Maybis Hotel Samut Prakan invites you to experience a meaningful Buddhist festival this long weekend—an unmissable merit-making event just outside Bangkok.
Join us for a heartwarming cultural celebration filled with faith, tradition, and vibrant local heritage at the Annual Sand Pagoda Building Ceremony and the Robe Offering for the Leaning Prang at Wat Sakhla, Bang Pla Kod District, Samut Prakan.
This year, the festival will be held from 16–18 May 2025 (Wan Raem 1 Kham, Month 6), continuing the long-standing tradition cherished by the local community.
This significant merit-making event reflects the community’s deep devotion to Buddhism and honors the courageous heroine of Sakhla. Visitors can enjoy both religious rituals and lively cultural performances, making it a meaningful and memorable experience for both locals and tourists.
Wat Sakhla was founded in 1782 (B.E. 2325), believed to have been established through the unity of the local villagers after their victory over the Burmese troops during the Nine Armies War in the reign of King Rama I of the Rattanakosin period.
The Leaning Prang is not only an ancient architectural structure, but also a symbol of courage and triumph — especially of the women of Sakhla in the past.
According to local folklore, during the period when the Burmese army was fighting against Ayutthaya, Burmese soldiers passed through the Sakhla Canal and attempted to capture villagers as prisoners. At that time, most of the men had left to join the war, leaving only women, children, and the elderly in the village. Yet the women refused to surrender; armed only with wooden sticks and rice pounders, they fought back fiercely and drove the Burmese forces away.
When peace returned, the villagers joined together to build the prang as a tribute to the bravery of the women in the community. Locals came to call it “The Monument of the Brave Women.”
The prang (temple tower) was built around 230 years ago. Originally, the structure stood perfectly upright and was not tilted as it appears today.
However, about a hundred years ago, a major flood caused the soft clay soil along the canal to subside. As a result, the prang gradually leaned toward the west by approximately 15 degrees. After that event, although the tower remained tilted, it did not continue to lean any further. This unique characteristic eventually became well-known among locals, who fondly refer to it as the “Leaning Prang,” now regarded as a distinctive symbol of the Sakhla community.
Another highlight upon entering the area is the opportunity to pay respect to the Standing Phra Sangkajjai Maha Lap, a grand and graceful statue situated along the Samut Prakan canal, serving as another important spiritual landmark for the local community.
This Phra Sangkajjai statue is built in the Standing Blessing posture, characterized by his serene, joyful smile, round face, and radiant golden complexion. Every detail has been exquisitely crafted from the delicate patterns on the monk’s robe to the stable, grounded stance symbolizing happiness, prosperity, and abundance according to Buddhist beliefs.
Because of these auspicious qualities, visitors and devotees often stop by to pay homage and seek blessings, especially for good fortune, wealth, abundance, and successful business endeavors.
May 16, 2025
09:09 AM – Sacred Ceremony for Phra Prang En and the Brave Heroines
10:00 AM – Procession of the Cloth Offering around the Market
02:00 PM – Sand Pagoda Building Begins
02:30 PM – Traditional Worship Dance Performance
05:39 PM – Ceremony of Draping the Cloth on Phra Prang En
08:00 PM – Evening Entertainment: Likay Performance by “Thong Yod Look Narai” and Sky Kathin Robe Offering Ceremony
May 17, 2025
07:00 AM – Morning Alms Offering to Buddhist Monks
All Day – Sand Pagoda Building Activities
08:00 PM – Live Concert by Famous Artists: Eed Fly and Kob Taxi
May 18, 2025
07:00 AM – Morning Alms Offering to Buddhist Monks
02:00 PM – Sand Pagoda Contest
• Creativity
• Aesthetic Beauty
• Large Sand Pagoda
• Tallest Sand Pagoda with Highest Donations
06:00 PM – Announcement of Contest Winners
08:00 PM – Music Performance by Ann Oradee and Sky Kathin Robe Offering Ceremony
How to Get to Wat Sakhla
Wat Sakhla is located in Moo 3, Ban Sakhla, Na Kluea Subdistrict, Phra Samut Chedi District, Samut Prakan Province.
- By Car
GPS: https://maps.app.goo.gl/T1s9zopSkknYeanW8 - By Public Transportation
Bus routes: 140 (Air-conditioned), 141 (Air-conditioned), 4-24E (141), 4-27E (173), T.124 - GPS: https://maps.app.goo.gl/WxKSmHWioZ4eMbsXA
From Maybis Hotel, you can drive to Wat Sakhla in approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Contact & Location
Maybis Hotel
- 911 Moo 2 Phraeksa Mai, Mueang Samut Prakan, Samut Prakan 10280
- 02-180-8188
- 093 156 9466
- [email protected]
