Naresuan the Great and Somdet Phra
Ekathotsarot led an incursion to defeat
Chaingmai. His Majesty the King
Bhumibol attended this temple in 1970 to
honour king Naresuan the Great.
Wat Inthapramun, located in the
district of the same name, is also a
renowned site that is very famous
because of the reclining Buddha that
it bears within its enclosure. This
statue is the second largest in the
whole of Thailand and is painted in a
weathered white colour. This temple was
constructed during the Sukhothai period.
From Inthrapramun we venture to
Wat Thanun, which is a construct of the
18th century. This site is known for the
standing wooden Buddha inside that
58
August 15 - September 15 , 2015
measures a commanding two metres
in height. The curious activity that is
carried out in this location is the paying
of homage with the standing of eggs in
front of the statue. Those who achieve
such feat are said to be granted good
fortune and thus many commute to this
location in order to have a go.
But if we have to give a highlight that
displays the essence of Ang Thong, it’s
the Drum Making Village. The name of
this village is Ekkarat and is very well
known for the artisans that hand-make
drums. This has been the case for many
years and a tradition that has been kept
throughout and up to this current date.
The quality of these are optimum and
the recent Four Star OTOP Award is a
proof of this. Drum beats are an essential
and primordial part of Thai culture and
being able to make them is seen as a
prestigious honour. Teachers of drum
making are very highly regarded and are
held at the elite of Thai society. For this
reason, a ceremony is held every year to
honour the careers of past drum making
masters. Ekkarat is truly a wonderful
place to visit for those interested in the
traditional Thai drum making industry.
Last but not least in the sites that
describe this region is Sang Kra Thai.
This attraction is one of the most special
of them all, as it combines nature
with the architectural brilliance of the
eighteenth century. The ruins of this
beautiful Wat were the perfect blooming
location of a number of large trees that
grew engulfing the enclosure. Today