You can read a brief history of Wat Thang Sai Temple in the Travel Journal / Issue 1 and Travel Journal / Issue 2.
The magnificent Phra Mahathat Chedi Phakdee Prakat is structured across five distinct levels, beautifully mirroring a devotee’s spiritual ascent. While the first two levels serve functional purposes – housing a rainwater reservoir at the base and a foundation office on the second floor – the spiritual journey truly begins on the third floor. This spacious, high-ceilinged ordination hall (ubosot) features four large Buddha statues facing the cardinal directions, capturing the four canonical postures: sitting, standing, reclining, and walking. The entire hall is framed by breathtaking, full-height stained-glass windows that rise up the walls, filtering the coastal sunlight and illustrating profound stories from the life of the Buddha.
When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals; adjust the action steps.
Ascending to the fourth floor brings you onto an elevated internal gallery – a mezzanine balcony that loops directly above the third-floor hall, offering a closer view of the upper sections of those very same stained-glass windows. Centered on this balcony stands the highly revered statue of Phra Buddha Leelakanjanawabphit. Sculpted in the classic Sukhothai artistic style, this walking Buddha features remarkably fluid, elongated lines, a slender waist, and a serene, oval face. These idealized, gender-transcending proportions give the statue its uniquely graceful, almost feminine appearance, symbolizing a state of ultimate spiritual refinement that rises above worldly divisions.
The journey culminates on the fifth floor, the highest point nestled directly beneath the central golden spire. Reached by a steep staircase, this top level is a quiet, sacred sanctuary. In the center of the room sits an intricately carved teakwood pavilion, known as a busabok, which safely enshrines the sacred relics of the Buddha. This architectural progression seamlessly connects the earthly foundations below, through the teachings and bodily manifestations of the Buddha surrounded by vibrant stained glass, to the ultimate veneration of his holy relics at the summit.
