Published caption : Situated on Samsen Road near Kiak Kai intersection, Wat Mai Thongsen was built in 1822 by Phra Thamma Udom (Thuek) in memory of his parents, Thong and Sen. Its original name was Wat Yai Thongsen, the word yai reflecting its large size. The founder was a former deputy abbot of Wat Pho and also a close friend of revered monk Somdej Phra Buddhajarn (To Prommarangsi) with whom he often preached. He passed away in 1853. The temple’s ordination hall and its principle Buddha statue, its library (Hor Trai), a bronze reclining Buddha statue and a sitting Buddha statue all date from early in the Third Reign. A highlight is Phra Pa Lae Lai, a 9m-tall Buddha statue commissioned by the temple’s founder and Somdej Phra Buddhajarn. Constructed of brick and covered with a layer of gold lacquer, the statue portrays the Lord Buddha in a rarely seen posture, being offered bananas by an elephant and an entire bee’s hive by a monkey.