverware from Thailand, Laos and Burma along with antique and modern hill-tribe jewelry.
         

          Jewelry  :  Your tour along the Sankampaeng road will have convinced you that Thai craftsmen are exceptionally gifted. They have also become experts in the art of making refined and elegant jewelry. Their expertise in cutting, polishing and setting gems is recognized world wide.   If you are looking for truly beautiful jewelry or just single gem stones, the Sankampaeng Road is the place to go. Here you will find an assortment of glorious sapphires, diamonds, jade, emeralds and Siamese rubies set in a multitude of different settings including necklaces, earrings, rings and bangles all created by local artists.

$25 Per Day

Elepant at Work

08:30 am.      Pick you up at your hotel and depart to Mae Sa elephant camp, to the north of Chiang Mai about 20 km.  Before show, visit to elephants nursery and art exhibition, which is  acknowledged  as  “ the most expensive painting by a group of elephant ” by Guinness World Records.
     09:45 am. Delight in a wide range of demonstrations and enjoy fabulous performance of elephants, as follow :-
• Elephant Bathing.
• Welcome guests by elephant Parade.
• Demonstration of the various ways of getting on/down the elephants.
• Musical Talent show and Dancing.
• Demonstration on how the elephants sleep.
• Elephant Football League (Soccer show).
• Elephant  Artist show. The only place where elephants paint abstract and realistic style.
• Traditional Thai Massage show.
• The elephants competition : Sticks Pick Up game.
• Dart  game Show by elephants.
• And end of the show, Logging and Lumber work show.
            On this trip, you will witness the traditional techniques still used in the training process.  Wonder at the delicacy and  preciseness of such gigantic creatures in action. Then visit an orchid farm with more than 50 different varieties of gorgeous orchidblooms in a dazzling array of colors.In the former times.

Optional tour / Elephant ride / Tiger Kingdom / Monkey Show / Snake Show / Crocodile Show : and so on.

$50 Per Day

Elephant at work

08:30 am.:     Pick you up at your hotel and depart to Mae Sa elephant camp, to the north of Chiang Mai about 20 km.  Before show, visit to elephants nursery and art exhibition, which is  acknowledged  as  “ the most expensive painting by a group of elephant ” by Guinness World Records.
09:45 am. Delight in a wide range of demonstrations and enjoy fabulous performance of elephants, as follow :-
• Elephant Bathing.
• Welcome guests by elephant Parade.
• Demonstration of the various ways of getting on/down the elephants.
• Musical Talent show and Dancing.
• Demonstration on how the elephants sleep.
• Elephant Football League (Soccer show).
• Elephant  Artist show. The only place where elephants paint abstract and realistic style.
• Traditional Thai Massage show.
• The elephants competition : Sticks Pick Up game.
• Dart  game Show by elephants.
• And end of the show, Logging and Lumber work show.
            On this trip, you will witness the traditional techniques still used in the training process.  Wonder at the delicacy and  preciseness of such gigantic creatures in action. Then visit an orchid farm with more than 50 different varieties of gorgeous orchidblooms in a dazzling array of colors.In the former times.

Optional tour / Elephant ride / Long-neck karen / Tiger Kingdom / Monkey Show / Snake Show / Crocodile Show : and so on.