What's What in a Wat

Thailand - as I see it.

Yesterday we attended the Expats Monthly meeting and the speaker, Carol Stratton gave a talk on What's What in a Wat.  I learned quite a bit from her talk.


There are 350 Wats inside the moat which is around the city in Chiang Mai. Mosaics and mirrors are very important parts of a Wat's decoration.  Every opening, doors and windows of the Wat has a protector.  There are two kinds of guards.  The demons are holding swords to keep the bad people out.  The other demons are holding roses to welcome the good people.

The monks have 227 rules to live by.  The four main are abstinence, poverty, obediance, and celibacy.  They not only shave their heads, they shave their eyebrows.  They get up at 4am and beg for food from the townspeople and are back by 6am.  They do not eat after 12 noon and fast until the next day.