Gives a clearer sense of what a wat is and the role it plays today in the lives of Thai people

As you walk through a Thai temple, a host of unfamiliar objects, shapes and patterns tug at you from every direction. This handy and lucid guidebook will help you distinguish what is what. It takes you through a representative Thai Buddhist temple, guiding you from structure to structure and element to element, explaining the function and purpose of each, and the symbolism behind the forms. A Thai wat can be a place of bewildering beauty, but this illustrated companion will help you focus your eyes and identify what you see. Tourists and residents, novices and scholars will gain a clearer sense of what a wat is and the role it plays today in the lives of Thai people.

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"With illustrations to accompany her straightforward explanations of well, what's what, Stratton does a good job of unpacking the complex function and symbolism found in the various structures of a wat. If you're planning a trip to Thailand, or to a Thai temple elsewhere, pick up a copy of What's What in a Wat. You'll want to have a guide with you and Stratton, having researched and written on Thai Buddhist art for over forty years, is a trustworthy one."