A hidden gem in Chanthaburi province

[DutchMike]

On your way to Trat (Ko Chang) riding the dull Sukhumvit (3) road?


There are a few things you're missing out on, one of them being a very nice little temple, probably from the Ayutthaya period, Wat Tapon Noi (GPS 12.48401 – 102.16707).


Take the parallel road to Khlung for a change and enjoy this beauty.


Its well conserved wall paintings are worthwhile, while the wooden ceiling is still a feast to the eyes.


When visiting, the wall decoration made me think of a temple in Nan, wat Phumin, known for its murals of two lovers sharing a secret. There is a small chedi (stupa) too, but you must be a Buddhist to appreciate these

remains, I think. We past here some quality time in the shade of the big trees in the temple yard.

 

[DavidFL]

Many thanks for that. That post got me interested to seek more info. I turned these up

A trip with a difference

Mention Chanthaburi and the first thing most people think of is fruit. Its orchards are abundant with durian, mangosteen, rambutan and many other varieties. However, there's much more to the eastern province than this. It has a rich local history and plenty of cultural diversity.

www.bangkokpost.com

The Tapon tug of war

The small community in the Tapon village of Chanthaburi has just celebrated its annual Hae Phrabat festival — an interesting and unique event that is likely to draw attention from nationwide and even international visitors in the coming years.

www.bangkokpost.com

Category:Ancient monuments in Chanthaburi Province - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

According to a travel account from 1690, a temple patronized by the Phra Khlang (royal poet) of the time featured, on the front doors, ‘two Savages with the heads of Devils, and at the back door were painted two Portugueze as big as the Life’.

Some of the king's royal guard were of Portuguese descent and so it might have seemed appropriate to depict them as temple guards even though they were Christians.

Elsewhere, at Wat Tapon Noi in Chanthaburi, painted figures of a European—possibly Portuguese—and one or two others stand guard next to the windows.

Then, around the turn of the eighteenth century, portraits of a Chinese, a European, and two Muslims were painted lurking above the windows at Wat Yai Suwannaram, Petchaburi.

Murals dated 1734 at the nearby Wat Ko Kaew Suttharam include a series of figures, wearing diverse costumes, floating under the eaves.

The Roots of Comparative Alterity in Siam: Depicting, describing, and defining the peoples of the world, 1830s–1850s | Modern Asian Studies | Cambridge Core

The Roots of Comparative Alterity in Siam: Depicting, describing, and defining the peoples of the world, 1830s–1850s - Volume 55 Issue 4

www.cambridge.org

Perhaps it is time to take a wander down to Chantaburi.

Wat Tapon Noi · หมู๠3 à¸à¸°à¸à¸à¸ หมู๠4 Kwian Hak, Khlung District, Chanthaburi 22110, Thailand

âââââ · Buddhist temple

goo.gl

 

[DutchMike]

You added some interesting stuff, David. Although living in Chanthaburi province for more than a decade now, I found new sites to visit in your info. Thanks.

 

[DavidFL]

You added some interesting stuff, David. Although living in Chanthaburi province for more than a decade now, I found new sites to visit in your info. Thanks.

Let's know how you go.
I've never been to Chanthaburi and am interested to pop down sometime now.