Hello Friends of the Valley. Most visitors to the area intend to get into the national park for a sampling of nature. However, not too far from Eco Valley Lodge are a couple of real eye catching sights absolutely worth seeing.
Wat Simalaisongtham appears like an ornate birthday cake sitting on top of a hill. It contains a fantastic variety of Buddhist artefacts and artwork. It is difficult to describe. One has to see this wat firsthand and up close to appreciate its elaborate intricacy.
Begun around twenty years ago, the unfinished temple holds a fantastic mix of mythological gods, creatures and figures from Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, and Thailand. Given the culturally diverse mix it sure seems to be a unique temple.
And just around the corner from this wat sits an outsized golden statue of Luang Por Thuat. He is certainly one of the most famous and revered monks in all of Thailand. Luang Por "respected father" Thuat was born in Songkhla province in the south of Thailand in 2125 BE (1582 CE) and died 100 years later.
Many miracles are attributed to Luang Por Thuat, such as turning salty seawater into fresh water for folk to drink, and healing folk with his divine powers.
These two sites definitely provide an unexpected bonus to the experience in the Khao Yai district for both the devoted and the curious.