French President Macron supports establishment of Wat Pho Paris

Puntid TantivangphaisalPublished: 10:53, 11 November 2023| Updated: 11:01, 11 November 2023

210 1 minute read

French President Macron supports establishment of Wat Pho Paris

Photo courtesy of Bangkok Post

French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly thrown his support behind the establishment of Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram, colloquially known as Wat Pho Paris, in the French capital.

This announcement was made during a reception at the Elysee Palace for Somdet Phra Maha Theerajarn, the abbot of the original Wat Pho in Thailand, who is currently in France for the opening of the Parisian temple.

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Somdet Phra Maha Theerajarn presided over a 45-minute meeting with Macron, attended by Phra Sri Wichira Thamwithet, the Sangha chairman of Wat Pho Paris and Boonyarit Vichienpuntu, the acting ambassador of the Royal Thai Embassy in Paris. The discussion centred around the growth of Buddhism in Thailand and ways to apply Buddhist teachings in furtherance of world peace.

The French president expressed his appreciation for the abbot’s endeavours and showed his support for the establishment of the French version of Wat Pho. Macron also shared that he had the opportunity to visit the Thai Wat Pho during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok in the previous year, reported Bangkok Post.

Situated in Rue de Rimoron, 91650 Breux-Jouy, the French Wat Phra Chetuphon is set to be a beacon of Buddhism in France while also marking the 333rd year of amicable relations between Thailand and France. Besides, the Parisian temple will function as a Dhamma teaching centre dedicated to promoting peace. A grand launch ceremony for Wat Pho Paris is set to take place tomorrow, with Somdet Phra Maha Theerajarn presiding as chairman.

In related news, a Frenchman took to social media to accuse three Thai nationals of running a huge real estate scam, luring hundreds of victims into investing in a property project in Phuket. The total loss was over 100 million baht. Read more about this story HERE.

In other news, a 34 year old craftsman working on an ancient water temple’s construction, drowned in the temple’s pond. The pond was located in Nakhon Phanom’s Renunakorn district, where the man had been working on a massive temple project set in the middle of the water. Read more about this story HERE.

Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Originally from Hong Kong, Puntid moved to Bangkok in 2020 to pursue further studies in translation. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Hong Kong. Puntid spent 8 years living in Manchester, UK. Before joining The Thaiger, Puntid has been a freelance translator for 2 years. In her free time, she enjoys swimming and listening to music, as well as writing short fiction and poetry.