Temples In Thailand

Wat Traimit or Temple of the Golden Buddha is located on the end of Yaowarad Road (Chinatown in Bangkok). Although the temple itself pales in comparison to other temples in Bangkok with its rather modest temple architecture, it is the Golden Buddha inside that attracts hundreds of visitors daily.

The Golden Buddha was probably a product of the Sukhothai period in the 13th century, the three meter (about 10 feet) high image of the seated Buddha is made of solid gold and weighs five and a half tons, the largest of its kind in the world. The story of the Golden Buddha is interesting because the statue was camouflaged to protect its identity. When the Burmese were about to sack the city, the Golden Buddha was covered in plaster to conceal it from the invaders. Obviously, the camouflage job turned out to be too good because when those responsible for covering it with plaster died, so did the true nature of the Buddha image inside.

The true nature of the Golden Buddha might not have been discovered if it hadn’t been for an accident. When the statue was being moved to a new temple in Bangkok.(during expansion work of the Port of Bangkok) it slipped from a crane and fell into the mud. According to temple lore, in the morning, a temple monk, who had dreamed that the statue was divinely inspired, went to see the Buddha image. Through a crack in the plaster he saw a glint of yellow and soon discovered that the statue was pure gold.

In as much as a visit to Wat Traimit should be at the top of your list of places to see when visiting Bangkok, the story behind this amazing Buddhist statue is equally impressive.