Land of Peace and Love

“I was taught by the previous Floating Nun who lived here for many years,” she says. She is very approachable despite her fame. “To acquire the skill requires mastery of breathing techniques through meditation as well as strict observance of the correct vegetarian diet.”

The Floating Nun gives a blessing, pauses for photographs and the crowd moves on. Some get back into tour coaches, others wonder around the temple grounds. There are a number of other curiosities to be seen here. Rare birds in cages, a baby elephant which can be fed by those who wish to buy bananas from its owner, a cave shrine in the side of the hill at the top of a long flight of steps, and a variety of clothes shops and food stalls.

It is a curious feature of many Thai temples that rather than being stereotypical centres of peace and meditation they appear just the opposite. There is often some construction work taking place on the grounds and endless fund raising activities by which lay people may “tum boon” or gain merit. There are a variety of unique temples in Kanchanaburi Province. One boasts a number of pet tigers and leopards, another has the non-decomposing body of a monk who passed away a number of years ago. Others have healing waters, monkeys and beautiful carvings, but Wat Tham Mongontong's floating nun stands alone.

For many who visit Kanchanaburi it is not the history or the temples, but spectacular natural beauty, which draws them. The town itself is the capital of Thailand's third largest province. Walking trails, waterfalls, caves, lakes and rivers abound. The province has numerous national parks, the most well known being Erawan just an hour's drive from the capital. This huge park makes a popular day-trip for Bangkokians, due to its unspoiled jungle and extensive waterfalls. Monkeys swing down from the trees to fearlessly snatch what they can of people's lunches, while deeper in the jungle elephants, deer and other animals still roam wild. Further afield is the equally scenic but much more peaceful Sai Yok National Park. This huge park boasts the world's smallest mammal, "Kitti"s Hog-nosed bat'. Weighing just two grams it is about the size of a large butterfly and was first discovered in 1973. Some come here for raft tours along this beautiful stretch of the Kwai Yai River. At dusk the birds join in chorus before the total silence of the night closes in. Laying out to sleep on the deck nothing can be heard but the occasional splash of a fish and the distant murmur of the water from a distant waterfall.

In the far north of the province lies the huge Thung Yai Narai Suan National Park. This mountainous and forested region is currently listed as a World Heritage Site. It is home to many wild animals and it is believed tigers and bears still live here. The Park is also home to a number of small communities of Karen people who have lived here with their own unique culture and affinity with the environment for longer than records have been kept.

The historic significance of Kanchanaburi during WWII is fairly well documented. The atrocities committed on the allied POW's were great. Less widely known are the far worse atrocities that continue to be perpetrated today on Karen and other communities living in nearby boarder regions inside Burma. Horrific violence often causes refugees to flee in huge numbers across the boarder into Thailand. Perhaps one day, when the misery is over we will look back on the sufferings of these people and another memorial shall be built.

Kanchanaburi is a very special place. Its people are warm. Tourism is booming. Temples are thriving. But something is wrong in the land of peace and love.