Wat Pho is one of the most pleasant places to visit in Bangkok, The reclining Buddha is beautiful. As the Wat also hosts the oldest traditional Thai massage school. It is really close to the Grand Palace just 10 minutes walk. Now travelers can also visit Wat Pho at night, the atmosphere is dramatically contrasted to the time they saw it in the daytime.

The main elements of the temple are as follows:

1. Ubosot	2. The Reclining Buddha	3. Main Stupas
4. Phra Mondop	5. The Gallery	6. Hermit's Ground
7. Massage clinic

4. Phra Mondop

 

          Phra Mondop (the Scripture Hall) , built in the reign of King Rama III with a crowned, gabled roof tetrahedron elaborated with multicoloured Chinese ceramic bowls, this hall keeps a small library of the Tripitaka or teachings of Buddha, which was built in the reign of King Rama I.

          There are Porticos at the 3 directions of the Mondop. The mural paintings about the beginning of Ramayana, “Songkran” tradition and a “Mon” tradition are shown on the inner walls of the porticos, and the outer side was decorated with Thai Verse Proverbs called “Kloang Lokaniti” . The rock Chinese warrior giants which were famous as Wat Pho Giants in the fight with Wat Wat Aroon Damons, stand on both sides of the sheltered gates.

        King Rama III had a volume of the Tripiaka called “Thep Chumnum”, the congregation of angels, established and dedicated to Wat Pho. The cover of each scripture was intricately decorated with a gilded design on black lacquer of the congregation of angels. The scriptures written in Khmer alphabets and the Pali laguage have been stored in a spired cabinet within the Mondop. All the exhibited Tripitaka scriptures as well as Thai folded books had been established through different periods of time as offerings to the Lord Buddha. Each of them was inscribed in elaborate manuscript some were even colourfully illustrated with paintings about the Life of the Lord Buddha. The exhibition is classified into groups with interesting captions.

 

5. Phra Rabiang (The Gallery)

          Phra Rabiang , it is a double cloisters surrounding the courtyard of the chapel and is connected by four maindirection Viharas.

          Hundreds of Buddha images lined the gallery. They were brought to Bangkok from deserted temples all over the kingdom, at the command of king Rama I. Visitors can study Buddhist arts on the image styles of reign along this cloister. There used to be depiction of 374 towns on the lower beam that imply they are under the kingdom power. Now the pictures largely faded.

6. Hermit's Ground

          In the reign of King Rama I, medical knowledge of Ayutthaya period was collected at the King's command. The working out methods were recorded in the figures of hermits working out to relieve muscle pains and stress.

 

7. Thai traditional massage school and clinic

          The school provides many courses of the Thai Fundamental Massage Points and lines, for curing of more than 50 simply ailments, such as relief of muscle pain, muscle sprain, tennis elbow, stiff neck, low back pain, muscle cramping, muscle weakness, muscle stiffness, muscle discomfort and nervous tension, to make muscles, joints and tendons supple. Massage is for preventing the atrophy (wasting away) of muscles in the paralyzed patients or elderly persons who are unable to exercise.

          The massage clinic is very famous and reccoommended place to get some course of massage; face, body or feet, either one you want. The price is quite cheaper than elsewhere in Thailand.