Wat Pa Lelai

Luang Pho To at Wat Pa Lelai is a seated Buddha about twenty-three metres high in the Pa Lelai posture - seated on a throne with both feet on the ground and hands resting on the knees, one palm up, representing the period the Buddha spent in Parileyyaka forest attended by an elephant and a monkey after his disciples quarrelled. It is an uncommon form and is why the temple carries the name. The image is Ayutthaya-period in origin and has been restored repeatedly, including under Rama IV. The temple's other association is literary: Khun Chang Khun Phaen, the long verse epic that is the central work of Thai folk literature, is set largely in Suphan Buri, and Wat Pa Lelai appears in it as the place where Khun Phaen was ordained as a novice. A house associated with the story stands in the grounds. It is a working temple with local worship rather than a tourist site.

What you actually see

• The Pa Lelai posture - a twenty-three metre Buddha seated with feet on the ground.
• The forest story - the elephant and monkey episode the posture represents.
• The Khun Chang Khun Phaen link - the epic's setting and the ordination scene.
• The working temple - local worship rather than tourism.

When to go

November to February. Any time of day; it is not crowded. An hour covers it. Suphan Buri is about two hours from Bangkok.

Honest expectations

A working temple with little provision for visitors and minimal English interpretation. The literary association means little without knowing the epic. Free with donation boxes. Temple dress code applies.

Nearby

Suphan Buri town and the Dragon Descendants museum are close; Ayutthaya is east.