Discover Bang Yang

In the immediate area around Bang Yang, Luang Pho Khum and Wat Intharam’s water procession are two closely connected cultural points of reference. The Buddha image is the central representation of the tradition; during the procession, it is carried along the water. This offers two ways to explore the subject: through the image’s posture, dimensions and estimated date of origin, and through the communal proceedings associated with it. For travel planning, it makes a difference whether you are mainly interested in learning about the image’s location or in the water procession as a regional tradition.

Luang Pho Khum at Wat Intharam

Luang Pho Khum is a Buddha image in the Maravijaya posture. It is estimated to date from either the late Ayutthaya period or the early Rattanakosin period; this is therefore an approximate dating, not an exact year of creation. The image is 0.7 metres wide and 1 metre tall, so it is taller than it is wide. It is located in the Mondop Luang Pho Khum at Wat Intharam, in Ban Sang District, Prachin Buri Province. The posture, dimensions and tentative dating offer different ways to view the image: as a religious representation, as an object with clear proportions, and as an image whose date is attributed to one of two possible periods.

A traditional water procession

Wat Intharam’s water procession is also known as the Wat Bang Yang Procession. It is a traditional cultural practice of the residents of Tambon Bang Yang, estimated to be more than 100 years old. According to tradition, it takes place every year after the end of Buddhist Lent, on the second day of the waning moon in the eleventh lunar month. Its timing is therefore tied to the lunar calendar. If you would like to plan your trip around it, it is advisable to check the date for the relevant year before making your plans.

During the procession, Luang Pho Khum is carried on a palanquin and a boat platform. Fresh flowers, gold-coloured cloth and Buddhist flags adorn the platform. The image is also carried by boat along the Prachin Buri River so that people on both banks can pay their respects and receive holy water. Thus, the image itself, its decorated carrying platform and its movement along the river are all defining features of the procession. Viewing Luang Pho Khum as an individual image is therefore different from experiencing the procession, which brings together the image, the river and worshippers on both banks.

The proceedings also include a dance in honour of Luang Pho Khum and a beauty contest for rowing boats. Offerings of food to monks and a communal Kathin robe ceremony on the water are also part of the tradition. These activities have different focuses: the dance honours Luang Pho Khum, the contest features the rowing boats, while the food offerings and robe ceremony involve religious offerings and a communal ritual. The procession therefore cannot be reduced to a single boat journey; it includes several ceremonies and activities.

The image and river route as points of reference for your trip

Further afield, the procession route runs along the Prachin Buri River from the pier at Wat Intharam to Wat Bang Krabao, a royal monastery. The route adds a geographical dimension to the ceremonies: it begins at Wat Intharam and extends to another named monastery.

When looking for a holiday rental in Bang Yang, you can decide which cultural focus matters more for your trip: the Buddha image and its location in the immediate area, or the procession, its ceremonies and its route further afield. These perspectives are part of the same tradition, but offer different points of reference for planning.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Na Khaem, Kabin, Kabin Buri, Ban Phra, Prachin Buri, Krok Som Bun, Tha Ngam, Si Maha Phot.

For the broader travel overview: Prachinburi.