Pat's Photo Gallery

Thailand - February 2005
Part Two of Ten


At Wat Traimat, Temple of the Golden Buddha
World's largest solid gold Buddha, 13 ft high, 13th century image, weighs 5 tons
Discovered in 1955 when workers found a plain stucco Buddha
20 years later it was dropped & plastic cracked showing gold Buddha beneath,
probably hidden to prevent theft by Burmese ransackers

 
School kids at Wat Pho Temple lining up to see Reclining Buddha
Bangkok's oldest & largest temple & a center for public education
In 1780s King Rama I rebuilt the original 16th century temple


Reclining Buddha in Chapel built in 1832 by Rama III
Buddha is 150 ft. long, gilded plaster and brick


Reclining Buddha with mother of pearl feet


Damnoen Saduak Floating Market southwest of Bangkok. Labyrinth of narrow canals.
Small wooden boats paddled mainly by female traders dressed often in blue farmers' shirts and conical straw hats


2 vendors at floating market - selling coconut juice


Bridge over River Kwai - In summer of 1942, Japanese soldiers forced about 250,000 Asian laborers
& 61,000 Allied prisoners to build 160 mile stretch of rail in awful conditions.
Purpose of the rail was to develop overland supply route for Japanese troops between Burma & Thailand.
Bridge has different sections due to repair after Allied bombings


Hellfire Pass - given that name by prisoners who labored through the night by torchlight

LINK TO THIRD SET OF THAILAND PHOTOS

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