Community temples are plentiful. If you have seen one, you may start thinking you’ve seen them all and start to glaze over each one you encounter. Don’t make that mistake with Wat Suan Plu in the Creative District. Many travellers pass up on this unassuming temple due to presence of much more distracting places in the vicinity – the Shangri-La, the food scene on Charoen Krung, the community mall around the corner.
Slow down. Enter the compound and look carefully. You will start seeing wondrous features that will probably require a closer zoom on your camera. The monk’s quarters and other buildings surrounding the main temple shrine hall are built of wood. A closer inspection yields many detailed carvings that reflect some Thai characteristics. The main shrine hall may look like other temples in architecture but realize that it is actually more heavily adorned. The gable ends are vivid.
If you step back, note how the temple has a strange blue hue. Due to an odd choice of using blue mirror tiles rather than the classic gold, this temple now exudes more repose than others.
