Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Walking east of the Old City

Wat Muang Kai

I continued my walk west along a road called “Rat Uthit Road.” A note about the English approximations of Thai words. The Thai language has 44 consonants and 12 vowels, so many of the sounds are approximated in English, and those approximations are inconsistent when there is no direct sound translation. For example, at Wat Ket, the English on the signs also show Wat Gate and Wate Kate. The sound is not a “g” or a “k,” it is a sound in between “g” and “k” with no correct spelling in English. With Rat Uthit Road, when a “th” is seen, it is not pronounced like the “th” in “the” or “there.” Rather, it means to pronounce the “t” almost aspirated, or in this case, “ut” followed by “hit,” almost like “you-t-hit” but all together quickly.

Rat Uthit Road bends to the left and then to the right in a mild “S” curve. If you go straight as the road bends left, you walk into Wat Muang Kai.

I could find nothing online about this temple, its story, or its history. And none of the signs had English translation. Like Wat San Pa Koi, this temple sees very few tourists. The temple was relatively busy, but all the people I saw were Thai. I got a few looks, but since I was holding a camera, they probably thought I was just a tourist off the beaten trail taking pictures of their local temple (which I was). The temple grounds and buildings seemed well maintained, suggesting that this is a well-attended local temple.

The one surprise was the entrance to the viharn (worship hall) being all caged. This is probably to prevent birds from flying into the hall. It was difficult to get a good overview photo because a building was behind me to the east of the entrance. And because it was closed, I could not see inside.

The chedi to the west (setting sun side) of the viharn was fairly modern, nicely decorated, and a little uninspiring. It is nice, but for some reason did not resonate with me.

I left the temple grounds to the west of the chedi and found myself on a fairly busy road by a golf course. And with no shoulder or good place to walk, I was watching vehicles carefully. I got to the intersection with Chiang Mai-Lamphun Road, the main arterial that goes from Chiang Mai to Lamphun. This is really Highway 106, but surprisingly, the traffic seemed less threatening than on the road around the golf course. It might be that there was a broader shoulder, so a safer place to walk. I was much farther south of the Iron Bridge than I had thought, so I continued north along the highway.

King Kawila Monument

I passed something I had never seen, an army base, called the 33rd Army District or Fort Kawila on the east side of the highway. On the west side, to my left was an entrance to the King Kawila Monument, so I went in to look at the monument. The photo was difficult because the sun was directly behind the head. My Sony RX100 camera is pretty good, but cannot compensate for a direct shot into the sun (I know, many cameras can…but likely not in the convenient compact size of the RX100).

King Kawila, also known as Phra Boromrachathibodi, was the ruler of the Chiang Mai Kingdom when northern Thailand, then called Lanna, was separate from Siam. Although he was from Lampang, Kawila rose in stature and was appointed to become the ruler of Chiang Mai by King Rama I (of Siam) as a tributary ruler. King Kawila was instrumental in the reclamation of Chiang Mai from the Burmese after the 200-year occupation ended in 1774. Under King Kawila the city started the recovery to its former glory. Many parts of Chiang Mai were restored or rebuilt, including many temples that had become abandoned during the Burmese occupation. King Kawila was an important part of the more recent history of Chiang Mai.

I completed my walk by crossing the Iron Bridge and heading west into the old city. Being relatively close, I stopped at Butter is Better, a 1960s-themed diner for a late lunch of a salad and a BLT sandwich (being hungry, I ate before I remembered to photograph the meal). Then back to The 3-Sis and a rest.

Next: Local temples between The 3-Sis and Akha Ama Coffee