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 ...
Wat Khae วัดแค
The temple was located on the west bank of the old Lopburi River, presently called
Khlong Hua Ro.
There are no indications in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya when exactly the temple was built. Archaeological research situates the construction of the temple in the Early Ayutthaya period (1350 - 1485).
The temple was abandoned during the war of 1766-1767 and sacked by the Burmese.
Wat Khae or the Monastery of the Trumpet Tree is located off the city island in the northern area at Khlong Sra Bua in a field named Thung Kaeo. The village is called Ban Rang Khae. Wat Lamut and Wat Phisua stood in its immediate vicinity. The closest active temple, Wat Khrutharam is situated to the northwest.
The monastery consists of four principal pagodas, an ordination hall (ubosot), two
vihara, some small pagodas and other buildings surrounded by a wall. All buildings have been restored several times.
The revered monk Luang Pu Thuad resided at Wat Khae for a while. He was the favorite priest...
Wat Phraya Maen วัดพระยาแมน is located north of the city island along the Khlong Sra Bua canal.
The exact date that Wat Phraya Maen was established is unknown.
Royal Chronicles refer to a respected figure known as Phraya Maen, who was commanded by King Chakkraphat to take one thousand freemen and escort Princess Thepkasattri to Lan Sang, present day Laos, where she was set to marry.
In order to strengthen his kingdom, the Laotian
King Setthathirat moved his capital to Vientiane and fortified the city. He then proposed a marriage alliance with Ayutthaya and requested that Princess Thepkasattri, the daughter of Queen Suryothai, become his wife.
King Chakkraphat tried to trick his allies by sending a less desirable daughter instead, the younger Princess Kaeo Fa. When King Setthathirat discovered the ruse, it threatened relations among the two kingdoms, so it was arranged to send the original princess as promised. The Burmese learned of this plan and sent armies to intercept her. ...
The Artist House, also known as Baan Silapin, and the surrounding Khlong Bang Luang area represent a preserved slice of old Bangkok’s canal-side heritage in Thonburi on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River.
Khlong Bang Luang, historically part of an ancient waterway network that once formed a bend in the Chao Phraya River during the Ayutthaya period, served as a vital route for trade, transportation, and daily life, connecting communities with wooden stilt houses, temples, and markets.
During the Thonburi era and into the Rattanakosin period, the canal thrived with goldsmiths, merchants, and residents whose livelihoods revolved around the water. Over time, as Bangkok modernized with roads and urban development, many canals declined, residents moved away for city jobs, and traditional wooden homes fell into disrepair, leaving the area quiet and somewhat forgotten.
The Artist House itself is a roughly 200-year-old two-story teak wooden structure, originally a family home and grocery-gold shop ...
