Wat Ban Tham, just south of Kanchanaburi in West Thailand, illustrates two local practices at once: the ancient tradition to build monasteries in natural caves and the relatively new fashion in monastic communities to experiment with cement and paint.
In this case, to reach the cave, one has to pass inside the body of a psychedelically colored dragon.
An impressive Buddha statue dominates the main hall of the cave. But, the side chamber contains something unusual: a stalactite said to house the spirit of Bua Kli.
She was one of the many consorts of Khun Paen, a legendary governor of Kanchanaburi, an epic hero known to have been invincible in battle, irresistible in love, and skillful in magic. When Bua Kli died in pregnancy, Khun Paen extracted the unborn child to make a gumanthong, a powerful talisman that renders its wearer immune to all weapons.
Some of the locals say her spirit had become a ghost as a side effect, and now resides in this cave. Worshipers have wrapped the ...
Chantaboon Waterfront
Chanthaboon Waterfront Community is an ancient waterfront community located in the heart of Chanthaburi in eastern Thailand.
It is sometimes also written as Chantaboon Waterfront Community. The traditional community dates back to King Narai the Great's reign of Ayutthaya Kingdom (more than 300 years), regarded as the first community of Chanthaburi. The ancestors of this community people are three ethnic groups; Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese.
In the King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)'s reign, it was regarded as the center of the province and was a trading and travel destination for the eastern region.
The community is situated along the Chanthaburi River, opposite the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, a historic building and recognized as the most beautiful Catholic church in Thailand. A Chinese temple by name 'Chao Mae Kuan Im' is a prominent landmark inside the Chantaboon Waterfront Community. Also, notable is the Chanthaburi Gemstone market that is ancient and is nearby. The entire ...
Boran Sathan Muang Paniat โบราณสถานเมืองเพนียด and Wat Thong Thua
Wat Thong Thua is located 4 kilometers from town on Sukhumvit Highway and is the site of an ancient Bot built over a Khmer-style temple. It also has a large collection of ancient Khmer sculptures such as lintels, sandstone door columns carved in various designs, and inscription stones. Nearby is the Mueang Phaniat archaeological site, which includes the remains of a laterite base of a large Khmer religious sanctuary and moats marking the town limit to the south. The ancient town is believed to have been dated from the 12th-16th centuries B.E. (Buddhist Era).
The Mueang Phaniant ancient remains are part of the broader archaeological context surrounding Wat Thong Thua. The site includes the remains of a large Khmer religious sanctuary and moats that mark the town limit to the south.
The site is unique in that it represents an early - Chenla-period - port originally founded as far back as the 6th to ...
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception อาสนวิหารพระนางมารีอาปฏิสนธินิรมล is a Catholic church and is located in the city of Chanthaburi, in the province of the same name, in Thailand.
The cathedral, visible from most of the city, was formally inaugurated in 1909 as one of the largest Catholic churches in Thailand. It was built on a previous structure of more than 300 years. It was constructed in Gothic style during the 10 years of occupation by France on this territory although it remained unfinished at that time (1893–1904). There is a statue of the Virgin Mary in front of the Cathedral.
The center piece of the inside of the cathedral is the statue of the Virgin Mary. It is covered by semi precious gems donated by the local congregation – estimates of the number of gems range from 200,000 to 500,000.
It serves as the Roman or Latin rite seat of the Diocese of Chanthaburi (Dioecesis Chanthaburiensis, ...
