Thailand is a fast-developing modern country, with gleaming cityscapes and sky-high buildings alluding to its measurable growth. Yet Thailand’s disappearing ruins lie across busy streets and loud towns-structures that hark back to Thailand’s past. The heritage of Thailand is full of historical landmarks from royal kingdoms, ancient settlements, early Buddhism to temples that have been ruined.
Here are some famous Glorious Ruins of Thailand.
1. Wat Chaiwatthanaram
Wat chaiwatthanaram is a Buddhist temple in the town of Historical park Ayutthya, Thailand. This is one of the best-known temples of Ayutthaya and a major attraction for tourists.
King Prasat Thong built the temple in 1630 as the first temple of his reign, as a memorial to the residence of his mother in that area. The name of the temple means the long reign and glorious era temple. It was designed in Khom style to be Ayutthaya’s victorious symbol in 199 years of destroying the Khmer Empire.
The temple is surrounded by many smaller chedis, with a large central shrine, richly decorated. The temple grounds are adorned by galleries featuring magnificent Buddha portraits and walls narrating tales from his life. Although most of it has been weathered and plundered with Burma during the battle, Wat Chaiwatthanaram is one of the few magnanimous ruins in Thailand.
Location: Ban Pom, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya 13000, Thailand
Also Read: Explore the ancient ruins in Ayutthaya, Thailand, home of the famous Buddha in a Banyan Tree.
2. Wat Chedi Luang
Wat Chedi Luang is a famous Buddhist temple in the historic centre of Chaing Mai, Thailand. It is a gigantic structure carved with mythological motifs and inscribing many images of Buddha. Inside the temple is a copy of Wat Phra Kaew’s revered Emerald Buddha, and the compound also houses the holy pillar of the city, making it a highly venerated religious site.
The temple building began in the 14th century when King Saen Muang Ma was preparing to scatter his father’s ashes there. It was left unfinished after 10 years of construction period, to be resumed later by his widow after the king’s death.
It probably took until the mid-15th century to be finished during the reign of King Tilokaraj due to stability problems. It was then 82 m high and had a base diameter of 54 m, which was then Lanna’s largest building. The Emerald Buddha was installed in the niche of the East in 1468. The upper 30 m of the structure collapsed after an earthquake in 1545, and the Emerald Buddha was moved to Luang Prabang shortly afterward in 1551.
Location: 103 Prapokkloa Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
3. Wat Umong Saun Puthatham
Wat Umong Saun Puthatham is a 700-year-old Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Wat Umong is one of the peaceful temple in the world.
The Wat Umong structure of the 13th century was built to accommodate a revered monk by the first King of the Lanna Kingdom. Since then, several relics and murals have eroded and ruined, but there is still a large chedi and many scattered images of the Buddha. Each Sunday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., the temple holds monk talks where tourists can hear more about Buddhist rituals from practicing monks.
The temple was built in 1297 by King Manglai of the Lan Na dynasty. Of particular interest is a reproduction of the Ashok Pillar identical to the one at Vaishali with four lions and a wheel at the base and an additional larger wheel at the top that serves as a shield for the lions. Sarnath Museum also has a different pillar. The face of the four lions was accepted as India’s National Emblem.
Location: 135, 10 Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
4. Phanom Rung
Phanom or Prasat Hin Phanom Rung is also a Hindu Empire temple complex set on the rim of an extinct volcano at 402 meters elevation.
It is situated in Buriram Province in Thailand’s Isan area and was established at a period when there were significant social-political pressures in Srisaket in Khmer. Between the 10th and 13th centuries, it was built of sandstone and laterite. It was a Hindu temple devoted to Shiva, symbolizing the celestial residence of Mount Kailash.
The complex and building layout is designed to resemble ancient scripture stories. Today, a lot of the gallery and the enclosed linga have disappeared, yet the corroding temple is nothing short of a wonder.
Location: Ta Pek, Chaloem Phra Kiat District, Buri Ram 31110, Thailand
5. Wat Phra That Phanom
Wat Phra That Phanom is a temple in the That Phanom District in the southern piece of Nakhon Phanom Province, northeastern Thailand. As indicated by legend, the temple contains the Buddha’s bosom bone, and in that capacity, it is one of the most significant Theravada Buddhist structures in the district. It was initially worked in the sixteenth century by the Laotian King Setthathirath of Lan Xang.
Every year, a celebration is held at That Phanom to respect the temple. The week-long celebration draws in a large number of individuals who make journeys to respect the altar.
The temple goes back to the eighth century when it was worked by five lords of the Sri Gotupura Kingdom, a couple of years after the passing of Buddha. Visit this sacrosanct and fundamental piece of the Buddhist confidence in Thailand to bring a sneak look into the historical backdrop of the life of Buddha.
Location: 183 13 Chayangkun Rd, That Phanom, That Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom 48110, Thailand
6. Nakhon Si Thammarat
Nakhon is Thammarat is a city in southern Thailand, capital of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and the Nakhon Si Thammarat District. It is about 610 km south of Bangkok, on the east coast of the Malay Penisula. The city was the administrative centre of southern Thailand during most of its history.
It is home to structures and demolishes of authentic criticalness. Ideal for history buffs, the notable Red block old City Walls in Nakhon Si Thammarat can be found in a few segments, near each other. The city divider is the encapsulation of perseverance and ancientness in the city.
While the temple of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat stays one of the most well-known visitor puts, its starting points remain covered in secret.
Location: Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
7. Phra Prang Sam Yot Temple
Phra Prang Sam Yot Temple is a temple of Hinduism that has become a temple of Buddhism. King Narai converted it into a Buddhist temple during the 17th century and built a prayer hall with an image of the Buddha, now partly deteriorated, because of the rampant of monkeys in and around the site, the ruins are commonly known as the Monkey Temple.
Location: Tha Hin, Mueang Lop Buri District, Lopburi 15000, Thailand
Visiting these cultural and social locales is a fun method to assemble handy information about this terrific country’s past.