Wat Nakhon Thai Woraram, also known locally as Wat Hua Rong or Wat Tai, is located at No. 200, Village No. 6, Ban Hua Rong, Nakhon Thai Subdistrict, Nakhon Thai District, Phitsanulok Province. This ancient temple has a long and rich history. Although there is no definitive record of who built it or the exact year of its construction, local accounts suggest that Wat Hua Rong was established during the era of Pho Khun Bang Klang Thao, who led a military campaign against Sukhothai around 1357 CE (B.E. 1800). Evidence that still remains today includes the traditional-style viharn (main hall) and a highly revered Buddha image carved entirely from teakwood in the Maravichai posture, measuring 2.45 meters across and 3.45 meters tall, known to locals as “Luang Pho Yai.”

 

Originally, the temple was named Wat Si Chom Chuen and was located at what is now the Khlong Chik hermitage. Back then, it was abandoned and unattended. Because the villagers settled above the Khlong Chik waterway, they referred to the temple as “Wat Hua Rong” (originally “Wat Hua Rong,” meaning “head of the canal”), which eventually became its current name. A forest fire once destroyed much of the original temple, leaving only the earthen chedi. Later, as villagers established a community, a new temple was built approximately 200 meters from the original site, which is the present location of Wat Hua Rong.

 

In its early days, the temple had few caretakers, mainly the abbot and a few monks. It wasn’t until the era of Luang Pu Hui as abbot that additional structures such as sala (pavilions) and monk’s quarters were built to supplement the old viharn and the teakwood Buddha image. The temple was granted royal recognition of its boundary (Wisungkhamasima) in 1939 (B.E. 2482). Subsequently, a new ubosot (ordination hall) was constructed in 1948 (B.E. 2491), measuring 5 meters wide and 10 meters long, and completed in 1953 (B.E. 2496).

 

By 1973 (B.E. 2516), the old pavilions and monk’s quarters had become dilapidated, so they were demolished and replaced with new buildings. At this time, the temple was renamed Wat Nakhon Thai Woraram, covering a total area of six rai. The temple features a historic viharn measuring 9 meters wide and 18 meters long, decorated with elegant traditional folk art. Inside, there is an elevated brick-and-mortar monk’s seat on the right side of the principal Buddha image.

 

The teakwood Buddha image in the Maravichai posture is the temple’s main attraction. It is coated in stucco and now gilded to enhance its beauty. The statue is distinctive for its long radiant halo, a rounded face reminiscent of the Sukhothai period, a prominent ushnisha, and large feet with flat soles. Its size and craftsmanship make it one of the largest teakwood Buddha images in Thailand, revered as “Luang Pho Yai.”

 

Luang Pho Yai is considered highly sacred, attracting devotees seeking blessings, protection, and relief from ailments. Historically, the temple used to hold an annual festival to celebrate and allow villagers to make merit, but today celebrations are limited to major festivals such as the Lunar New Year, Songkran, the end of Buddhist Lent, and the Kathin ceremony, partly due to security concerns over valuable items inside the viharn.

 

Wat Nakhon Thai Woraram serves as a spiritual and cultural center for the community, reflecting local history and traditional wisdom. It remains an important place for devotees to pay respects, make merit, and seek blessings from Luang Pho Yai for peace, well-being, and prosperity in their lives.