Archive for Thailand

We were then driven to our next Thailand historical temple destination and that was the Wat Pho Temple, also famously known as the place where you learn how to traditionally Thai massage.

I actually loved the whole place. I thought it was brimming with character and all the intricate Buddhist carvings were simply magnificient!

I was also told that the statue behind me (in the following photo) is apparently the infamous Marco Polo.

I hope you wouldn’t blame me if I was wrong in saying that it was Marco Polo because I found it hard myself to even find any resemblance to the great world adventurer. All I could see were Chinese looking statues…:) Oh well, maybe its the Buddhist version of Marco Polo.. :D

Wat PhoTemple

Obviously, the highlight of this trip was definitely the big Reclining Buddha. Here are some of the photos taken inside the temple.

The Head of the Reclining Buddha at the Wat Pho

The Reclining Buddha In Wat Pho Temple

and here is the video of this huge Reclining Buddha..

Now if you did watch the video, you could probably hear the ”Kerching sound every few seconds.

No, that wasn’t like money falling out of the sky or something :) , but it was the sound of coins being thrown inside a bowl.

FYI, it wasn’t just one bowl but a line of bowls that runs in parallel to the back of the Buddha so each time when you throw the coin, you could pray and make a wish. But as there were many bowls, you could literally have unlimited wishes. Hehehe :) . Now thats the charms of Wat Pho Temple :)

Lastly, here is another picture of me taken just outside the temple. :)

Wat PhoTemple

Categories : Bangkok, Thailand
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This post may be slightly pointless but I had to include it on this blog purely because I had never seen a Buddha monk doing their thing in a temple before, especially with this one here at Wat Traimit Temple.

The monk wasn’t ‘working’ inside the temple (which I belief that most Monks do…) but he was busy working in a small shed like a guard house just outside the temple. There were loads of little tiny Buddhas around him and I didn’t dare ask him why it was the case. I hope that if you’re a Buddhist or from Thailand and understood why the monk did what he did then I’d love to hear from you and hoping that you could share some light to the whole Buddhist cultural norms….

I then walked a distance away from the monk and recorded this video, so he wouldn’t see me zooming in on him. Hehehehe

Categories : Bangkok, Thailand
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The Golden Buddha wasn’t found in its original glory like it is now. Hundreds of years ago the Buddha was all covered up with cement and no one knew that the cement Buddha had a big Golden Buddha hidden in it until one of the pieces of the cement fell off.

The pieces of the cement or the Buddha’s ‘stone structure’ can be seen in this next video. My tour guide explained it in her own way so its up to you to really interpret what she was saying.. LOL…

Categories : Bangkok, Thailand
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The following day, the tour people brought me to visit some of the great temples of Bangkok. The first stop was this smallish temple called Wat Traimit – or in English – ‘The Temple of Golden Buddha’

For obvious reasons, the temple has 1 major focal tourist point and thats the Golden Buddha.

The Golden Buddha weighs over 5 tons and its all made in real solid gold and it’s huge! It was amazing. I was sure that it must have been really difficult to make it, particularly during those early days. Heres the video of the Golden Buddha (probably in 24K Gold :-) )

and heres me with the Golden Buddha in the background :)

The Worlds Biggest Golden Buddha

Categories : Bangkok, Thailand
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Oh now before I forget, I must share with you this next video because I was quite sure that it would be of interest to so many people interested in visiting Thailand.

I found this group of traditional Thai dancers at the Erawan Shrine while I was walking away looking for my dinner in Siam (which is at the Ratchaprasong intersection of Ratchadamri Road in Pathum Wan district and an area where you can find a ton of shopping malls) and I thought that it was very interesting to see so I recorded it. They were wearing the Siamese traditional gear and all were dancing away in the temple.

You can also watch the mad traffic next to the temple. I just had to tape it ;)

Categories : Bangkok, Thailand
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Mar
22

This Jade Buddha Is Huge!

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I then walked towards another temple that had a huge Jade Buddha in it. I’d been told that its one of the biggest Buddha that was made in Jade. So I guess it has great £$$ value :-)

The Jade Buddha in the video below may look slightly tiny as I took the whole thing through the door looking in from the outside. The people inside the temple didn’t allow me to record any videos inside the building, so I guess what I did here is semi- illegal. Hehehe

Here you go…

Picture below is not that overly clear. But I did my best :)

emeraldbuddhaatbangkokpalace

This next video will show one of my favourite bits in the palace and that was the park. I thought it was a really beautiful sight and it reminded me of the Palace’s gardens in Tokyo. The trees there looked more like bigger version of Bonsai trees and well ‘manicured’. Hence, why I liked the gardens here.

Also, you can also see some of the official buildings where the current Thai King go to entertain his guests. Have a watch…

and this is me again with the Palace in the background. I then left the Palace and headed back into the hotel. Had a quick rest and wandered about in the streets of Bangkok. More exciting tours tomorrow :-)

ambarhamidatbangkokpalace7

Categories : Bangkok, Thailand
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Mar
22

More Surprises At Bangkok Palace

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I was pleasantly surprised when I got to see a real smaller version / model of Angkor Wat. I had always wanted to see it but didn’t get the chance to get there so seeing a real smaller sized version of Angkor Wat in Bangkok Palace was a real treat. I didn’t quite get the idea on why they have a model of Angkor Wat in Bangkok Palace but hey, I ain’t complaining :) probably its the Buddhist thing…

Angkor Wat at Bangkok Palace

Angkor Wat At Bangkok Palace

… and here is the video of the Angkor Wat model..

Each Thai kings have their own unique emblem and that acts as a signature to their rule and in the next video, you get to see the royal emblem from the previous Thai rulers. Most of them were the Ramas.

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and more great pictures..

Bangkok Palace Golden Shrine

Buddha Deities in Bangkok Palace

You can watch the fabulous Buddha temples and its surrounding buildings in this next video..

Categories : Bangkok, Thailand
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