Phitsanulok

A cover from Thailand 🇹🇭 

Tourist destinations - Phitsanulok 

Date of issue : 28-November-2018 

Phitsanulok is an important, historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province, which stretches all the way to the Laotian border. Phitsanulok is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, founded over 600 years ago. It is best known as the birthplace of King Naresuan, who freed the country from Burmese domination in the late 16th century. Phitsanulok was the capital of Thailand for 25 years during the reign of King Boromma Trailokanat of Ayutthaya. Phitsanulok was also a provincial center of the Angkorian Empire during the Angkorian period. 

The stamps show the tourist attractions in Phitsanulok. 

Phra Buddha Chinnarat 

The temple is famous for its golden Buddha image named Phra Buddha Chinnarat, considered by many to be the most beautiful Buddha image in Thailand. It is one of the most highly revered images in the country, which makes the temple an important pilgrimage site for Thai Buddhists.

The temple was founded in 1357 by King Phaya Lithai, King of the Sukhothai Kingdom. The King ordered the casting of three large Buddha images to be enshrined in the newly constructed temple. 

While the first two images came out perfect on the first try, the last image took three castings. When it was completed, it turned out to be the most beautiful of the three and was named Phra Buddha Chinnarat. The 375 centimeter high Sukhothai style image is in the subduing Mara posture.

In the early 17^th century gold plating was applied to the bronze image. A distinguishing feature is the aureola, shaped like flames, that surrounds most of the image. Of the three images that were cast, today only the Phra Buddha Chinnarat remains in this temple, the other two are now in the Wat Bowonniwet in Bangkok.

The Buddha image is depicted on the provincial seal of Phitsanulok province.

Pak Thong Chai Tradition 

Every year the Nakhon Thai District of Phisanulok Province organizes a big fair to celebrate and manifest the admirable unity of its people – the Pak Thong Chai tradition, which is held on waxing 14th of the 12th month. The residents hold a common belief that its origin dated back to the time Po Khun Bang Klang Tao was the ruler of Bang Yang (now Nakhon Thai ) . The benevolent ruler was honored and respected as being the Nakhon Thai hero.

In the past as soon as the 12th month arrived, the Nakhon Thai monks and the community leaders would decide at whose particular house they would gather to make the special, traditional ritual (white) flags for the merit-making Bun Pak Thong. Normally, it would be the house of someone skillful in weaving. Or it could be the house of the village head. The folks lent their hand doing the weaving job. They brought cotton yarns, made from their own trees, as common materials for the special flags. The weavers generally were the women, as in those days every woman could weave.

 Each of the 3 flags measured a little over 2 meters. Nineteen wooden bhodi leaves were needed for 1 flag. The 3 flags were made by 3 different villages. The wooden bhodi trees were used to decorate the flag edges. Then a 1-foot bamboo tube was tied along one side of the flag to give it some weight support, as it was to be flown on the mountaintop.

Loud music from fiddles, gongs and drums all along the way was heard. The people also danced along – a lively and funfilled time it was. In the evening prior to the flag flying day, there was a religious ceremony, in which monks chanted some evening prayers.

Today the tradition is observed on a grand scale, and has become a cultural tourism attraction drawing people from Mueang Nakhon Thai district and subdistricts, as well as outsiders. The celebration lasts 10 days and nights, from waxing 13th to waning 7th in the 12th month.

Tree Ordination Ceremnony 

As part of a growing environmental movement in Thailand, a small number of Buddhist monks engage in ecological conservation projects. 

The "ecology monks" are those actively engaged in environmental and
conservation activities and who respond to the suffering which
environmental degradation causes. A major aim of Buddhism is to relieve
suffering, the root causes of which are greed, ignorance, and hatred. The
monks see the destruction of the forests, pollution of the air and water,
and other environmental problems as ultimately caused by people acting
through these evils, motivated by economic gain and the material benefits
of development, industrialization, and consumerism. As monks, they believe
it is their duty to take action against these evils. Their actions bring
them into the realm of political and economic debates, especially
concerning the rapid development of the Thai economy and control of natural
resources.

Tree ordination ceremonies (buat ton mai) are performed by many
participants in the Buddhist ecology movement in order to raise the
awareness of the rate of environmental destruction in Thailand and to build
a spiritual commitment among local people to conserving the forests and
watersheds. Some large-scale ordinations have been carried out for
publicity and public sympathy to make the government see the environmental
impact of some of its economic development plans. Most tree ordinations are aimed at local areas, and villagers,
through their participation in these ceremonies, signify their acceptance
of this adaptation of a Buddhist ritual to sanctify the forest and thereby
protect it. The regulations the monks establish limit their use of the
forest, forbidding the cutting of any trees or killing of any wildlife
within it.



Namtok Kaeng Sopha is a waterfall and tourist attraction in Wang Thong district of Phitsanulok Province in Thailand. Situated in Thung Salaeng Luang National Park on the Wang Thong River it is the largest waterfall in Phitsanulok. Kaeng Sopha is a tiered waterfall, shaped like a stairway, and it has been dubbed the Niagara Falls of Thailand. The torrents are very strong in the rainy season. The vapor rising in the area creates a vast rain-like curtain.

Thanks Narong for this beautiful cover :) I wish I can visit Phitsanulok some time 🤞🏼