Wonderful Wat Pa Phu Kon
Table of Contents
Entering Wat Pa Phu Kon #
Well before you arrive at the temple, there is a roadblock directing you down a side street. This road brings you to a large parking lot, with an organised system of songthaews operating from. There is an office selling songthaews tickets for 3 baht each (common pricing) and while there were numerous seats set up, they were happy to take me up on my own.
It is a short 2-minute drive up to the temple, and you are dropped off at the base of the stairs leading up.
Wat Pa Phu Kon #
At the top of the stairs, there is a defined path which leads your eyes to the primary temple. The vibrant teal colour of the temple stands out immediately. Walking up the stairs, the sheer size and impressive design is impressive. You are left pausing for a few moments to take it all in. There are some support buildings and shops surrounding it, but nothing takes the grandeur away from the primary building.
As I was wearing shorts (in the 38oC weather), I was asked to wear a pair of cover-pants. There were offered for free and did not cause any concern. While this is a common practice for females, it was the first time I have experienced this.
Inside Wat Pa Phu Kon #
Inside is a contradiction to the flashy exterior appearance. I was instantly filled with a calmness. An enormous reclining Buddha filled the space, with soft chants being played from small speakers set up around the room.
The Buddha was made of an impressive amount of marble with a high shine. Its simplistic elegance stood out in the stunning room. There was an incredible attention to detail in the carvings.
Outside Wat Pa Phu Kon #
After spending some time in the cool and calm temple, I wandered around the outside, taking in the facade and the impressive view from the top of the hill. There was a small gift shop, offering some photo books and amulets of the temple, as well as a few places to buy drinks and snacks.
Returning to the car park. #
Once I was finished, I jumped into one of the many songthaews waiting, and we were taken back down the mountain. There was just one stop before the car park, a large chedi at the top of a long stretch of stairs. Given the temperature and time of day, I elected to skip this stop, and we carried on back to the car park.
Overall, this was an impressive temple and the pictures I had seen did not do the sheer scale and visual impact it has.
📷 Photos #
