Chiang Saen - Wat Pa Sak

Wat Pa Sak, also outside the town wall, was begun in 1295 under King Saen Phu and got its name from the 300 teak (i.e. sak) trunks that originally surrounded it. It still has a fine pyramidal chedi, said to hold a relic of Buddha brought here from Pataliputra the year it was founded. Twelve large and 16 smaller niches contain finely worked Sukhothai Buddhas, some of them very well preserved, and revealing on closer examination signs of Srivijaya and Dvaravati influences as well. Wat Pa Sak is one of the few remaining examples of the fine art of applying stucco and terracotta. It is worth noting the 14th c. decorative detail in the ornamental banding and the rich ornamentation of the middle section which carries on up into the spire.