Wat Phra Borommathat Ancient Riverside Temple - Kamphaeng Phet Thailand 2023

An ancient site that is often passed by due to its location on the west bank of the Ping in the village of Nakhon Chum is Wat Phra Borommathat. It was founded in the Sukhothai days but now boasts a huge Burmese style chedi.

The roughly 30 meter tall chedi stands on the site of three smaller lotus shaped chedis commissioned by Sukhothai’s King Lithai to enshrine relics of the Buddha in the mid 14th century. In the early 1900’s a prominent Karen covered the chedis with a larger white plaster chedi resembling Yangon’s Shwedagon Pagoda, but much smaller. It is believed that the originals were built in a lotus bud shape and was renovated with the permission of King Chulalongkorn in Burmese style by a Burmese merchant known as Phraya Taka.

Close to the riverbank, the chedi has since been painted gold and is a focal point of the annual Nop Phra Len Phleng Festival, which coincides with the Makha Bucha holiday in February. A colorful procession of musicians and dancers cross the Ping from modern Kamphaeng Phet town to pay respects to the Buddha relics at Wat Phra Borommathat.

The temple also features an old ordination hall painted with vivid murals depicting scenes from the Buddha’s life and a seated Buddha image that mimics Phitsanulok’s famous Phra Phuttha Chinnarat image. There is also a small museum with Buddha images from different styles in Thailand from modern Bangkok styling to U-Thong and Sukhothai styles.

The temple is not known to tourists but worth a short visit. The styling of the Chedi and the halls are interesting and a nice break from the historical parks.

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