Map of Wattraimit and Accessibility
Map of WattraimitAccessibility : Catch public Bus No. 4, 25, 40,53, 73 air condition bus No. 23, 1, 7, 5, 14, 19 Please Note That Wattraimit is located on Yaowarat area(MainChinatownThailand) so after you visit Wattraimit you can travel to Chinatown also.
Follow me I will be you Guideman that take you to Wattraimit Thailand without your spending a dime.Address of Phra Maha Mondop Wat Traimit Wora Wiharn 661 Charoen Krung Road, Samphanthawong District, Bangkok 10100 Operating Hour: - 2nd and 3rd Floor Exhibitions operates on tuesday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. - 4th Floor The Shrine of the Golden Buddha Phra Buddha Maha Suwanna Patimakorn, operates everyday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tel. 6626233329-30 Fax: 6626231372-3
Ticket fee for Foreigner* Exhibition 100 Baht * Respect to the Golden Buddha 40 Baht * Exhibition + Golden Buddha 140 Baht
Phra Maha Mondop Rule and Regulation
- Please put your shoes in the bag provided before visiting the museum and return it at the exit as it is the assest of Phra MahaMondop.
- Don't touch any object within Phra Maha Mondop and museum which located on the 2nd and 3rd floor.
- Food and drink are not allowed within Phra Maha Mondop and museum
- Proper dresses are needed.
- Don't make noise.
- No hat and sunglassed are allow on the 4th floor.
- No pet are allowed.
- No smoking, No alcohol drinking.
Please take care of your personal belonging. In any case of loss it will not be under responsibility of Phra Maha Mondop.
Phra Maha Mondop from far distance look like this
you buy the ticket first(5 $)
At first you will see many Thais pay respect to Buddha image every day.
Buddha Image In the main Chapel, you should visit too. 
In the past Golden Buddha Image used to located overhere. 
but now what left is only a picture. 
Look like This in the old days.
The model of Phra Maha Mondop
Now The Golden Buddha look like this in the 4th floor of Phra Maha Mondop.
I have taken photo all 4 sides of the Golden Buddha Image. Look How beutiful the Buddha Image is, when I was young I have heard if you come visit Thailand and didn't come visit and pay respect this Buddha Image that mean you never come in Thailand yet.
Buddha Image Diciples in Phra Wihan.
many foreigner visitors everyday. 
Outside the Wihan, row of small bells. 
I taken from the 4th floor.
Phra Maha Mondop in a sun-shinny day.
Entrance way to pay respect the Image.
Don't forget to return it.
Layout of Phra Maha Modop Wat Traimit Worawihan
Monastry architecture in Siam are unique. So When you come visit Temples in Thailand please waste your little time take a close look, trust me, its worth. This is called Phanom Mak = Decorative element in cone - shaped betel arrangement design
This Pan Phum = Decorative element in lotus - shaped flower - arrangement design 
Sing = Singha, mythical lion 
Sala Rai = Open Pavilion 
Hera = Roof decorative element in Hera, a mythical animal, design 
Bua Khon Sao = Pedestal 
Rak Roi = Connected Flowers - Shaped design 
Bell 
Bua Plai Sao(Capital), Chong Thewada(Deity image niche) 
Naga = mytical Snake 
From Top: Pli Yod(Spire), Bua Khlum Kao Chan(9-tiered lotus-shaped spire), Banlang(Spire pedestal), Bua Kho Suea(Moulding below the capital, collar moulding), Ong Rakhang(Bell-shaped body of a stupa or top part of the mandapa's roof), Nak Pak(Naga-Shaped acroterion), Ban Thalaeng(Decorative middle pediment on roof tier), Krachang Ta Oi(Small sugar cane bud-shaped), Ban Thalaeng(Decorative middle pediment on roof tier)
Bai Raka(Leaf - shaped decorative element on gable edge), Na Ban(Tympanum, gable panel) 
Lop Langkha (Ridgecap) and Phi Suea 
Nak Pak(Naga - Shaped acroterion), Krachang Ta Oi (Small Sugar cane Bud - shaped decorative element on eaves board), Choeng Klon(Eaves board), Krachang Choem(Raised leaf - shaped decorative element on eaves board) 
outside the temple you will found souvenir shop and Chinese shrine that you will never miss too. 
Now we come to the Full History of Making Phra Maha Suwanna Patimakorn(Wattraimit Golden Buddha Image)
As far as historical background is concerned, one can only say with certainly that Phra Buddha Maha Suwanna Patimakorn had been enshrined at Wat Phraya Krai in Bangkok since the reign of King Rama III (1824 - 1851). There has so far been no evidence, however, as to when and where the Buddha image was built. Based on the artistic features of the image which belongs to the major group of Buddha images of the Sukhothai Era - the period during the 13 th century when Buddha images considerd to be the highest aesthetic value were built - It is surmiseed that Phra Buddha Maha Suwanna Patimakorn was built in Sukhothai sometime in the period when the city was at the peak of its worldly prosperity and religious glory, as cited in Stone Inscription No.I commissioned by King Ramkhamhaeng the Great: "Situated in the heart of Sukhothai is a temple along with a golden Buddha image, tall standing Buddha images, other Buddha images, large ones and graceful ones." Judging from its large size and the fact that the image is made of precious gold, one cannot help but assume that it must have been commissioned by one of the kings of Sukhothai.
The Molding of a Model Image.
The making of ancient metal Buddha images starts with the molding of a model to be used as the core. A mixture of clay and paddy husk ashes is molded in round and oblong balls which are then placed on the model board, with the initial ball being placed at the center front of the image, followed by layers of the rest until the desired height is reached. These are held together by wooden poles. Next, the compressed mixture is subject to molding and coating made from a mixture of paddy husk ashes and muddy clay. This enhances the fine, smooth surface of the mold, ensure no loose spots and provides for a smooth and even flow of gold at the stage of casting.
Waxing and Dividing the Wax ModelAt the next step, the core of the model image is thoroughly smeared with a mixture of glue made of melted wax and a particular kind of gum before sheets of wax are pasted onto it as over. Detailed features designed for the golden image are then added on the wax cover. For a large Buddha image, the model has to be divided into seperate parts to facilitate casting, done part by part so as to ensure a smooth surface. Phra Buddha Maha Suwanna Patimakorn was cast in nine seperate pieces as follows: * the head; * the torso * the arms, each divided into three pieces; * the lap Besides these, the aureole forms a separate piece of its own.
Mold-Making
The mold for the casting of a Buddha image is made whereby wax lines are attached to different points on the wax-covered image so as to facilitate a smooth flow of molten gold as well as provide a drainage channel for the wax. Small metal pins are then hammered all over the entire image so as to lock it in place, preventing it from getting loose or leaning onto the clay mold which is the next layer of coating. The innermost layer of coating comprising a mixture of cow dung solution in water and fine clay is smeared three to four times over the waxed image. The fine white clay ensures that details on the wax surface are sharply and distinctly transferred to the cast Buddha image. After this initial coating, a mixture of fine clay and sand is plastered onto it, followed by the final coating, namely a mixture of clay, a solution of cow dung in water and sand. At the last step, the coated image is tightly encased(in the old days bamboo was used to make a well-knit frame) before The final coating is repeated.
Casting
The dry mold is then placed upside-down before the clay mixture is packed into the base of the image, leaving certain gaps in the wax edge. Next, a channel for the molten gold is made where by the wax lines are attached to the wax layer. Simultaneously, a vent is also made to allow air inside the mold to pass out. In the smoldering fire, melted wax is thoroughly drained through the channel as the mold becomes well baked. At this stage, there is space inside ready to be filled by molten gold but, prior to casting, the drainage channel has to be blocked. Casting of a Buddha image requires ten times more gold than wax. Molten gold must be poured both steadily and speedily into the mold; otherwise, the gold from earlier pouring will solidify and not fuse well with that of subsequent ones.
The Fine Finish on the Parts and the AssemblyAfter casting and leaving the cast image to cool down, the clay mold is smashed and discarded. Parts of the image are rid of wax lines and metal pins while all the holes must be filled and the surface finely polished. The parts are then assembled to perfection.
The Golden Buddha Phra Buddha Maha Suwanna Patimakorn measures 313 cm from one knee to the other, is 398 cm tall and weighs approximately 5.5 metrixtons. With the gesture of Subduing Mara, the Buddha sits with the right leg folded over the left; his left hand lies in the lap with palm upward while the right hand rests on the knee with fingers pointing toward the earth. Representing the major group of Buddhist art of Sukhothai style which is considered to be of highest aesthetic value in Thai art, the Golden Buddha image features the following characteristic:
* the oval-shaped face;
* twisted tufts of hair in the pattern of circumambulatory whorls turning to the right on the head:
* the flame-shapped aureole;
* long, arched eyebrows that meet at the bridge of the nose;
* prominent nose that looks slightly hooked at the tip;
* thin lips suggesting a gentle smile;
* a monastic robe with the outer robe folded over the left shoulder;
* its forked end extends to the stomach;
* a flat pedestal
Supposedly, the precious Golden Buddha had sometime later been plastered over, lacquered and gilded making it appear no different from any others, possibly to conceal it from the enemies' notice. In fact, there have been a series of inferences along this line, namely: - It might have been executed by citizens of Sukhothai who wished to conceal the precious image at the time of Ayutthaya invasions around the 15th century, when the glory of the kingdom began to fade. By this inference, therefore, the Golden Buddha should still remain in Sukhothai until early Rattanakosin Era.
- The people of Ayutthaya might have transferred the Golden Buddha to their capital soon after its annexation of Sukhothai around the 15th century. Plastering could subsequently be done to conceal it from the invading Burmese, before the kingdom fell to the Burmese for the second time in 1767.
Plastering, Lacquering and Gilding
As the old plaster on the Golden Buddha was being chipped away under the supervision of Wat Traimit Wittayaram in 1955, ancient plasting technique was also revealed. It was found that craftsmen began by applying black lacquer on the entire gold surface before plastering. Supposedly, this was done to ensure that the plaster held firmly to the image. Besides, the black lacquer helped prevent gold from being eroded through contact with salinity in the plaster since, in ancient times, the plaster was obtained from burnt limestone or sea shells usually having high salt content. In making a Buddha image, the plaster used must be of a soft but viscous texture for easy molding and solidly firm when dry. Ancient craftsmen generally opted for a mixture of lime and fine sand which was ground with fibrous materials such as straw paper, to which a certain type of glue made from animal hide and cane sugar were added. After plastering and molding, the image was lacquered and then gilded for aesthetic value, in keeping with traditional Buddha image making. Outer lacquering on the entire Buddha image consists of a thick mixture of black lacquer and charcoal powder. This is let stand until dry before clear lacquer is applied, followed by the curing phase whereby a bamboo cover placed over the image is covered by wet cloth until the lacquer becomes almost dry. At this stage, the lacquered image is covered by gold leaves applied one by one so that each rests smoothly on one another in order to avoid rough lines along the edges. Craftsmen do this by pressing the individual gold leaves with the fingers to ensure a completely smooth surface, while the tip of a paint brush or a young twig is used in fight corners to ensure that all parts are firmly covered by gold leaves.
The Plastered Face of the Image
The plastered face of Phra Buddha Maha Suwanna Patimakorn featured the Buddhist art of Ayutthaya period, as evidenced the rather square face, the prominent nose that looks slightly hooked at the rather large tip and the thick, full lips.
Early Rattanakosin Era saw the establishment of the new capital. Kings of the early reigns had to concentrate their efforts on reviving the country as well as the religion. Under their royal command, numerous temples in Bangkok were built and or renovated, while thousands of ancient Buddha images abandoned in northen towns were transported to be enshrined at various temples in Bangkok as a means to preserve them. The kings also gave permission for members of the royal family as well as senior noblemen to undertake the same mission. It was surmised that Phra Buddha Maha Suwanna Patimakorn must have been transported to Wat Phraya Krai which was commissioned by Phraya Krai Kosa during the reign of King Rama III (1824 – 1851). Phraya Krai Kosa, founder of Wat Phraya Krai, was supposedly the same person known as Chao Sua Boonma, one of King Rama III’s attendants, who was later endowed with the title’Phraya Choduek Rajsetthi’. Having been dedicated as a capital temple after the completion, the temple was named Wat Chotanaram by the king, although people still preferred referring to it as Wat Phraya Krai in memory of the founder who later served under King Pinklao and was bestowed the title of Phraya Krai Kosa.
Transport of The Buddha ImageWat Phraya Krai is situated on the east bank of Chao Phraya River South of Bangkok. During the reign of King Rama III, the transport of Phra Buddha Maha Suwanna Patimakorn to the temple, i.e. by raft along the river and then atop a type of cart pulled manually all the way from the pier to the temple, must have been similar to that of other large-sized Buddha images, according to evidences dating back to early Rattanakosin Era. The cart used for transporting an ancient, large-sized Buddha image had a wooden frame on which pieces of board were placed to accommodate the image. Underneath were several round lathed pieces of timber serving as wheels. Rope was tied so that the cart could be pulled along. Once the cart moved forward, each fallen piece to the back would be placed to support the front, so that progress could be made until the destination was finally reached.
Wat Phraya Krai became abandoned toward the end of king chulalongkorn Rama V’s, reign (1868 – 1910). Danish-owned East Asiatic Company took out a lease from the government to operate a saw-mill on the temple premises. Having seen the temple in a state of dilapidation, His Eminence Somdej Phra Wanarat (Heng Khemajari), Lower Region’s Lord Abbot, ordered that the two remaining large Buddha images of Wat Phraya Krai be transported for enshrinement at Wat Pai Ngoen Chotanaram and Wat Traimit Wittayaram(Then Wat Sam Chin Tai), which were under his auspices. After one had been enshired at Wat Pai Ngoen Chotanaram, the other came to be enshrined at Wat Traimit Wittayaram in 1935. 
The East Asiatic Company's sawmill once occupied the premises of Wat Phraya Krai 
Office of The Sawmill Occupying the vihara of Wat Phraya Krai 
The Cargo pier in front of Wat Phraya Krai. The roofs of the ubosot and the vihara can be seen in the background.
From Wat Phraya Krai to Wat Traimit WittayaramThe 1935 transport of the large Buddha image from Wat Phraya Krai for enshrinement at Wat Traimit Wittayaram went smoothly. A truck was supplied by East Asiatic Company for the purpose. The transport route was along Charoen Krung Road. Accompanying the Buddha image were those of Buddha’s chief disciples, namely Moggallana and Sariputra, which had earlier also been enshrined at Wat Phraya Krai. Occasionally, men on the truck had to use wooden staffs with forked ends to keep power lines as well as trolley wire away from the aurole of the Buddha image. As the truck proceeded, people living in the vicinity of Wat Phraya Krai turned up to see the sacred images off, while many others lined up the streets along the way. Upon arrival at Wat Traimit Wittayaram, the Buddha image was maintained in a temporary shelter next to the chedi, as the temple was also in a state of dilapidation awaiting renovation. It was during this period that the Buddha image became known to the people as ‘Luang Pho Wat Phraya Krai’. There were several instances where other temples sought to have it enshrined at their premises but each time a change of plan occurred. The Buddha image thus remained enshrined at Wat Traimit Wittayaram for years.
Tools and devices used to hoist the Buddha Image toward the vihara in 1955
Fragments of a Platform for the Buddha Image taken from Wat Phraya krai 
The Construction of the Vihara of Wat Traimit WittayaramFormerly known as Wat Sam Chin Tai, Wat Traimit Wittayaram was built approximately in 1831. Legend has it that three Chinese men were the builders. The severely dilapidated temple underwent complete renovation whereby all original structures were torn down, starting in 1937. The new name, Wat Traimit Wittayaram, was given in 1939. Later in 1954, construction of the two-storey vihara got under way to house the Buddha image transported from Wat Phraya Krai years earlier, to reflect the high respect Buddhists had for it. Situated in the center of the upper floor was the Thai-styled building with four-gabled roof for the enshrinement of the Buddha image.
It was when the construction of the vihara was nearly completed that a ceremony preceding the enshrinement of Luang Pho Wat Phraya Krai in the vihara was held on 25th May, 1955. However, the implementation of the plan was not carried through to the end due to a technical hitch when the rope hoisting the Buddha image toward the vihara suddenly broke and the Buddha image came crashing down on the ground. As a result of the crash, a few piece of plaster encasing it chipped to reveal a solid golden Buddha inside. Temple officials proceeded then to clear off dirt underneath its base, so as to facilitate the move through weight reduction. In the process, they found that the Buddha could be dissembled into several parts. Some of these were thus dissembled before the plaster and lacquer covering them was removed. The subsequent reassembling process of the dissembled parts in the vihara took months to complete. Because of its Sukhothai style, the Golden Buddha became known at the time as “Luang Pho Sukhothai Traimit”.Moving ‘Luang Pho Wat Phraya Krai’ to the vihara on 25th May, 1955, required human physical labor, including that of monks and novices. The Buddha image was placed on top of round pieces of timber and slowly hauled from the shelter next to the chedi to the lawn in front of the vihara. Rope was then looped around it, with the end slipped through the base and gathered to form a sling over its head, with pulley and hook to hoist it to the upper floor of the vihara. The process starting around 11 a.m. and lasting until dusk proofed unsuccessful despite multiple attempts, the last of which saw the Buddha hoisted only a few inches above the ground when the rope suddenly broke under excessive weight. The Buddha crashed heavily on the ground amidst thunderstorm and subsequent heavy rain which put a stop to the day’s work. Examination on the following morning showed traces of plaster chips on the Buddha, revealing a layer of lacquer underneath. An attempt to clear off the lacquer then revealed a shinny, solid golden Buddha inside.
The Head of the Buddha Image before the plaster cover was removed. Eighteenth of December, 1955, was the date of inspection of the Golden Buddha conducted by Mr. Chanthit Krasaesnth, an expert historian and archaeologist. He came to the conclusion that, as far as the purity of the gold was concerned, the Buddha was made of gold of the ‘nua jet nam song kha’ quality. The term refers to traditional Thai standard of gold dating back to ancient practice of specifying the various qualities of gold in comparison with the silver currency rate applying at the time. Gold of the highest purity is called ‘thong nua gao’. The worth of thong nua gao weighing one baht, or roughly 15 grams, is nine baht of silver. While ‘thong nua jet nam song kha’ refers to the gold which is worth seven and a half baht at the weight of one baht. Be that as it may, the worth of silver currency in comparison with gold did fluctuate from period to period. As time goes by, the terms classifying the quality of gold no longer connote the price with reference to the currency. Instead, they merely signify grades of purity of gold. It is worth noting that pure gold of the highest purity such as ‘thong nua gao’ is hardly suitable for large-sized Buddha image casting. In general, gold of less purity is used for the purpose in order to achieve the desired strength. Phra Buddha Maha Suwanna Patimakorn is made of high purity gold, hence its utterly shiny beauty. 
Pieces of Plaster that were chipped off the Buddha Image
It was in January of 1956 that the news of the rediscovery of the large Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit Wittayaram made the headlines in almost all newspapers countrywide. This extremely significant event coincided with the approaching celebrations of the 25th century of Buddhism. A steady influx of public interest ignited by the big news lasted many years when everybody wished to have a view of and pay homage to the Buddha image which has in the meantime become known under yet another name, ‘Luang Pho Thongkham(the Golden Buddha)’.
23rd February 1956 HRH the Princess Mother and HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana presided over the ceremony to enshrine Buddha’s relics in the aureole of the Golden Buddha. 25th February 1956 The ceremony to superimpose the aureole onto the Buddha image and celebrate the rediscovered Golden Buddha was held at Wat Traimit Wittayaram, with Field Marshal P. Pibulsongkram, the then Prime Minister, Presiding 27th February 1956 The Fine Arts Department declared the official registration of the Golden Buddha as national artifact.
1991 The Guinness Book of Records conducted an evaluation and recorded the Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit Wittayaram as “the sacred object with the highest intrinsic value” worth 21.2 million pound sterring
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I am so in love with thai buddhas . Thanks for sharing this article
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