Built quite recently, in 2004, the temple has already become as popular as the ancient temples of Samui. The architecture of Plai Laem closely follows that of ancient Thai temples, as does the layout of the surrounding garden with ponds.
The temple building is small, but very beautifully decorated. For a full three years, the artist Khun Yarit Pumdonming painted the outer walls by hand, creating on them an epic picture with scenes from the life of Buddha. Inside, the decor is traditional – gilding, carved wood, paintings on the walls and ceiling, and a Buddha altar.
Decorative alleys with richly adorned columns and carved figures of mythical animals extend from the temple in different directions. Each alley leads to a particular statue, the main one being the Happy Buddha, a merrily laughing fat man on a lotus throne.
This Buddha bestows wealth and prosperity and patronizes trade and business. By tradition, to enlist his help, you need to stroke his belly, which is rather difficult, since the statue is simply gigantic.
No less impressive is the statue of the goddess of mercy Guan Yin, who has 18 arms and is revered as the patroness of children, women, and the needy. These and other statues are surrounded by ponds inhabited by hundreds of ornamental carp. Above the ponds stretches a beautiful park, where carved gazebos stand everywhere – here you can have a wonderful time admiring the beauty of a modern Buddhist temple.
