Thai Temples… “Wat” did you say?
Probably the first thing someone will notice when traveling to Thailand is the vast amount of temples. We’re talking a lot of temples. The temples, or “Wats”, are holy sites that allow monks and other followers of the Buddha to meditate and pray for blessings or guidance. They vary in terms of “pizzazz” or detail, but you can’t help but stare in awe at all of them. Even the newer, smaller ones that you would find down a dimly lit alley in Bangkok.
Traveling around, you can see the style of the Thai temples change. The temples that are in the more “touristy” areas seem to be more for show than meditation, even though it’s still used for the latter. Moving into more rural or remote towns you’ll see the temples become less flashy and more serene. Don’t get me wrong, they are still filled with that Buddha bling, but it’s nothing compared to what it is in popular parts of town.
Some of the Thai temples we visited had some serious history. Built hundreds of years ago, these amazing feats of architecture are still standing today. The best thing is that, for the most part, they are still filling the same role and providing the same services as they did back then. ♦