Wat Pa Pai

View of the sim and two stupas in Wat Pa Pai.

Another view of the sim.

 
Tucked away behind the main commercial district along Sisavong Vang Road is the small temple of Wat Pa Pai. The entrance is almost obscured by a huge overgrown bougainvillea planted at the gate. Its across from the rather unusually designed education office. Inside the compound are a small sim, two stupas and a few other buildings.

Closeup of the intricate door frames surrounded by the mural.

The small sim has a quite elegant front facade. At the front, four black columns stenciled in gold support a carved red and gold gable end panel. Behind this front panel, the front of the sim itself is painted in a mural more typical of Thai temples.

The center door of the sim is framed with an elaborately carved gilt frame featuring many animals such as swans, ducks and mythical creatures.

The sim and all its decorations are at least 100 years old. There are almost always a few monks about in the temple, but its otherwise practically deserted most of the time.

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