Wat Wiang Kaew

DavidFL

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Wat Wiang Kaew is a small temple on R1290 in Wiang Kaew between Mae Sai & The Golden Triangle.

It has a unique large black bamboo Buddha.
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From Wat Wiang Kaew there's a 1km track that runs up a hill to Phrathat Nang Koi

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which has fine views over the border area to Burma & Mae Sai (through the trees.)

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And what's so important about Wat Wiang Kaew?

Well it's sort of the home of Kruba Boonchoom, the famous Shan monk who was once arrested by the Burmese.

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php ... 23,0,0,1,0

Revered Shan monk prays for Burma’s generals
Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN), Jan 8, 2008
Tachilek, Thailand -- “I pray for the well-being of the people of Shan State and Burma as well as the country’s rulers,” Krubar Boonchoom Nyanasangvaro told thousands of his devout worshipers coming from Burma, Yunnan, Laos and Thailand in Maesai on 4 January, a day before his 43rd birthday.

He nevertheless lamented the bloody crackdown on the monks protesting peacefully against the country’s military government in September. “I could have been among those prosecuted if I were still back in Burma,” he mused.

The Abbot of Mongphong, Tachilek, as he is known, left Burma after he was placed under ‘temple arrest’ by the military authorities in May 2004. He was reportedly grilled for 5 hours by the military intelligences officers on 22 May 2004 about his latest trip to Panghsang and Hsipaw where he was given rousing welcomes by ceasefire leaders Bao Youxiang of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Gaifah of the Shan State Army (SSA) North.

He was later officially expelled from Burma on three charges: Instigation of the people against the military government, support for drug smugglers and association with outlawed groups. His close aides have rejected all the accusations.

The abbot’s birthday was attended by an estimated 40,000 devotees from as far as Bhamo in Kachin State in the north, Xixuangbanna in the northeast and Bhutan in the west. “Last year, it was twice as many,” a resident of Maesai explained. “The downtown is due to the increasingly ailing economy as well as the tightening restrictions.”

Immigration officers had refused to issue border passes for Wa worshipers without national registration cards. The Military Affairs Security (MAS), the successor to the dissolved Military Intelligence Service (MIS), had also refused to honor letters of recommendations issued by the UWSA. “Had you been applying for other purposes, it would have been easy for us to vouch for you,” an MAS officer was quoted as saying. “But we’ll certainly get into trouble if we allow you to visit Krubar Boonchoom.”

“So we came across the Maesai (the river dividing the two countries) through unofficial checkpoints,” said a Wa disciple from Panghsang.

Krubar Boonchoom Nyanasangvaro was born on 5 January 1965 in Chiangrai. He became the youngest abbot in 1975 when he accepted the invitation by village elders of Monghpong to reside there. The monk who spends most of his time traveling, preaching and meditating is reputed to be endowed with powers to recall previous reincarnations.

His 43rd birthday was celebrated also at Buddha Gaya where a Shan temple has been dedicated since last year in his name.

The locals claim there were 100,000 people at Wat Wiang Kaew for his birthday in 2009. His birthday in 2010 should be even bigger & worthy of checking out, if you can get near the place.

ALSO FROM 2004
REVERED SHAN MONK UNDER 'TEMPLE ARREST
Tuesday, 20 April 2004 23:25 S.H.A.N.
Khru Bar Boonzoom, the Shans' most venerated monk, has recently been 'advised' by Burmese authorities to suspend his roving missionary tours and stay put at his temple for 1-2 years, reports Flying Horse from the border:
Military intelligence officers from Rangoon together with local officials paid a surprise visit to his Sri Dawn Herng temple, 40 miles from Tachilek and located along the western bank of the Mekong on 22 April, sources from Pahsa village, Monghpong tract reported yesterday.

The 39 year old monk, a Thai national of Shan origin, was interrogated by the officers for 5-hours about his latest circuit of Shan State, that included Panghsang, where he was welcomed by big names like Zhao Yilai and Bao Youxiang, and Hsipaw, where Shan ceasefire troops provided him with an armed guard.

Col Gaifah, Deputy Commander of the Shan State Army "north" and General Secretary of the Shan State Peace Council, who at present is attending the military-organized National Convention outside Rangoon, is known to be one of his most devout lay disciples.

Since the meeting, squads of soldiers from Tachilek-based Light Infantry Battalion 331 have taken guard duties at the temple on rotation.

During the period, the monk had twice flown from Tachilek to Rangoon (20 May) and Mandalay (25 May) to visit his adherents, but each time he was detained on arrival and flown back.

"All of us are worried", said one of his followers in Thailand. "We know he is not engaged in any political activities, but the generals, jealous of their own positions, may see him as a potential contender."

Khru Bar Boonzoom (Boonchoom Nyanasamvara Bikkhu) was born to a Thai father and Shan mother in Chiangrai on 5 January 1965. He was ordained as a novice in Chiangsaen at 10. Two years later, Shans in Monghpong, impressed by his noble bearing as well as his zest for meditation, invited him to make his residence among them. He was ordained as a full monk in 1986 in Chiangmai.

Some Burmans are also among his devotees. One of them is said to be Brig Gen Htun Htun, Commander of Military Operations Command #14, based in Monghsat.
 

DavidFL

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I thought it might be interesting to bump up this thread with some pix from another special new Buddha image just south of Mae Sai.

The biggest rattan Buddha in the world.

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& it is big as you can see above - the monk standing on the left hand side.

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The rattan base

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The Buddha image has only been at the temple about a week

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They say it should be at least 2 years before the new chapel is complete

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with roof, walls & murals.

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and the name of the temple

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Wat Mongkold Dhammakayaram

LOCATION
1.3 kms east of R1
Ban Tham Soi 1
14 kms south of Mae Sai
240 metres north of the Ban Tham Police check point.

Put it & the black bamboo Buddha at Wat Wiang Kaew on your list of places to tick off.

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Jurgen

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Thank you David for making us aware of this new, interesting, visit destination. It seems a wonderful place for a picturesque excursion. I loved your illustrations.
 

DavidFL

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DavidFL;298304 wrote:

They say it should be at least 2 years before the new chapel is complete

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with roof, walls & murals.
12 months later - May 2015 & the roof is on

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Plus quite a few other "bits & pieces."

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It never ceases to amaze me how much wealth some of these temples have from donations.

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Enjoy, Wat Mongkhol is worth checking out if you're in the area.
 

DavidFL

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[quote quote=87419]Wat Wiang Kaew is a small temple on R1290 in Wiang Kaew between Mae Sai & The Golden Triangle. It has a unique large black bamboo Buddha.
637450294_JLFMH-M.jpg
637450308_XR72y-M.jpg
637450321_onEQV-M.jpg

From Wat Wiang Kaew there’s a 1km track that runs up a hill to Phrathat Nang Koi
637450360_EKokk-M.jpg


637450343_4orS8-M.jpg


which has fine views over the border area to Burma & Mae Sai (through the trees.)
637450332_cvhFN-M.jpg


And what’s so important about Wat Wiang Kaew? Well it’s sort of the home of Kruba Boonchoom, the famous Shan monk who was once arrested by the Burmese. Why Buddhism, a religion of tolerance, is falling prey to hate speech … 23,0,0,1,0 Revered Shan monk prays for Burma’s generals Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN), Jan 8, 2008 Tachilek, Thailand — “I pray for the well-being of the people of Shan State and Burma as well as the country’s rulers,” Krubar Boonchoom Nyanasangvaro told thousands of his devout worshipers coming from Burma, Yunnan, Laos and Thailand in Maesai on 4 January, a day before his 43rd birthday. He nevertheless lamented the bloody crackdown on the monks protesting peacefully against the country’s military government in September. “I could have been among those prosecuted if I were still back in Burma,” he mused. The Abbot of Mongphong, Tachilek, as he is known, left Burma after he was placed under ‘temple arrest’ by the military authorities in May 2004.
He was reportedly grilled for 5 hours by the military intelligences officers on 22 May 2004 about his latest trip to Panghsang and Hsipaw where he was given rousing welcomes by ceasefire leaders Bao Youxiang of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Gaifah of the Shan State Army (SSA) North.
He was later officially expelled from Burma on three charges: Instigation of the people against the military government, support for drug smugglers and association with outlawed groups. His close aides have rejected all the accusations.
The abbot’s birthday was attended by an estimated 40,000 devotees from as far as Bhamo in Kachin State in the north, Xixuangbanna in the northeast and Bhutan in the west. “Last year, it was twice as many,” a resident of Maesai explained. “The downtown is due to the increasingly ailing economy as well as the tightening restrictions.” Immigration officers had refused to issue border passes for Wa worshipers without national registration cards. The Military Affairs Security (MAS), the successor to the dissolved Military Intelligence Service (MIS), had also refused to honor letters of recommendations issued by the UWSA. “Had you been applying for other purposes, it would have been easy for us to vouch for you,” an MAS officer was quoted as saying. “But we’ll certainly get into trouble if we allow you to visit Krubar Boonchoom.” “So we came across the Maesai (the river dividing the two countries) through unofficial checkpoints,” said a Wa disciple from Panghsang.
Krubar Boonchoom Nyanasangvaro was born on 5 January 1965 in Chiangrai. He became the youngest abbot in 1975 when he accepted the invitation by village elders of Monghpong to reside there. The monk who spends most of his time traveling, preaching and meditating is reputed to be endowed with powers to recall previous reincarnations.
His 43rd birthday was celebrated also at Buddha Gaya where a Shan temple has been dedicated since last year in his name. The locals claim there were 100,000 people at Wat Wiang Kaew for his birthday in 2009. His birthday in 2010 should be even bigger & worthy of checking out, if you can get near the place.

ALSO FROM 2004 REVERED SHAN MONK UNDER ‘TEMPLE ARREST Tuesday, 20 April 2004 23:25 S.H.A.N.
Khru Bar Boonzoom, the Shans’ most venerated monk, has recently been ‘advised’ by Burmese authorities to suspend his roving missionary tours and stay put at his temple for 1-2 years, reports Flying Horse from the border:
Military intelligence officers from Rangoon together with local officials paid a surprise visit to his Sri Dawn Herng temple, 40 miles from Tachilek and located along the western bank of the Mekong on 22 April, sources from Pahsa village, Monghpong tract reported yesterday.
The 39 year old monk, a Thai national of Shan origin, was interrogated by the officers for 5-hours about his latest circuit of Shan State, that included Panghsang, where he was welcomed by big names like Zhao Yilai and Bao Youxiang, and Hsipaw, where Shan ceasefire troops provided him with an armed guard.
Col Gaifah, Deputy Commander of the Shan State Army “north” and General Secretary of the Shan State Peace Council, who at present is attending the military-organized National Convention outside Rangoon, is known to be one of his most devout lay disciples.
Since the meeting, squads of soldiers from Tachilek-based Light Infantry Battalion 331 have taken guard duties at the temple on rotation. During the period, the monk had twice flown from Tachilek to Rangoon (20 May) and Mandalay (25 May) to visit his adherents, but each time he was detained on arrival and flown back.
“All of us are worried”, said one of his followers in Thailand. “We know he is not engaged in any political activities, but the generals, jealous of their own positions, may see him as a potential contender.”
Khru Bar Boonzoom (Boonchoom Nyanasamvara Bikkhu) was born to a Thai father and Shan mother in Chiangrai on 5 January 1965. He was ordained as a novice in Chiangsaen at 10. Two years later, Shans in Monghpong, impressed by his noble bearing as well as his zest for meditation, invited him to make his residence among them. He was ordained as a full monk in 1986 in Chiangmai.
Some Burmans are also among his devotees. One of them is said to be Brig Gen Htun Htun, Commander of Military Operations Command #14, based in Monghsat. [/quote]

Thanks to Ian Yonok, I now know Kru Ba Boonchoom's official "chedi & residence."

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Thank you Ian

Chiang Saen - attractions- pottering around
 

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DavidFL

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Kruba Boonchum is in the news again for his appearance & prediction for the Ban Tham Luang Cave Rescue near Mae Sai.

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From Khaosod English News
BANGKOK — Amulets produced by a prominent mystic Thai monk had rocketed in price and become scarce by Thursday after he correctly predicted the fate of 13 missing people inside a cave in Chiang Rai province.
Kruba Boonchum Yansangwaro, 53, predicted on Sunday – before the discovery of 12 boys and their football coach – that they were safe and would be found within two to three days.​
Those he gave out Wednesday during a ritual in front of the cave quickly ran out. Dealers were trading older amulets by as much as 150,000 baht at Thippanaet Amulet Market in Chiang Mai city, up from 40,000 baht to 50,000 just a week ago.​

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From the Bangkok Post:​
The success of the Tham Luang cave search for 12 boys and their assistant football coach has brought acclaim and praise for the rescuers - but for some, a monk also deserves credit.
As search and rescue teams ventured deeper into the cave, Kruba Boonchum Yannasangwalo eased worries of authorities and the boys' parents, who camped outside Tham Luang since their children went missing on June 23.
"Don't worry. The boys are safe. They will come out in a few days," said the monk after performing religious rituals at the cave on Friday.
The following day, the monk led another ceremony to give moral support to the rescuers, saying, "The Seal divers are not far from the boys."
Kruba is a Lanna word for a revered monk.
The presence of Kruba Boonchum could have provided more than just moral support, since what he said on Saturday turned out to be true. Divers found the group 400 metres from Pattaya beach on Monday night and all were safe.
The reason the monk went to the cave was itself mystically-related. It began on June 27, when Nattanuch Prasertong posted on her Facebook page that she had a dream. In the dream, a spiritual goddess told her that she would not let the boys return until the monk came to pray for her so that her karma would be dispelled.
"I don't want to be famous - I'm happy now with my restaurant," wrote the woman, who runs a restaurant in Chiang Dao district, Chiang Mai. She said she did not know the monk and posted the message in case it could help the boys and their coach.
"I don't know any monks because I stayed in the US for a long time and I'm not a strictly religious person," she told Matichon Online.​

Kruba Boonchum, 54, is a forest meditation monk who was born in Mae Chan district in Chiang Rai, has long lived at Wat Phra That Don Ruang in Pong town, Myanmar's Shan state.
The famous monk has made pilgrimages in northern Thailand, northeastern Myanmar and northern Laos and and has a large number of disciples in these areas. He is dubbed "the monk of the three nations".
After the Facebook message was shared, he meditated at Wat Ban Wieng Kaew in Chiang Saen district in Chiang Rai and was invited to lead ceremonies at the cave.
At the very least, his visit to the cave at least gave the family members hope. "I believed what Kruba told us, that the boys are safe there," one of the parents told the media on Friday.
Kruba Boonchum returned to Tham Luang on Wednesday to lead a religious ceremony for the third time. He did not speak, since he has observed a vow of silence since Sunday. One of his followers said the monk prayed for the boys to get back out of the cave safely.​
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DavidFL

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Wat Doi Kaew Update June 2019
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Above & out the back of Wat Wiang Kaew is another huge temple complex being built in honour of Kruba Boonchum.
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Google Maps

Wat Doi Wiang Kaew

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There's an adjoining museum with a photographic display of Kruba Boonchum's life
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His life has been amazing & he's treated more like a god by the Shan people.
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At the Tha Luang cave rescue, where he predicted their rescue
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In Bhutan
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One day I hope to join the masses and pay homage to the great man, but it wont be for at least 3 years, because he has recently gone back into the cave in Myanmar to meditate for 3 years. No doubt there will be thousands to greet him on his return.

Long may he live and keep his power and charisma.
 
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DavidFL

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Update August 2022. Shan State Myanmar.

After 3 years 3 months & 3 days Kruba exited his meditation cave in Shan state.
Thousands of Shan people were there to greet him & pay homage to this most revered Buddhist monk.

1st August 2022
Kruba Booncuhm exited the cave and proceeded to the convergence of the Sing & Hu rivers to be shaved.
From 3pm - 8pm he delivered a sermon to the thousands of disciples.
On the 5th August he will move to Muang Pong, for Buddhist Lent.


Some images from off the Know Shan State Facebook page.

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Sometime later this year, I would expect Kruba Boonchum to pop up in North Thailand.
What an event for the Shan & Buddhist people of the North that will be - hundreds of thousands of people will be there for the great man.

See also