Wat Pho

Wat Pho (Thai: วัดโพธิ์, IPA: [wát pʰoː]), also spelt Wat Po, is a Buddhist temple complex in Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok [1]. The official name of the temple is Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn, but many also refer to it as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. It resides on an area of 20 acres to the south of the Grand Palace, with Thai Wang road in the north, Sanam Chai road in the east, Setthakan road in the south and Maharat road in the west. Separated by a tall white wall on Chetuphon road, the monastery has two main quarters: the sacred or a chapel section, Buddhavas, and the residential or the monk’s living section, Sangghavas [2]

It is one of the largest temples in the city and is famous for the forty-six metre long, gold leaf covered, reclining Buddha. The Buddha’s feet are 5 metres long and decorated in mother-of-pearl illustrations. Unfortunately they were undergoing restoration work during our visit and we never go to see them properly.

Dress code for visiting Wat Pho is very important. Shirts with sleeves are required (no singlets) as well as long pants. Short skirts are unacceptable and shoes should have closed in toes whilst walking around the grounds. The temples will require you to go barefoot – or in your socks 🙂 and if you are not dressed appropriately, shawls are available on site.

Many tourists flock to Wat Pho for its grandeur and its serenity. Even with the hordes of people and the occasionally loud tour guide, Wat Pho is a peaceful experience. More info ion Wat Pho to come.

[1] Wikipdeia – Wat Pho – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Pho Accessed 8th November 2015

[2] History of Wat Pho – http://www.watpho.com/history_of_watpho.php Accessed 8th November 2015

Published by Matthew Green

I am a successful Business Manager, copywriter and published author. Throughout my career as a senior manager I have provided effective leadership for small businesses, medium-sized companies, international schools and large non-profit associations, in countries with vastly differing political ideologies, socioeconomic backgrounds and religious beliefs. This experience has provided me with a proven ability to develop and implement comprehensive business and strategic plans to ensure long-term financial growth and stability. I am also adept at managing day-to-day operations and human resources, with a focus on building partnerships across all staff levels and external stakeholders. I have a strong track record of planning, budgeting, and implementing new school construction, new technology initiatives, and new marketing and admissions approaches. My formal qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Management and Legal Studies from the University of Wollongong, which I have supplemented with mindfulness training. My love of creative writing was forged in high school but has accelerated in my adulthood. I spent four years at the TAFE College in Ultimo studying Copy Writing, Copy Editing and Proof Reading, amongst other things. During my free time from furthering my education and raising a family I was an avid songwriter penning the poetry for children’s music as well as adult contemporary. Unfortunately my guitar playing ability was somewhat less than average so many of my rhymes lacked the rhythm required for commercial release. In July 2015, I headed to Laos where I volunteered at Vientiane International School. My role was part intern, part teacher of Business Studies to Diploma students and part web developer for the school’s new website. A year later I was head-hunted to fill the role of Business Manager at OurPlanet International School in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, where I helped to build an International Baccalaureate primary school. I have published two books, Pine Gap and iDad, which are available on Amazon. My third novel is underway, with an anticipated release later this year. Some of my short stories have been published in magazines and the rest reside on my website https://matthewgreen.com.au/ In business I have written case studies and press releases as well as a monthly newsletter with technical information and marketing spiel. Some of those documents were picked up by industry trade journals and reprinted. You can read more of my business writing at https://beyonddigitalstrategy.com/ I have also done some travel writing during my time working overseas. You can read some of my travel articles here https://wywhblog.com/ I am a member of the Australian Society of Authors and an avid participant in the courses offered by the Australian Writers Centre, and I contacted via email at mattvgreen@gmail.com

Asia, Bangkok, Thailand

3 thoughts on “Wat Pho”

  1. Pingback: Phra Maha Chedi Si Rajakarn | Wish You Were Here
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