Wat Pong Mun Hot Springs

DavidFL

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Wat Pong Mun Hot Springs
A very little known local hot springs "off the beaten track" at an unusual temple with a history.

A local contact in a neighbouring district invited me to check out an attraction in "Phayamengrai" just down the road from Chiang Khong.

39 kms from Chiang Khong / 25 kms from Phayamengrai on R1174 you turn off down a dirt track
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Take the rice padi road in for 2.8 kms & take the right fork
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Follow the hollow Buddha in
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After a couple of hundred metres you arrive at what almost seems like an abandoned derelict temple & pond; but there's no mistaking the Buddha over the pond.
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The pond has warm / hot water at one end & cooler water by the "floating"Buddha.


A series of tanks at the hot end offer tanks of water at various temperatures.
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There's an open air tootsie bathing area
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Then at the back an old chedi undergoing excavation & restoration
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& another sala with ...
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I have to admit this was one of the more bizarre temple items I have seen in awhile.
It was suggested to me that I could take his cap off for a closer inspection, but I humbly declined.

Some Buddha images
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The second Buddha image from the front was hundreds of years old & the story goes it was once taken & kept at a wat in Chiang Khong, but was "recently returned"to its rightful place.... at Wat Pong Mun.

Another temple guardian to add to the charming mystique of the place
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Paying homage...
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The abbot of the wat must be an interesting character with interesting ideas, but sadly the day I visited he was away.
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There is a bathing house for men & monks only. It consisted of an open room with a variety of tubs to be filled up.
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The pump was outside, waiting for someone to flick the switch on & fill 'er up.
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But as it was 5.15PM + time already, I figured it was time to move on for the day.
Another visit is required to investigate more & perhaps get some info from the abbot on the history of the wat and his plans for developing his hot springs wat; because for sure there is a fascinating story there.

The Wat Pong Mun hot springs are out in the peaceful countryside. It is a bit of a surreal place to take a meander off R1174
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The google maps location: Google Maps
 
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ZCM

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Absolutely fantastic! What a great find David. I love the surreal aspect.
I think this will go on my checklist of new places to see when I head your way for the Music Festival.
Love it!!
 

ZCM

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Even thought the bathing house is for men and monks only, I imagine it is still fine for a woman to visit the actual temple grounds, right?
Was the bathing area far enough away to be ok for me to visit... ?
 

DavidFL

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Even thought the bathing house is for men and monks only, I imagine it is still fine for a woman to visit the actual temple grounds, right?
Was the bathing area far enough away to be ok for me to visit... ?

Yes I don't think it is any problem for women to visit.
Check it out sometime.
 
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