…What A Wooden Wat.
Now, I don’t think you’d find this place unless you knew where it was and deliberately went looking for it. It’s tucked away in the hills at the top end of Surat Thani Province near the Chumphon border, about 25kms west of the main highway 41.
The main building, actually the only completed building, is all wood. I’m guessing teak, since it is common in Thailand.
This is the ground floor, which doesn’t contain much more than the base of the giant trunks which support the whole structure, plus a kind of exhibition area…
But there is something of interest there. This an artists impression of what I think, one day, will be the ubosot, or ordination hall, along with a model of same…
On the right is the actual “thingy” that will be placed on the top of the tower when it’s completed.
Well, what would you call it? “Thingy” works for me.
Of course, you can pray to it and give it money, which will all help expedite the construction. Maybe.
Unfortunately, thanks to Covid, that’s stopped…
Anyhoo, the interesting part at the moment is the upper floor of the wooden building. I think I’d describe it as elegant…
Everything is highly polished and beautifully maintained. Now that I’m looking at the reddish tinge to the wood I’m wondering if it’s mahogany. No, more likely meranti. One day I’ll go back and ask.
Talking of which, the monk or abbot pictured above right was very helpful. He told us the main building should be completed in a couple of years. But, given that work had completely stopped, I’m assuming that’s two post-Covid years.
We mentioned that we wanted to get aerial photos. Oh yes, he said, he had some of those already.
Now, I always imagined that monks relinquished all worldly goods and possessions, but on the mention of drones, he fiddled around in the back of his robes, and eventually pulled out … an iPhone 12! Aerial photos were duly viewed and admired, and then we went off to take our own…
As you can see, it was a gloomy day, but even so, it’s an impressive place in a pleasant setting. Revisiting has been scheduled for 2024!
