Page 33 - Experience Thailand and More
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NEARBY
ATTRACTIONS
Shrine of King Taksin the Great
Tha Luang Road (in front of Taksin Camp), Wat Mai, Chanthaburi
Open daily from 6.00 a.m. - 8.00 p.m.
After Ayutthaya’s crushing defeat at the hands of the Burmese, King
Taksin the Great traveled as far as Chanthaburi to gather troops to join
the army he had collected on his trek southeast. Today, in front of Taksin
Marine Camp on a hill overlooking the provincial capital is a shrine
recognized from afar by its blue, gilded nonagon roof that resembles
the hat the great king would wear. Locals and visitors alike come to pay
homage to the blackened brass sculpture of the king seated upon a
throne as many believe his spirit continues to watch over them.
It all began centuries past with a small wooden shrine built next
to the Pillar of the City. Then in 1920, the provincial governor built a
concrete shrine to house a deity it is believed the King revered. In 1991,
government officials and local merchants joined together to construct
the current shrine adjacent to the other.
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