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Wat Chedi Hoi

Wat Chedi Hoi is located in Pathumthani, a place north of Bangkok, more than 50 kilometer off the coast. To be more precise in Tambon Bo Ngoen, Amphoe Lat Lum Kaeo. We have been there only once, on a Sunday, with family in the back of the car, so don't ask us how you can get there.

Wat Chedi Hoi means "Tempel with the chedi made off shells". Beside the temple you will find a chedi, which is completely made of oyster shells, more than 10 meters high, a second chedi is under construction. Sorry, we don't have pictures. The shells aren't there because the people who live there like to eat oysters, they have been excavated. A long time ago, about 8 million years, the coastal shore was located much more to the north, and on the place where Pathumthani is located now, were large oyster banks. Somebody started digging, and found the shells, the abott of the temple got the idea of using the shells to build chedis.

The abott has more nice ideas. In the area around the temple he collects dismissed articles of use, furniture, etcetera, and with these objects he set up a kind of museum. No nice displays, but a kind of a barn, stuffed with objects, nobody uses anymore. From old fishing gear and agricultural impelment to radios of telephone equipment, gigantic wooden tables, made of one piece of wood, statues, .......

There is another special thing about this temple, you can eat and drink there for free. In Thailand, it is usual you can eat in a temple. After the monks have finished lunch, the remaining food is available for everybody. But usually it is donated to poor people, who live near the temple. And during festivities, there is plenty of food for everybody. But this is the first time, we saw that the remaining food was available for everybody.

Page last updated on 2007-10-19 12:47:00

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