I have been fortunate enough to have worked for Operation Smile in the past. As my job, it has taken me around the world and I’ve seen amazing places. Ironically, Operation Smile never took me to Thailand, a country so dear to me and one that I’ve lived in for some time. Just a few weeks ago I traveled there as a volunteer with OpSmile to help chaperone 30 high school students on a local medical mission. One of the schools happens to be the high school that I graduated from, ISB (International School Bangkok).

Nan, Thailand is a northern province that borders the Laos. The city, Nan, is a quaint sleepy town unspoiled by city life and western tourism. The surrounding area has some great trekking and rafting and slowly its starting to become popular with eco-tourists, but in the mean time the town is known for its beautiful and plentiful wats. A wat is Thai Buddhist temple often cared for by the residing monks.

There are over 10 wats in the town, a few known as national heritage sites.  There are also a few monasteries and schools for boys going through their ordination.  Some of these wats date back to the 15th century during the times when Nan was actually part of the Laotian-Thai autonomous kingdom.

Below are some snaps of a lazy walkabout through the downtown.

Wat Phra That Chang Kham

Wat at sunrise

Wat Hua Khuang

Inside Wat Phra That Chang Kham at the foot of the alter

outside of Wat Phra That Chang Kham

Inside the wat where at the alter they had in cased a few dozen porcelain Buddhas

At Wat Phumin a monk feeds a resident street dog ice cream

downtown a dog hitches a ride on the back of a motorcycle

A view through the orchids of Wat Phra That Chang Kham