The Nuclear Wat?

Like a nuclear reactor, or a UFO, this is a different temple.

By Grant Cameron

February 9^th, 2020

To Saraburi

If you've driven to Saraburi in the last 18 months, or places beyond (e.g. Lopburi, Khorat, etc), you may have noticed the large bulbous building on your left.

It's quite distant, and perhaps, as you were focussed on the road ahead, only your passengers noticed.

Thailand's Dounreay?

Driving at the speeds we do, on Highway One, we'd only have had a quick glimpse of it, as it is behind trees, and only as we are level with the entrance do we get to see the unusual bulbous shape of the building. What is it? It looks like a nuclear reactor. Memories of Dounreay, perhaps, anyone?

Really, what is it?

Gathering courage one day, I chose to drive down the road on the left, leading to this massive unknown structure. There were plenty of signs in Thai, warning signs? But I took comfort in a passenger van coming from the opposite direction.

Place of worship

As it turns out, this is yet another place of Buddhist worship. A temple, or wat.

It's name: Wat Phra Phuttha Saengtham. In Thai: วัดพระพุทธแสงธรรม (ธรรมยุต)

Aerial shots

This is a massive temple, or wat, by any standard. These aerial shots show the layout of the temple.

View from above

This is large!

So, just what is this big bulbous building hiding?

Typical temple buildings

Back on the ground a walk round the temple reveals typical temple buildings and structures, and the many Buddha images that "live" in these temple buildings.

A Dharma Practice Centre

Across from the red teak wood adorned temple with the pearl white Buddha, there is the Mai Daeng Chapel, the Dharma practice hall of meditation, where everyone is dressed in white.

What's in the reactor?

Now to the reveal!

Just what is the bulbous building, the nuclear reactor, hiding?

A massive white Buddha!

Dimension unknown

I cannot find any details on the internet as to how tall this Buddha statue is, but a rough estimate would place it around 26 metres high.

Certainly not the biggest in Thailand, but impressive enough that is is being hidden from the intense heat of the sun to preserve its whiteness and luminosity.