Sanctuary of Truth

The Sanctuary of Truth was begun in 1981 by Lek Viriyaphant, a Thai businessman who also created the Ancient City and the Erawan Museum, and it is built entirely of wood - teak, mai daeng and other hardwoods - joined with wooden pegs rather than nails, rising to about a hundred metres on a headland over the Gulf of Thailand. Every surface inside and out is carved, with figures drawn from Hindu and Buddhist cosmology and from Thai, Khmer, Chinese and Indian tradition, on themes of the elements, the relationship between people and the universe, and the virtues. It has never been finished and the intention is that it never will be: sea air and humidity destroy the wood continuously, so carvers work permanently replacing decayed sections, and the building is a process rather than a completed object. Hard hats are issued because carving goes on overhead. It is expensive by Thai standards.

What you actually see

• The all-wood construction - hardwood joined with pegs, no nails, a hundred metres tall.
• The continuous carving - craftsmen replacing decayed work as you walk through.
• The mixed cosmology - Hindu, Buddhist, Chinese and Khmer figures throughout.
• The unfinished condition - by design, since the sea air destroys the wood.

When to go

November to February. Carvers work on weekdays, which is when the ongoing construction is visible. Two hours covers it. Hard hats are required inside.

Honest expectations

Expensive - among the higher entry fees in Thailand. Hard hats are mandatory because work continues overhead. Additional activities such as elephant rides are sold on site and are best declined on welfare grounds. It is a modern building, not a historic temple.

Nearby

Pattaya is south; Khao Chi Chan and the Silverlake vineyard are further out.