Wat Kam (Kham) Sanot, Udon Thani, Thailand

This is a very important Thai temple for Thais and on big Buddha days, it is heaving with people. These pictures are from our very first visit and it was a pleasant visit there were people but you could enter all the individual temples and really look at the beautiful statues and paintings depicting Buddha’s past and present. There really are some amazing paintings and photo opportunities.

Lying East/ North East of Udon City, Northern Thailand heading almost due North towards Sawang Daen Din for about 75km, lies Wat Kam( Kham) Sanot which is a Buddhist forest temple. There appear to be various spellings and it is also know as Kam Chanod.

Our second visit was not quite so straight forward the roads were very busy and they had additional car parks, lots more markets stalls and food vendors. Quite frankly it was organised chaos and not such a pleasant visit as our first. My advice...Do not go on a big important Buddha Day unless of course, you have an insistent Thai girlfriend or wife. 

Naga Buddhism is practised here and it is believed that the ” Naga” a mythical large snake still lives in the nearby lake.

Locally this temple is also known as ” superstition temple” .

It is a fairly old temple, the age of which I could not ascertain with a long dragon shaped path leading to the “lifting stones” It is also advisable to walk in the shade as this walk is done in bare feet and that path gets mighty hot!

It is believed that if you make a wish and can lift the stone then your wish will be granted. Indeed I saw men, women and some children who could lift the stone and it had no relation to stature or anything..just some could and some couldn’t.

Our grandson had visited this temple before and could not lift the stone, on this occasion he did…..I think it has to do with mind over matter somewhat but that is not the general belief here, hence ” superstition temple”

He can however on every occasion make the brass gongs “sing” many cannot you just seem to have to be one of those will the knack..many try and fail.  He always gets a large gathering around him when he does this he just makes the gongs sing it sounds wonderful.

This lady monk was really selling her wares and the 20 baht notes flying into her hands so many people were hanging on her every word and forming a very long orderly queue before her whatever she was saying was apparently old Thai language and my grandson couldn’t translate it all to me. She was actually quite scary and she got very vocal at some points , arms flailing and going nineteen to the dozen she was scary indeed. But people were mesmerized by her. The queue was ever increasing and her string of 20 baht notes was growing very quickly.

There is also a local market here selling souvenirs and the like. Some of the lovely hand-made things are given to Buddha and also adorn trees, pillars and posts in and around  temples here and they are a sight to behold so bright and colorful.

I hope you have enjoyed the tour of this lovely forest temple and if you get the opportunity to visit you will love the sights and sounds which truly epitomizes the Thailand I know and love.

Just please be aware as I stated earlier and unless you like really big crowds do not go on an important Buddha day.