Poking out of the forest on the south side of Saphan Mon, this temple is the spiritual centre of Thailand's Mon people. The temple was established by Luang Phaw Uttama (1910–2006) and the wí·hăhn (assembly hall) with three richly decorated green-and-yellow towers is a memorial to this highly respected monk, whose body lies in rest inside a giant shrine.
Born in Myanmar, Luang Phaw Uttama fled to Thailand in 1949 to escape the civil war and became a cornerstone of the Mon community in both countries, as well as a noted Buddhist leader in Thailand.
