Just in case anyone's interested there's a massive field of sunflowers behind the big Budhha statue, they're doing tons of additional works there, elephant areas, small water-fall, sunflowers etc.
SJ
Sunflowers at the Big Buddha Statue place
Sunflowers at the Big Buddha Statue place
Last edited by Super Joe on Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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(buffalo) Bill
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You can make a good day out of it with visiting friends combined with the Palau waterfalls and the winery .Possibly 2-3 days with the winery for some !
The Temple is free and offers free food to all (donations welcome) .The main source of income for the temple ,apart from donations, seems to be selling buddha amulets from what I have seen .
Crazy 88
The Temple is free and offers free food to all (donations welcome) .The main source of income for the temple ,apart from donations, seems to be selling buddha amulets from what I have seen .
Crazy 88
Nice place
Yes SJ, you are allowed to say that, but explaining what you mean by it might get you into trouble. Hey, I can't count how many gay men I know and have known in the past who have kids of their own! And I dont get the link with sunflowers. . .Can't believe how gay I've become since I've had a kid (am I allowed to say that ?)
Anyway, I was there with family just yesterday and it is in the process of becoming a kind of Buddhist Disneyland! Besides the gigantic monk statue ( not Buddha at all, but some famous and much revered monk) There are amazing three headed elephant statues, shops and shrines of all kinds. They are building huge salas along a lakeside there and they have newly installed( since our last visit) elephant rides and the fields of dok tan-tawan.
The landscaping has also been massively upgraded and you can see that a LOT of money is being poured into the place to make it a major tourist /pilgrim attraction. . including good roads to reach it.
It is a nice place to take visitors though. Very impressive and not a long drive. I will try to upload a photo see if it works. My nephew took it and it has a surealistic quality to it. Took me about five tries but here it is.
Thanks, yeah, I know the place. Word is that that is the largest Bronze statue in the world!
We go there every time Thai friends or family come to visit. I saw the elephants too, but only on the last visit. They are a new addition.
Never noticed the sunflowers!
It was crowded so I didn't try, but my wife spent ten minutes trying to get a coin to stay in the elephant's mouth, unsuccessfully. Any coin tossing recommendations to impress the relatives next time out?
We go there every time Thai friends or family come to visit. I saw the elephants too, but only on the last visit. They are a new addition.
Never noticed the sunflowers!
It was crowded so I didn't try, but my wife spent ten minutes trying to get a coin to stay in the elephant's mouth, unsuccessfully. Any coin tossing recommendations to impress the relatives next time out?
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bluezephyr
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I went there in October 2007, Heres a video on youtube for anyone who hasnt been.http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QY8C3w6Ln3s
Mai ow Khup, Pom Ki Neow :)
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Randy Cornhole
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The resort town of Hua Hin has added a 100-rai sunflower belt to its growing list of attractions.
The flowers, on view since Songkran on a plot that belongs to Wat Huay Mongkol, are expected to remain in bloom until early May. The temple is home to the largest statue of revered monk Luang Pu Thuat in Thailand, 11.5 metres tall and 9.9 metres wide.
To begin with, the temple planted sunflower on 50 rai at the start of this year. It drew huge crowds, said Pinnart Charoenpol, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Prachuap Khiri Khan office, prompting the abbot to expand cultivation to 100 rai.
As is the norm, Thais visiting sunflower fields like to get themselves pictured in their midst, but additionally, here they can take a tour riding elephants.
Wat Huay Mongkol is located in Tub Tai, a tambon of Hua Hin District. From the town take Highway 3218 and drive for 14 kilometres to Nhong Tapeo intersection. There turn left. The temple is four kilometres from the intersection.
For details, call the temple at 032-576-187 to 8 and 032-576-296 or TAT at 032-513-885 and 032-513-871.
Source: Bangkok Post
The flowers, on view since Songkran on a plot that belongs to Wat Huay Mongkol, are expected to remain in bloom until early May. The temple is home to the largest statue of revered monk Luang Pu Thuat in Thailand, 11.5 metres tall and 9.9 metres wide.
To begin with, the temple planted sunflower on 50 rai at the start of this year. It drew huge crowds, said Pinnart Charoenpol, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Prachuap Khiri Khan office, prompting the abbot to expand cultivation to 100 rai.
As is the norm, Thais visiting sunflower fields like to get themselves pictured in their midst, but additionally, here they can take a tour riding elephants.
Wat Huay Mongkol is located in Tub Tai, a tambon of Hua Hin District. From the town take Highway 3218 and drive for 14 kilometres to Nhong Tapeo intersection. There turn left. The temple is four kilometres from the intersection.
For details, call the temple at 032-576-187 to 8 and 032-576-296 or TAT at 032-513-885 and 032-513-871.
Source: Bangkok Post
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
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Khundon1975
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Took the wife and her family there when it first opened in 2003 and it was a Bank holiday
The place was heaving but we had a great time with a pre packed picnic.
Got a Buddha statue (the wife said it was only rented as you cannot buy a Buddha statue
) for the house and then went on to Pa la u waterfall for a paddle.
Great day out but then I'm easily pleased.
The place was heaving but we had a great time with a pre packed picnic.
Got a Buddha statue (the wife said it was only rented as you cannot buy a Buddha statue
) for the house and then went on to Pa la u waterfall for a paddle.Great day out but then I'm easily pleased.
I've lost my mind and I am making no effort to find it.
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dtaai-maai
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Eee, different folks, different strokes...
I found Wat Huamongkol good for a quick in and out visit, and there's only so long you can spend looking at a large field of sunflowers ("Look, aren't those sunflowers in their neat little rows just so amazingly beautiful?" Yes, can we go now?) unless your name is Vincent.
It's worth a quick stop-off on the way to Pala U waterfall. Another place worth a visit for lunch after the wat and before the waterfall is Siam Winery (Signposted left off the Pala U road), covered in On The Road by Rider, and if you can get there by 1.30 there's a free jeep tour round the extensive grounds. Also a free wine tasting of their home-produced wines, but don't expect too much on that one! But a lovely spot and a good lunch.
Incidentally, if you're going to the wat from south of Hua Hin and don't want to drive through town, it's much quicker to go all the way up soi 112 and straight across the bypass.
I found Wat Huamongkol good for a quick in and out visit, and there's only so long you can spend looking at a large field of sunflowers ("Look, aren't those sunflowers in their neat little rows just so amazingly beautiful?" Yes, can we go now?) unless your name is Vincent.
It's worth a quick stop-off on the way to Pala U waterfall. Another place worth a visit for lunch after the wat and before the waterfall is Siam Winery (Signposted left off the Pala U road), covered in On The Road by Rider, and if you can get there by 1.30 there's a free jeep tour round the extensive grounds. Also a free wine tasting of their home-produced wines, but don't expect too much on that one! But a lovely spot and a good lunch.
Incidentally, if you're going to the wat from south of Hua Hin and don't want to drive through town, it's much quicker to go all the way up soi 112 and straight across the bypass.
This is the way
My partner asks me to take her to visit this Buddha every now and again so that she can pray to win the lottery or whatever.
The last time I was there, I looked into one of those niches at the base where Thais put gold leaf onto smaller Buddhas and an elderly Thai gentleman asked me to apply some with him which I thought very pleasant of him and even though I’m not a particularly religous person it did make me feel warm inside.
It’s a nice place for a wander around the grounds, and they do seem to keep adding to it.
Just don’t point out to your partner that all those pictures of crashed cars near the amulet stall, which are supposed to show where people have survived accidents by wearing them are of modern cars with impact zones and air-bags!
The last time I was there, I looked into one of those niches at the base where Thais put gold leaf onto smaller Buddhas and an elderly Thai gentleman asked me to apply some with him which I thought very pleasant of him and even though I’m not a particularly religous person it did make me feel warm inside.
It’s a nice place for a wander around the grounds, and they do seem to keep adding to it.
Just don’t point out to your partner that all those pictures of crashed cars near the amulet stall, which are supposed to show where people have survived accidents by wearing them are of modern cars with impact zones and air-bags!