Obama to visit Wat Pho
Wat Prachetupon or Wat Pho will be closed this Sunday starting from 10am to welcome visiting US President Barrack Obama, the temple's deputy abbot Phra Udornkanarak said Thursday.
Obama will visit four spots in the temple; Ubosoth, the Reclining Buddha, Phra Maha Jedi and the Thai traditional massage sculptures.
“Phra Sutheethanmanuwat will act as a guide for the US president, who is scheduled to arrive at the temple at 4pm. He is expected to tour the temple for 45 minutes,” the abbot said.
The visit is at the initiative of the US Embassy in Bangkok, which contacted the temple before the US presidential election early this month. Obama beat Mitt Romney in the voting and is continuing his second term as the president.
The monk quoted US Ambassador Kristie Kenney as saying that Wat Pho is the most beautiful temple of the world. “The temple and Thailand would like to thank the ambassador for helping to choose the temple, which has certainly helped disseminate Thailand’s reputation.
Unesco’s Memory of the World award was granted to Wat Pho, known also as the temple of the Reclining Buddha, on March 2008. The Thai traditional massage sculptures are well known all over the world.
Each day, about 10,000 tourists visit the temple, half of them were foreigners, the monk said.
The temple was the first public university of Thailand and a centre of knowledge for many subjects.
