Towards the North of the old town lies the ‘Shrine of King Taksin the Great’ which is a nine-edged structure with a roof which has been built in such a way that it resembles the hat that the King used to wear while going for battles. This shrine was built in 1920 to mark King Taksin’s brief stay in Rayong while he was mobilizing his army to free Ayutthaya from Burma.
Shrine of King Taksin the Great, located near Tak Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office, is home to most famous statue of King Taksin – ruler of Tak. Originally the shrine was located at Wat Doi Khao Kaew but in 1947 the local people, who hold the place in high respects, thought that the King’s shrine should be at a more suitable place. It is advisable that one should travel in and around Mae Sot in a rental car and have a comfortable travelling experience; we offer all-inclusive deals for Mae Sot with a wide variety of car sizes available for hire at low-cost prices.
A Closer Look at the Shrine
The shrine was constructed at the present place by the Department of Fine Arts with the statue of King Taksin to honor King’s victory against Burmese’s invasion of Ayutthaya Kingdom. This statue of His Majesty depicts him in a sitting position with a sword lying on his lap with an inscription that says “King Taksin of Thonburi wae born in 1734, dead in 1782. 48 years old.” Beautifully designed shrine’s front and rear are decorated by warhorses. The shrine is also famous for its garden of 12 Chinese Zodiacs and an annual festival which is celebrated on this site every year from 28th December to 3rd January.
The shrine is also said to be the dwelling place of the golden pillar which is called the guardian spirit of the town, hence one can easily visit the shrine as well as the city pillar in one single trip. In addition to the garden the grounds also have statues of dragons, old canons and a fountain with a good number of banyan trees.
