Our trip to the beautiful Sanctuary of Truth - Lots of Photos

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

One of the most breathtaking sites in Thailand

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I had seen pictures and videos of the Sanctuary of Truth (ปราสาทสัจธรรม) before visiting Thailand, but nothing can really prepare you for how amazing this place is to see in person.

When @faitherz33 and I got to Pattaya, I knew we had to make it out to visit this temple since we were so close to it, so we scheduled rides and paid for our admission in advance. I don't remember the exact cost, but I think with the roundtrip pickup in a van and admission, it was around 700 baht each. It was well worth the price for the experience.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

When you first get there, you have to wait at an overlook area for your tour time to begin. This gives you a chance get some ice cream or get a bite to eat at the restaurant. It is also a really good area to get some pretty nice landscape shots of the temple with the sea in the background because when you get up close, unless you have a very wide lens, it is hard to get the whole temple in the frame.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

Journey to the Temple

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When the tour begins, you are led down a set of stairs and make your way through a lush jungle setting. There are a few horses along the way that you are able to "rent" for a nice horseback ride around the temple grounds.

You can also talk to people about getting a speed boat to take you out in the sea to get some really nice shots if you wanted to spend the money on that. For a few hundred baht you can have a nice relaxing paddle around a fish pond in a canoe and drink a complimentary coconut while you are in the boat. We opted to continue along the trail towards the temple because we only had a few hours until our van was returning.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

I am not sure why there were a few goats tied up, but my only guess was that they were there for children to pet or something since they are too small for me to ride around.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

Faith and I got pretty excited when we saw the elephants. That was until we got up close and saw the extremely short chains on their legs. We had no intention to ride them around, but we just wanted to be close to these majestic animals.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

We bought a few bags of bananas they were selling so that we could feed the elephant. We never did make it to the elephant sanctuary while we were in Thailand because the times we were trying to go were already booked, so this was going to be our only chance to feed elephants while we were in Thailand.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

It is crazy how strong these animals are. One of them whacked me with its trunk when I was feeding it and it almost knocked me over.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

I wish we could have stayed and spent some more time hanging out with the elephants and continue to feed them and keep them from being ridden, but we needed to start making our way down to the temple.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

Outside the Temple

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When you get up close to the structure, it is hard to believe that the whole thing is made completely out of wood because it is pretty big. Another crazy thing about the construction is that there are no nails of any kind used. Instead, they used tongue and groove (wedge) techniques, butt joint, dovetails, and sapped spurs to connect all of the pieces of the structure and hold it all together.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

It's pretty incredible when you think about that and think about how much planning and forethought must go into creating something of this magnitude.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

Before you make your way down to the temple grounds, you are given a hard hat to wear and you cannot enter inside without wearing the hard hat because the temple is still under construction and has been since 1981.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

Woodcarvers and artists have carved each of the pieces of the temple by hand over the years and are still adding to the structure and making improvements.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

The amount of detail is amazing. It is incredible to think about how much time has gone into each piece of this building.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

Even the stairs have an incredible amount of detail in them. The whole entry is amazing.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

You can tell some of the wood is very old and weathered compared to the other wood.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

The Amazing Inside

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Once you step inside, everything has even more detail than before. When you walk in, you are greeted by the The Central Hall, Great Throne and Liberation.

The woodcarving door facades at 4 directions symbolize the entrance to the universe or Aryasatyani or the 4 Noble Truths, the main teachings of the Lord Buddha. The great throne symbolizes emptiness of the universe or Nirvana, the center of the universe and genuine truth from the beginning to the end of the world. source

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

Even inside, the construction and carving continues.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

As you walk through the temple, the different halls tell the story of the creation of the earth, lead you through the path of social and spiritual development, guide you through the solar system and the influence the planets have on human life, and teach about the love of our mothers and fathers.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

It is a pretty amazing experience to go through, and I wish that I had more time and didn't have my camera with me and I could just soak it all in without any distractions of taking pictures.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

So much detail everywhere.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

This is the North Hall. It is for Social and Spiritual Development.

The sculptures depict the beliefs of Taoism and Confucianism, reflecting supreme morality of Bhodisatta in the Mahayana Buddhism. Though humans differ at birth, if they do good, they can be liberated from vices, greed and passion. They have to learn how to share and love one another. Humans can be liberated from bad omens if they make merits and do good. That is the philosophy of Mahayana Buddhism – the great vehicle that will lead people to Nirvana. source

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

They had one whole section roped off for construction. It was cool to see people working inside as well. So much love and dedication goes into this place every day.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

I thought these monkeys fighting over the banana was pretty funny.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

This is the Eastern Hall of the Mother and Father (gratitude)

The sculpture of Father and Mother, who give birth to us out of love and care. The love of our father and mother is so great and sincere without expectation of anything in return and that love is greater than the sky and oceans. It reflects human bond and spiritual miracles. Children can learn from that great love and be grateful to them in return. Humans then differ from other creatures on earth. source

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

Outside of the temple, under a tarp, massive pieces of wood are being brought in and sculptures are being started.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

It is pretty cool to see the beginnings of these amazing sculptures.

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Photo taken by me @derangedvisions

Thank You!!

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If you are ever in Thailand, I would highly recommend that you take the time to plan a visit to the Sanctuary of Truth. This is definetly a must see and a place that must be experienced. There is a sense of peace as you walk through the temple that is hard to explain.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my post and looking at my pictures. I hope that you enjoyed them. You are awesome!

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Hey, bro! Your photos look really amazing, what camera do you use?

I've never been to Thailand, well, I've never left my country. But it's incredible to see such sculptures, I'm not completely sure that there are such places in my country, but someday I wish I could travel to such a country. I'll start following you more closely. Very good photos!

Thanks. I really appreciate the compliment. I use a Canon 5D Mark IV. What country do you live in? I am sure are some pretty awesome things there to take pictures of.

Ok, that's a very good camera omg. I'm not a professional photographer (at least not with a certificate), but the lens of that camera is simply amazing, you know how to use it too well.

I'm from Venezuela, I don't live on the mainland, I live on an island in Venezuela called Margarita. I think the most beautiful thing here are the beaches haha

I am not !DERANGED but I do give some away...

Very nice photos! This place and the surroundings have changed a lot! I haven’t visited this place for years!

Thanks for sharing.

You should go back and see it if you can. I hope that I will be able to see it again soon and take more time to really soak in the whole experience.

LoL. You really like this place! You are going back!

Last time I went,that place hasn’t been opened to the public yet. The care-taker allowed us inside for a short walk. We saw spirits inside! It’s very cool there!

That sounds amazing. Ya, my wife and I love Thailand. We have been talking about moving there for years now.

Oh! You wanna move to Thailand. I heard that several expats are moving out of Chiengmai, after years of residence, to either Vietnam or Cambodia. It’s the hassle in getting a visa. So, you should really talk to people who have been here for several years.

I have met some westerners having to renew their entry visas every six months by going to Laos for the weekend. Because they are on a tourist visa.

As an ‘investor’, buy a condo here or open a company, you’ll be in a much better position.

But, this is a much safer place to be, in case of a global melt down or the severe impact of the Little Ice Age cycle for which most people have been prevented to learn about and prepare for accordingly.

Good luck.

Thank you for supporting @CatsMakeKittens by being a part of our community @derangedvisions.

Each CATS you purchase gets you daily upvotes from me @CatScientist as our community grows so do your rewards for being a member!

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I'm still going through all these slowly. SO GREAT. Thank you for sharing all of this!

Stunning architecture and craftsmanship. Looks amazing!

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It was really an incredible place.

Beautiful photography and storytelling.

I've heard a lot of beautiful things about Thailand and their culture. Hoping to visit soon.

Hopefully you can. It is an incredible place.

Holy shit, that's some impressive sight! As well as the shots. Loved some cool angles you did there, gotta flex that wide-angle :D.

Thanks. I wish I had something wider than my 24mm with me.

This so amazing how the temple was built and the details are incredible.
It is sad to see the elephants chained.
As I am in Thailand right now, tomorrow I am going to visit the Elephant Sanctuary in Pattaya. I hope to have time to visit the temple too.

I hope you have fun at the elephant sanctuary! I wish that we were able to go while we were there. Take lots of pictures so you can share the experience with all of us!

Thank you, I will make as many photos as I could. 😀
I am planning to mske series of posts about my stay in Thailand. So much to share. 😀

This is magnificent! Thank you for sharing these wonderful photos and the story of the place! 💖

Thanks. It was really an amazing experience. I appreciate the kind words.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us!
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Love the photography, and the place looks mesmerizing! I have never been to Thailand but it seems like a wonderful place! Will plan on visiting it, thanks for the amazing photos!

Thanks. If you ever get the chance to go, you should. It is amazing.

Thanks. If you ever
Get the chance to go, you should.
It is amazing.

                 - derangedvisions


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It's amazing. Can't imagine how could someone build this with such fine detail on everything. They must have been committed. This is something beyond art.

Thanks. It really is a place that these people are committed to making a beautiful place for others to appreciate.

Very beautiful...

Wow Wes this is incredible. Love the detail shots. It is hard to believe it is all wood and in such a tropical climate. Fascinating. Definitely on my list of places to visit when I go to Thailand.

Thank you. It really is an amazing place to see in person and one of the places that are a must see while in Thailand.

Hi

I love these pictures, so strange to where I live.

i love the elephant

and the art of architecture

Happy day

Thanks. I appreciate it.

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Thank you @wanderein and the rest of the @travelfeed team for everything you are doing for the Steem Blockchain! You are all awesome.

That's incredibly impressive. Thanks for sharing your experience Derange.

Thank you! I appreciate you stopping by.

Been in Thailand 5 times before. Lovely nature, I long to return one day

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5 times? That is awesome. I can't wait to go back.

Spectacular photo share ! I really wish to visit some day!! upped 💯 and resteemed, well done!!❤📷🙋

It is a shame you haven’t put this high quality content on the steemitworldmap. I would love to feature it in our daily Travel Digest and curate it with our account! - especially since a few big ones are following our trail now. I missed this spot when I went to Thailand twice 🙈 but i’ll definitely have it on my list for next time! Thanks for the detailed report! Cheers, liz

I even had the temple marked on steemitworldmap to do that, but by the time I was done writing it all and getting everything finished up, I totally forgot about putting it in there. I need to create a check list for these types of posts to make sure that I have all of the right things like Travelfeed and Steemitworldmap done for certain posts, lol.

Ya, it is too bad you didn't see this place while you were there. Hopefully you saw a bunch of the other temples while you were there. That was one of the main things that I wanted to see this time while we were there in Thailand.

wow this is such an epic post, that temple is amazing and your photos are pretty awesome too. Really some people are crazy talented, I wonder how long it took to build it initially, really such a work of art. I have been looking forward to this post and it did not disappoint.
Thank you for trying to keep folk from riding the elephants, that breaks my heart how they are treated xxxx

Thanks. I am hoping to be able to go again some time soon and spend a lot more time there and soak it all in now that I know more about the place and the meaning behind it all.

This is one of the most detailed temple complexes I have ever seen. The level of detail on wood is just extraordinary. Thank you for sharing. That was alot of pictures.

Thanks for stopping by. It really is an amazing place to see in person.

Woah! I never thought that this has so many good places. Wish to go here someday!

You should, it is pretty awesome.

Sanctuary of Truth, Attraction in Pattaya, The Largest Wooden Structure in Thailand - This is a gigantic wooden temple construction according to ancient Thai ingenuity, eflection of Ancient Vision of Earth, Ancient Knowledge, and Eastern Philosophy

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