Also known at Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua is a very special Theravada temple in Western Thailand. Amongst the usual saffron-clad monks and sacred chedis dotting the site, visitors will come across the unusual sight of huge tigers walking calmly alongside their caregivers, the monks. Plan a visit to this fascinating locality as part of a stay at one of the vibrant serviced apartments Bangkok has to offer its visitors. You will find a warm welcome from the Serviced Apartments Sukhumvit Roads has to offer, with the Somerset Sukhumvit Thonglor Bangkok being a fine option. Not too far from the Myanmar border, you will come across the Tiger Temple. The first cub it ever saw was back in 1999, but it died shortly after arriving here. From that point on, villagers in the surrounding area have brought in sickly and orphaned cubs to be cared for by the temple, and as of May 2012, around 100 tame tigers call the place home.
Various individuals and an ABS news team have visited the site and have spent time there, only to witness nothing out of the ordinary, beyond the careful care of these majestic felines by their dedicated monks. Visitors can walk with the tigers, pet and play with them, and even pose for pictures with the tigers, both adults and cubs. The tigers’ calm nature is due to the fact that they have lived amongst the monks since the age of three weeks, a fact cited by the resident abbot when addressing concerns. Yet, the leader of this unique commune of tigers and Theravadists is largely zen about it, and maintains the integrity of the institution and its individuals in overseeing the tigers’ wellbeing.
Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday.
