Bangkok tourism 2018/7/1 Posted by: Macchan Updated 2020/02/11

Let's visit Wat Pak Nam, where the fantastic ceiling paintings are so beautiful.

“Did you know that there is a temple in Bangkok that is famous for its beautiful ceiling paintings?”

what is that. This is my first time hearing it. Okay, let's go!

Have you ever heard of Buddhist legends?

Buddhist drawings refer to drawings and sculptures based on the biography of the Buddha that depict various events that occurred during his life.
Sculptures depicting Buddhist legends at the Buddhist ruins of Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh (from wikipedia) There is a temple in Bangkok that is famous for its ``fantastic and beautiful depictions of Buddhist legends.''
It has recently been featured in many guidebooks and is said to be visited by many Japanese tourists as an ``Instagrammable temple.'' It seems to be located nearby, within an hour from central Bangkok, so let's take a look.

What is Wat Pak Nam?

Portrait of former monk Luangpor Sod

The official name is Wat Pak Nam Pasee Charoen (Pasee Charoen is a place name).
This is a historic royal temple that is said to have been founded during the Ayutthaya Dynasty, and enshrines Luang Po Sod (1884-1959), a former monk (the highest official position among monks) who taught a new method of zazen and wandering.

It is also known as the center of monk control in northern Thailand and the center of education for Thai monks in Pali (the language that Buddha actually spoke 2,500 years ago). By the way, there is a legitimate Japanese branch of Wat Pak Nam in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture. This temple also has deep ties with Japan. Great Pagoda, located within the Great Pagoda temple that stands in the center of the site , is the place where Luang Pho Sod expressed his devotion and is a symbol of the faith of Buddhists.

The height is approximately 80 meters. It's quite impressive when you actually see it in front of your eyes. As I will explain later, the Buddhist legend picture in the title is on the 5th floor of this pagoda.

basic information

Opening hours	08:00～18:00
address	10 160 Thailand
TEL	+66 2 467 0811
HP	https://www.facebook.com/WATPAKNAM.BKK/

Wat Pak Nam location and access

Wat Pak Nam is located in Parsi Charoen district in the southeast of Bangkok.
The nearest station is Talat Phlu, which is near the end of the BTS Silom Line.

MAP

The red ○ mark is the nearest BTS station “Talat Phlu”

From central Bangkok (Sukhumvit Road), you need to transfer to the BTS Silom Line at Siam Station on the BTS Sukhumvit Line.
It's less than 3km from the station, so take a taxi. It takes 15 minutes by metered taxi and costs about 50 baht (150 yen).

There are Japanese signs near the site.

There are probably many Japanese tourists who come here.
When you get off the taxi, you will often see information boards in Japanese, so head in that direction. When Thai people find out that I am Japanese, they tell me that the pagoda is over there. It's a small thing, but I feel the kindness of Thai people in situations like this. Thank you.

Introduction to each floor of Wat Pak Nam Great Pagoda

Now, we arrived at the pagoda.
Let's go inside right away. There are no entrance fees or admission fees for this temple or the pagoda itself.

When you take off your shoes and enter the entrance, you will be greeted by a statue. Japanese pamphlets are placed there, so be sure to grab them.

I was reminded of

``Superdry'' in Please Respect the Sanctuary on the Right The pamphlet includes an illustrated map of the temple grounds and an explanation of each exhibit in the Great Pagoda. The main Buddhist depictions and green glass pagoda are on the top floor, the 5th floor. I'm the kind of person who eats the strawberries in the shortcake last. Of course, the main attraction will be the last one, so we'll start from the first floor and take in the stairs.

There is also an elevator.

According to the explanation in the pamphlet, each of the five floors is structured like this.

• 5th floor: Puttakunarom room (contains Buddha's relics and pictures of Buddhist legends)
• 4th floor: Tanmak Narom room (Lhuang Po Sod's Buddha statue is enshrined)
• 3rd floor: San MacNarrom room (museum floor)
• 2nd floor: Tanknarom room (place for ritual events, meetings, and meditation)
• 1st floor: Cultural heritage exhibition floor

Great pagoda 1st floor

On the first floor, many items of Thai cultural heritage are displayed. There are various things such as old coins, vehicles, and daily necessities, so you can enjoy the first floor as well.

Great pagoda 2nd floor

It is used as a gathering place for ceremonial events, meetings, and meditation. A life-size photo of former King Bhumibol Adulyadej is displayed.

Great pagoda 3rd floor

There are many Buddha statues of various sizes on display.

Great pagoda 4th floor

The gold Buddha statue of former monk Luang Pho Sod, which I introduced earlier, is on display.

Great pagoda 5th floor

Now, let's grab the strawberry shortcake and head to the 5th floor, where the Buddhist legend is depicted.
When you go up the stairs...

"Wow. This is beautiful."

beautiful.
This indescribably psychedelic color has green as its main color.
I feel like I've seen something else.
. . Ah

“This is a dyed T-shirt you see at a thrift store!”

Well, I think everyone feels it differently.

The Buddhist depictions on the ceiling shine, perhaps due to the light from the green pagoda below.

It's a fantastic picture that seems to condense the universe.
When I look at it, I feel like I'm being sucked into it. But what is it? The room isn't very bright, and I can't see any light sources, but it seems to be emitting a lot of light. Is it fluorescent paint? I can't express this mysterious feeling in words, so I 'll use the convenient word "aura."

The Buddhist pictures on the ceiling are said to depict the life of Buddha.
360 degrees, linden tree? The Buddha is depicted meditating below.

The green glass pagoda in the center of the floor is also very beautiful.
If you look closely, you can see very detailed decorations.

It makes you feel the wonderful aesthetic sense of Thai people. Although it was a weekday, there were a few Japanese people there as well. It seems to be true that it is popular with Japanese people.

When you go outside on the 5th floor, there is an observation area where you can see the cityscape around the temple and it is very pleasant.
Next door, you can see the back of the elephant statue of another temple called Wat Khun Chan.

It's only a short walk away, so why not stop by while sightseeing at Wat Pak Nam?

About visiting Wat Pak Nam

After viewing the Buddhist paintings, pay a visit to Luang Pho Sod's body and wooden statue before heading home. Since it was a Sunday, many Thai people came to worship.

Wooden statue of Luang Por Sod. Everyone has gold leaf on them.

There is a wooden statue of Master Luang Pho Sod in the back, so put gold leaf on it to pray for a good match and traffic safety.

There's a cat in the library

I noticed this while looking at the map and pamphlets on the way home, but there seemed to be a cat in the library next to the pagoda. If you like cats, please stop by. ^ↀᴥↀ^

summary

I came here because it has recently become a popular tourist spot, and the Buddhist depictions and the beauty of the glass pagoda were so beautiful that it was well worth the visit.
The shining Buddhist depictions on the ceiling are sure to be Instagrammable. For other Instagrammable spots, click here
Of course, it's not only important to see the sights, but also to pray. Light some incense, put some gold leaf on it, pray for a safe journey, and continue to enjoy your trip to Thailand.

This article summarizes other sightseeing spots that can be accessed on a day trip from Bangkok ↓
All of these places are very fun, so please be sure to visit these places as well.

I am an elephant

Interesting tourist spots in the suburbs that you can go on a day trip from Bangkok

``Thailand is full of fun places other than Bangkok.'' Hello, I'm Macchan. The cold winter is over, and Japan is gradually getting warmer. It's a little hot today. Golden Week is just around the corner, and it feels like the tourist season is finally beginning. This time, I have put together a list of interesting tourist spots that I have visited so far that can be visited on a day trip from Bangkok. It wouldn't be interesting to introduce things that are listed in major guidebooks, so I've intentionally picked out only minor places that aren't listed. We plan to increase this number in the future. ...

I would appreciate it if you could share it if you found it helpful.

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