Located in one of Bangkok’s southern suburbs, an area rarely visited by tourists, Wat Pariwat is a temple unlike any other temple you have seen.
Wat Pariwat temple boasts an extravagantly decorated set of shrines that will amaze even the most experienced traveler. At the first glance, the place looks like it’s been decorated under the motto ‘more is more’. The wild mix of vibrant colors, the materials used (gold, pearls, crystals etc.) and the figures make for a real visual feast.
If you look closer, however, you’ll soon discover that the decorations aren’t quite like what you’d expect from a Thai place of worship: Is that really Superman gazing down from up there?
The longer you spend walking around the shrines, the quirkier features you’ll discover. Hidden in a sea of Indian gods and goddesses, mythical Chinese creatures, Japanese warriors and Buddhist figures, you’ll find everything from panda emojis to Disney characters – all painstakingly crafted from incredible Thai mosaic.
If you visit the temple, make sure to find the following figures:
- Obama taking a selfie
- Dobby the House Elf from Harry Potter
- Falkor the Luck Dragon from NeverEnding Story
- An elephant-fish hybrid
- A portrait of Albert Einstein
- A big-breasted bunny with a selfie stick
- Superman and Captain America
- Winnie the Pooh climbing a tree
- A Japanese Doraemon figurine
- A sword-wielding rat warrior
- A mutant panda
But it’s not all about superheroes and cartoon characters. The place is also called the “David Beckham Temple”, as just below the Buddha’s altar in the sealed-off main building, hides a tiny golden statue of David Beckham.
The part of the temple that houses the David Beckham figure is only open a few times a year on Buddha days, but if you ask them, the site keepers will be more than happy to unlock the gate for you and let you have a look.
Despite its eccentric appearance, Wat Pariwat is a temple like any other. Local families come here to worship, and visitors have to take that into consideration when walking around this amazing place.
