The city was founded several 100 years before the Christian era. King Asoka (272BC) sent two senior monks from India to introduce Theravada Buddism to Thailand. Buddhism probably made its first impact at Makon Pathom. The Mon people built a Dvaravati-Buddhist empire which thrived in the 6-10th centuries. The staggering chedi at Nakhon Pathom soars over 120 meters into the hot blue skies. This is the most sacred monument in Thailand and the world's largest chedi. The present cupola was built in 1860. There are dozens of auxiliary bots and satellite structures at this complex.
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This floating market is a unique gem of Thailand. A hundred floating vendors stroke along a matrix of canals selling a variety of things. Women in straw hats paddle sampans through lowland canals piled high with vegetables, fruits and food. Damnoen Saduak is 109km southwest of Bangkok. If you go to this market be sure to get there before 9:30AM when busloads of tourists descend upon this precious jewel of Thailand culture.
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Built in 1367 by King U-Thong. Originally built as Wat Chao Praya Thai ("temple of the supreme patriarch") for Thai monks who had reurned from religious studies in Sri Lanka. The sect, known as Pa Kao, devoted itself to strict meditation, in contrast to toher sects which emphasized the study of Buddhist scriptures. Encircling the chedi are some 135 buddhas which once sat in a rectangular cloister marked only by surviving columns. Also within the perimeter wall is a huge reclining Buddha image of the Ayutthaya period, still highly regarded by local Thais.
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The royal palace was located here from the reign of King Ramathibodi I (1350AD) to the reign of King Sam Phraya (1448AD).

has a Bodhi tree with a Buddha image within its roots. King Boromaraja constructed this "Temple of the Great Relic" Architecturally fills the link between Lopburi's 10th century Khmer prangs and the 15th century style prangs characteristic of most monuments in Ayutthaya

Built 1344AD, it houses Thailand's largest single-cast bronze Buddha in Thailand measuring 19meters high and 14 meters in bredth. The last Lord Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama is held as a holy image. From his teachings (Dharma), form the basis of Buddhism. The internal walls feature prayer flags, paper lanterns and hundreds of small niches with votive staues of the Buddha.

This little farming village also produces baskets between planting and harvest of rice crops. The children learn to weave beautiful rattan baskets. Thailand now imports rattan since the most of the rolling Jungle has been cut down. Only 23% of Thailand is Jungle now.

The Khmer Empire which predates the Thai peoples have dozens of relic temples and ruins throughout northeast Thailand.
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The Khmer Empire which predates the Thai peoples have dozens of relic temples and ruins throughout northeast Thailand.

This rice farming village produces silk cloth. They grow the silk worms, nurture their coccoon spinning, boil the coccoons to get thread, tie and then dye the threads, and hand-loom produce the cloth.

This rice farming village produces silk cloth. They grow the silk worms, nurture their coccoon spinning, boil the coccoons to get thread, tie and then dye the threads, and hand-loom produce the cloth.

This village has the distinction of training and raising elephants. A grown 2 ton elephant can eat 400 pounds of food a day. Two baby elephants we ran across we got to feed bananas to. Their "HONK!" is adorable.
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This Wat classy modern temple looks as if it is ready to dive into the nearby Lam Tha Khong river. How many temples have you been in that is shaped like a chinese "junk" (riverboat)? It has won multiple modern architectural awards including a prize from the Thai Architects Guild.
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We met with the elder of the Ban Naxithong village. A pure farming village, they produce rice, cucumbers and other vegetable crops throughout the year. Being communist Laos is still xenophobic outside of its capital.
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The village of Ban Ilia is also a farming village, they produce rice, cucumbers and other vegetable crops throughout the year. However, they also make pottery and baskets here.

This is Laos most sacred Buddhist temple. It has 30 prangs (towers) symbolizing the 30 elements of Buddhism. A picture of this is complex is even on their currency.

This arc-de-triomphe looking archway tower was built by the Americans. We climb to the top and see beautiful vistas of the city of Vientiane.

This temple has two prominent Nagas (snake spirits) for stair railings. Inside there are many Buddhist relics and Buddha images. Some dating back 1000 years.

This is Bangkok's oldest and largest temple complex. It was founded in the 16th century when Ayutthaya was the capital and remodeled in 1781 by Rama I. The quest to establish an open-air univeristy, produced a educational wonderland including inscriptions on traditional sciences, extracts from the Jakatas, marble teaching tablets, treatises on astrology and palmistry, illustrations on world geography rishi figures demonstrating control of the body.
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A more typical 3 building temple of which dozens are scattered throughout bangkok.

One of the few places from which a commanding view of Bangkok can be had. This wat complex offers superb vistas of Bangkok's L.A. style sprawl. (I'm starting to sound like a guide book). The 320 step climb to the top of this 78meter artificial mountain offers summit views which sweep across Bangkok. Clearly visible are Wat Pa Keow and Wat Po.