Thailand earthquake: Wat Rong Khun, the 'White Temple' is beyond repair

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Art beyond repair, yet not one photo of the damaged art.

[villagefarang]

This is the way I will alway remember it.

[MESmith]

With the plethora of same same temples in Thailand this unique one gets ruined by an act of god.

Is someone up there trying to tell us something?

An act of god? Were you snoozing during geology lessons?

Earthquakes are a part of the natural order, and hence an Act of God. ie: NOT man made destruction.

Earthquakes are a natural act, or an act of nature. What has some superstitious hocus pocus got to do with it. You're not an insurance claims surveyor by any chance?

[bigbamboo]

With the plethora of same same temples in Thailand this unique one gets ruined by an act of god.

Is someone up there trying to tell us something?

An act of god? Were you snoozing during geology lessons?

Earthquakes are a part of the natural order, and hence an Act of God. ie: NOT man made destruction.

Earthquakes are a natural act, or an act of nature. What has some superstitious hocus pocus got to do with it. You're not an insurance claims surveyor by any chance?

Now come on, Mr. Smith, let's not be pedantic. You're not the only one who believes man created god, well lots of them in fact, but an act of god IS an acceptable term for a natural disaster whether you choose to believe in one or not.

Edited May 6, 2014 by bigbamboo

[wvavin]

Its really sad that this happened.

[stubuzz]

I'm sure it was well insured......

[ABCer]

"Masterpiece"? "Past Glory"...........the place has only been completed these past ten years, Masterpiece, that depends on your opinion of art.....but "Past Glory".....sorry, the whole place is what in Europe would be called "A Folly"......something a bit odd put up by someone who wants to be remembered but doesnt necesssarily have real artistic temperament.

Van Gogh, Leonardo, Monet, etc etc, it sure isnt !

For me it has about the same value as that mini re creation of Angkor Wat at the hot spring on the way to Chiang Rai !

Disneyland Chiang Rai.

Now, that is totally uncouth and untrue.

It is what it is and it is good to the point of being unique.

As to your comparisons - I wonder how one compares Van Gogh with Leonardo.

Totally alien artists yet both geniuses in their own right. A shallow and nearsighted approach.

[Strangebrew]

I hope you can find it in your heart to at least think it over I been there and have it in my memory It would be a shame not to leave for future Thai's to see.

[laocowboy2]

Very sad indeed. I'm so pleased I made the effort to go to see it. Remarkable temple.

Snap - I am now very glad that I went a couple of years ago.

[buhi]

I did compare it to Rothko!

Now Rothko would be too much for "Thai culture" now . It is for most in the West, but for a few it is something to contemplate.

That is art!

[Mondy]

Parts to that Wat are continually replaced. They don't clean or repaint those ornate pieces but rather cast and replace them year round. It employs a lot of local artisans. The inner mural may not be the same now but I doubt repairs won't be made and the outer art preserved.

[buhi]

My mistake, I used compare.

No art can be compared.

Feelings and intent maybe.

[funcat]

Sounds overly dramatic. From the photos this hardly looks like "beyond repair".

Cheers, CM-Expat

That is the before!

This is the 'after' photo...you can see the half-broken spire on one of the buildings....

[Basil B]

It is a shame.

Maybe in a few years when things are better in Thailand, may be they will build a more grander temple to replace this one.

[Benmart]

A reminder to all of us , nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky .

Feel sorry for the bloke looks like it was his baby and creation for 2 decades .

Yes the Buddha taught that every form is temporary.

Yes, I agree. Man-made structures are indeed temporary. Nature endures into the millennia and is often taken for granted and abused without much fanfare. Edited May 6, 2014 by Benmart

[richard10365]

It was a beautiful expression of artistic genius. In a thousand years there have been no white temples that I am aware of. It was unique and inspiring and there is nothing like it anywhere in the world.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I've stated what I think about it. However, I would hate to be the child of some of the posters on ThaiVisa.

"Daddy, Daddy!!! I made a picture of our family! How does it look?" and daddy said' "It looks like crap. Don't show it to anyone else or they will laugh at you."

This is how some ThaiVisa members sound when they refer to this temple in this post. I imagine if they talk like this about the temple, this is probably how they talk to their family. Sad indeed.

[funcat]

An act of god? Were you snoozing during geology lessons?

Earthquakes are a part of the natural order, and hence an Act of God. ie: NOT man made destruction.

Earthquakes are a natural act, or an act of nature. What has some superstitious hocus pocus got to do with it. You're not an insurance claims surveyor by any chance?

Now come on, Mr. Smith, let's not be pedantic. You're not the only one who believes man created god, well lots of them in fact, but an act of god IS an acceptable term for a natural disaster whether you choose to believe in one or not.

...that's how they call disasters in US,at least..."The Act of God"...and this has nothing to do with any religion...

[kannot]

With the plethora of same same temples in Thailand this unique one gets ruined by an act of god.

Is someone up there trying to tell us something?

An act of god? Were you snoozing during geology lessons?

I was going to say something more wise-arse-ish due to my atheistic leanings, but this sounds about right - and much more polite

What like Karma

[Thaiready]

With the plethora of same same temples in Thailand this unique one gets ruined by an act of god.

Is someone up there trying to tell us something?

An act of god? Were you snoozing during geology lessons?

Where you hatched...???

[Peung]

I shall miss the contemporary mural images; 911, the Arms Race, Batman, Neo from the Matrix, (a master stroke considering that the film is a parody of the life of the Buddha). These images suggested that to me that Buddhism was moving with the times, unlike some alternative philosophies.

[Bee Chiang Mai]

Yep. Looks beyond repair. Pointy bit all bent, some shingles off. Just look at the destruction.

[BillyBobThai]

I guess this means that they did not have any insurance on the temple. You would think something that nice and fancy would have been insured.

I think the word I probably am looking for is KARMA.

[Saraphee]

If the money that is spent on temples was spent on improving the lot of the people Thailand would be a better place

[buhi]

I shall miss the contemporary mural images; 911, the Arms Race, Batman, Neo from the Matrix, (a master stroke considering that the film is a parody of the life of the Buddha). These images suggested that to me that Buddhism was moving with the times, unlike some alternative philosophies.

Additionally, for the next seven years, Rothko painted in oil only on large canvases with vertical formats. Very large-scale designs were used in order to overwhelm the viewer, or, in Rothko's words, to make the viewer feel "enveloped within" the painting. For some critics, the large size was an attempt to make up for a lack of substance. In retaliation, Rothko stated:

I realize that historically the function of painting large pictures is painting something very grandiose and pompous. The reason I paint them, however . . . is precisely because I want to be very intimate and human. To paint a small picture is to place yourself outside your experience, to look upon an experience as a stereopticon view or with a reducing glass. However you paint the larger picture, you are in it. It isnt something you command!

[sabaii69]

I suppose it is hard to find someone to repair the temple. I can't find anyone to repair a water leak in my house

[moe666]

It was a beautiful creation but I often wondered if a real Wat as no monks in residence and it takes permission from the Buddist Sanga to start a Wat did he have permission from the Sanga. I also wonder about the Black House on the North side of Chiang Rai if it was damaged.

[watso63]

I was thinking about going there soon to have a look. But why despair? Many old and ruined temples such as Phnom Rung are well worth a visit.

[ripstanley]

I'm sure it was well insured......

Probably for fire and lightning but not earthquake.

[kuifje]

I guess this means that they did not have any insurance on the temple. You would think something that nice and fancy would have been insured.

I think the word I probably am looking for is KARMA.

They don't have an insurance as we know it. They have the people who visit insurance, because the owner of this Disney land 'temple' do the cry baby act. More people will flock to this structure to donate more money.

[DrTuner]

If the money that is spent on temples was spent on improving the lot of the people Thailand would be a better place

It's a tradition. Before the invention of internet and social media, temples used to be the centers of village where gossip was exchanged, much like churches in the west. Although I have to say that at least Bavaria wins in this regard 100-0, as the fellas went into the Kneipe next door from the church after the sermon to have a few beers produced by the monasteries

Nowadays the temples seem more like refugee camps for assorted criminals hiding as monks, or tourist traps. Indeed makes no sense to support either case. That said, I too have my name over a temple's door, wife donated a lump to them for building a new sala. They do houses, funerals and the other usual monk activities from that one, so ok, went to good cause.