The King Taksin Shrine
The King Taksin Shrine
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4.5
56 reviews
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David B
Rayong, Thailand9,493 contributions
Jun 2017 • Friends
This week I have friends from Australia staying with me, so it was time to put on my tourist guide hat and show them the sights of Rayong.
First call was to the King Taksin Shrine.
Taksin the Great, as he is known, was the liberator of Siam from Burmese occupation after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, and unified Siam into one nation. He also moved the capital to Thonburi, the present site of Bangkok.
There are monuments to Taksin all over Thailand, but he has a special place in the hearts of Rayong and neighbouring Chantaburi Province people because it was here that he regrouped after the fall of Ayutthaya, rebuilt an army, built a fleet of ships and trained the navy, subsequently sailing up the Gulf of Siam and up the Chao Phyra River to vanish the Burmese.
First call was to the King Taksin Shrine.
Taksin the Great, as he is known, was the liberator of Siam from Burmese occupation after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, and unified Siam into one nation. He also moved the capital to Thonburi, the present site of Bangkok.
There are monuments to Taksin all over Thailand, but he has a special place in the hearts of Rayong and neighbouring Chantaburi Province people because it was here that he regrouped after the fall of Ayutthaya, rebuilt an army, built a fleet of ships and trained the navy, subsequently sailing up the Gulf of Siam and up the Chao Phyra River to vanish the Burmese.
Written 28 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David B
Rayong, Thailand9,493 contributions
Oct 2015
There is probably no more enigmatic character in Thai history than King Taksin (1734-1782), who led Siam to victory over the Burmese after the second fall of Ayutthaya in 1767. He subsequently unified Siam and moved the capital to Thonburi, site of the present day Bangkok.
In later life King Taksin the Great, as he became, was reported to have gone insane and was executed after a coup to remove him from the throne. There are different accounts of his execution. One states that he was beheaded. Another account states that he was put to death in the traditional way of executing Siamese royalty - by being put into a velvet sack and beaten to death with a club of scented sandalwood (the purpose of this bizarre method of execution was to avoid spilling royal blood on the ground).
His executioner and coup leader, General Chao Phraya Chakri became the next king and founder of the current Chakri dynasty in Thailand.
During his wars with the Burmese, King Taksin spent a period in Rayong, and this is commemorated with the King Taksin Shrine, located in Wat Lum Mahachai Chumpon, one of the principle Buddhist temples in Rayong.
The shrine features a life-size bronze statue of Taksin, which is now covered with gold leaf by generations of devote admirers.
There is also a photograph of a portrait of Taksin and some of his royal regalia, including his hat and some swords are on display in a glass case.
The surrounds of the shrine have assumed a surreal air with dozens of plaster statues of toy soldiers, sailors, chickens, and other kitsch, finished off with garlands of plastic flowers.
If you are interested in Thai history, check out Wikipedia on Taksin before you visit the Shrine. It will give your visit added meaning.
Because Taksin was partly Chinese, the King Taksin Shrine is built in the Chinese style.
In later life King Taksin the Great, as he became, was reported to have gone insane and was executed after a coup to remove him from the throne. There are different accounts of his execution. One states that he was beheaded. Another account states that he was put to death in the traditional way of executing Siamese royalty - by being put into a velvet sack and beaten to death with a club of scented sandalwood (the purpose of this bizarre method of execution was to avoid spilling royal blood on the ground).
His executioner and coup leader, General Chao Phraya Chakri became the next king and founder of the current Chakri dynasty in Thailand.
During his wars with the Burmese, King Taksin spent a period in Rayong, and this is commemorated with the King Taksin Shrine, located in Wat Lum Mahachai Chumpon, one of the principle Buddhist temples in Rayong.
The shrine features a life-size bronze statue of Taksin, which is now covered with gold leaf by generations of devote admirers.
There is also a photograph of a portrait of Taksin and some of his royal regalia, including his hat and some swords are on display in a glass case.
The surrounds of the shrine have assumed a surreal air with dozens of plaster statues of toy soldiers, sailors, chickens, and other kitsch, finished off with garlands of plastic flowers.
If you are interested in Thai history, check out Wikipedia on Taksin before you visit the Shrine. It will give your visit added meaning.
Because Taksin was partly Chinese, the King Taksin Shrine is built in the Chinese style.
Written 17 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
davidwilliambarnes
Blackpool, UK1,542 contributions
Dec 2016 • Couples
This King became known as Taskin the Great and he has a life size bronze statue that is covered in gold leaf. His greatness stems from unifying Siam and moving the previous capital, Thonburi to the existing capital of Bangkok. A must see shrine if you are in the district.
Written 19 December 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
P_and_C2013
Bangkok, Thailand327 contributions
Dec 2019
Peaceful place and quite informative with information in Thai and English. The 300+ years old tree (where King Taksin sit and planned his battle) was impressive and well taken care of.
Written 27 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Guru Chillaxi
Bangkok, Thailand387 contributions
Sept 2019
I used to ordain and became a Buddist monk at this Wat Lum-Maha-Chai-Chumpol temple about 30 years ago. It used to be a very small temple in downtown Rayong then.
Wat Lum Mahachai Chumpon Temple was constructed about 290 years ago during Ayuthdhaya period. After Ayudhaya was invaded by Burmese army in 1767 AD , King Tak Sin brought military and civilians to the East and made a stop for temporary camping before moving to Chantaburi at the temple location, it was told that King Tak Sin tied his troop's elephants and horses at the large Sa Tue tree which is still alive in front of King Tak Sin shrine nowadays.
The original Wat Lum Temple area was a lowland ( Lum means low land), flooding occurred every year during rainy season.
The King Tak Sin shrine is one of the attraction that local Thai often visit.
Wat Lum Mahachai Chumpon Temple was constructed about 290 years ago during Ayuthdhaya period. After Ayudhaya was invaded by Burmese army in 1767 AD , King Tak Sin brought military and civilians to the East and made a stop for temporary camping before moving to Chantaburi at the temple location, it was told that King Tak Sin tied his troop's elephants and horses at the large Sa Tue tree which is still alive in front of King Tak Sin shrine nowadays.
The original Wat Lum Temple area was a lowland ( Lum means low land), flooding occurred every year during rainy season.
The King Tak Sin shrine is one of the attraction that local Thai often visit.
Written 24 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Moonraker2511
Toronto, Ontario104 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
I used to live in Rayong and this temple has a long history back in 16 century. Nice architectural temple and clean environment.
Written 19 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick_882017
Bangkok, Thailand55 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
Being married to a religious Thai wife makes this visit a bit of a "no-brainer" but it was good to see. The history has already been provided by plenty of other visitors yet it was quite nicely kept and not the slowly deteriorating type of temple that is often encountered. The head monk was even overseeing some renovation when we visited and there was quite a bit of renovation in process.
Written 2 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Keith M
Chiang Mai, Thailand31 contributions
Nov 2017 • Solo
The shrine is to King Taksin who united Siam now Thailand. It is a small but nice temple in Rayong. It is probably Rayongs best attraction.
Written 12 November 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Craig L
Toowoomba, Australia145 contributions
Oct 2017 • Family
A smaller shrine in the heart of Rayong. The shrine is easy to find though parking can be limited. The statue and temple are well looked after. A very nice place to visit.
Written 23 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nortravel2013
Medicine Hat, Canada293 contributions
Mar 2017 • Friends
Very impressive tribute to the king. Well kept statues and surroundings. Limited room for worshippers. As with other shrines, parking may be a problem during peak times.
Written 6 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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