Wat
architecture adheres to consistent principles. A wat, with few exceptions, consists of two parts: the
Phutthawat and the
Sangkhawat.
Phutthawat The Phutthawat () is the area which is dedicated to Buddha. It generally contains several buildings: •
Chedi () – also known as a
Stupa it is mostly in the form of a bell-shaped tower, often accessible and covered with
gold leaf, containing a
relic chamber. •
Prang () – the Thai version of
Khmer temple towers, mostly in temples from the
Sukhothai and the
Ayutthaya period. •
Ubosot or Bot ( or ) – the
ordination hall and most sacred area of a wat. Eight
Sema stones (
Bai Sema, ) mark the consecrated area. •
Wihan () – a
shrine hall that contains the principal Buddha images. It is the assembly hall where monks and laypeople congregate. •
Mondop () - specific square- or cruciform-based building or shrine, sometimes with a spired roof. It is a ceremonial form that can be appear on different kinds of buildings. It can house relics, sacred scriptures or act as a shrine. Unlike the
Mandapa of Khmer or Indian temple, which are part of a larger structure, the Thai Mondop is free-standing. •
Ho trai () – the temple library or scriptures depository houses the sacred
Tipiṭaka scriptures. Sometimes they are built in the form of a
Mondop (), a cubical-shaped building where the
pyramidal roof is carried by columns. •
Sala () – an open
pavilion providing shade and a place to rest. •
Sala kan parian () – a large, open hall where
laity can hear
sermons or receive religious education. It literally means "hall, in which monks study for their Parian exam" and is used for chanting afternoon prayers. •
Ho rakhang () – bell tower that is used for waking the monks and to announce the morning and evening ceremonies. • Phra rabiang () – a
peristyle sometimes built around the sacred inner area as a
cloister. • Ancillary buildings such as a
crematorium or a school. The buildings are often adorned with elements such as
chofas. In temples of the
Rattanakosin era, such as
Wat Pho and
Wat Ratchabophit, the ubosot can be contained within a (low) inner wall called a
Kamphaeng Kaeo (), which translates to "crystal wall". File:Chmwchiangman8610a.jpg|Ubosot, Ho Trai and Chedi (from left to right) of
Wat Chiang Man, built in
Lanna architecture File:Ubosot of Wat Nim.jpg|Ubosot of Wat Nimmanoradi,
Bangkok File:IMAG1168 01.jpg|An ancient Ayutthaya-style Ubosot without Chofas located at Wat Oi,
Ang Thong, similar to Ubosot of
Wat Phutthaisawan,
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya File:Gran Palacio, Bangkok, Tailandia, 2013-08-22, DD 26.jpg|Ubosot with multiple front roof located at
Wat Phra Kaew,
Bangkok File:Wat Ratcha Orasaram วัดราชโอรสาราม 2019 22.jpg|Thai-Chinese Ubosot rebuilt in
King Rama III period, single front roof, without Chofas located at
Wat Ratchaorasaram,
Bangkok File:The Four Chedi of Wat Pho (III).jpg|Chedi of
Wat Pho,
Bangkok File:Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan(วัดอรุณราชวราราม).JPG|Prang of
Wat Arun,
Bangkok File:วัดไผ่ล้อม พระอารามหลวง.jpg|
Reclining Buddha inside Wihan Phra Non (Wihan of Reclining Buddha) of Wat Phai Lom,
Chanthaburi File:Phra Mondop.jpg|Mondop of
Wat Phra Kaew,
Bangkok File:Ho trai Wat Apson Sawan (II).jpg|Ho Trai of Wat Apson Sawan,
Bangkok File:Guti Wat Rachathiwat.jpg|
Sermon hall of Wat Rachathiwat,
Bangkok File:Wat Ratchabopit (I).jpg|
Wat Ratchabopit,
Bangkok File:Haw Klawng Rakhang, Wat Phra That Chang Kham , Nan.jpg|Ho Rakhang of Wat Phra That Chang Kham,
Nan File:Wat Benchamabophit (II).jpg|Ubosot of
Wat Benchamabophit,
Bangkok File:Ayutthaya - Wat Phanom Yong - 0010.jpg|Crematoria of Wat Phanom Yong,
Ayuthhaya File:Kamphengkaeowatrajbopit02.jpg|Kamphaeng Kaeo surrounding the Ubosot of
Wat Ratchabophit,
Bangkok Sangkhawat The sangkhawat () contains the monks' living quarters. It lies within the wall surrounding the temple compound. The sangkhawat can have the following buildings: •
Kuti () – originally a small structure, built on stilts, designed to house a monk, with its proper size defined in the Sangkhathiset, rule 6, to be 12 by 7 kheup (4.013 by 2.343 meters). Modern kutis take the shape of an apartment building with small rooms. • The sangkhawat can contain the 'Ho rakhang' (bell tower) and even the 'Sala Kan Parian' (sermon hall). • Houses most of the functional buildings such as the kitchen. ==Temple elements==
Roof forms Temples display multiple roof tiers. The use of ornamented tiers is reserved for roofs on temples, palaces and important public buildings. Two or three tiers are most often used, but some royal temples have four. The practice is more aesthetic than functional. Temple halls and their roofs are large. To lighten the roof's appearance, the lowest tier is the largest with a smaller middle layer and the smallest tier on top. Multiple breaks in each roof lighten it further – a double-tiered roof might have 2–4 breaks in each tier. The tiers, breaks and tier patterns create dynamic visual rhythms. In northern temples, the roof area is larger, sweeping low to cover more of the wall. The lower tiers telescope toward the entrance. In a central Thai temple, the lower tiers reach a short distance beyond the top roof at the gable ends.
Roof finials Most decorations are attached to the
bargeboard, the long, thin panel on the edge of the roof at the gable ends. The decorative structure is called the
lamyong. The
lamyong is sculpted in an undulating, serpentine
nag sadung shape evoking the
Nāga. Its blade-like projection called
bai raka suggest both
Nāga fins and the feathers of
Garuda. Its lower finial is called a
hang hong, which usually takes the form of a
Nāga's head turned up and facing away from the roof. The
Nāga head may be styled in flame-like
kranok motifs and may have multiple heads. A roof with multiple breaks or tiers has identical
hang hong finials at the bottom of each section. Perched on the peak of the
lamyong is the large curving ornament called a
Chofah, which resembles the beak of a bird, perhaps representing Garuda.
Curved base and roofline Yon Thong Samphao (หย่อนท้องสำเภา, lit. "sagging ship hull") or
Tok Thong Chang (ตกท้องช้าง, lit. "sagging elephant's belly") is a distinctive architectural feature in Thai architecture, particularly prevalent during the late Ayutthaya Kingdom. It is characterized by a deliberate concave curvature of the building's base (foundation) and the roofline, mimicking the elegant profile of a
Chinese junk hull. File:วัดกุฏีดาว.jpg|The ruins of the
ubosot at Wat Kudi Dao, Ayutthaya, displaying a distinct concave base. File:วัดปราสาท อ.เมือง จ.นนทบุรี (11).jpg|Wat Prasat in Nonthaburi, one of the best-preserved examples of the sagging ship hull profile. File:วัดช่องนนทรี ยานนาวา กรุงเทพฯ 11.JPG|The
ubosot at Wat Chong Nonsi in Bangkok File:พระตำหนักคำหยาด 06.JPG|Ruins of Kham Yat Palace in Ang Thong ==Popular temple icons==