The Buddha Images and Pagodas in Thailand

The book first presents the historical background of Buddhism in Thailand, explaining how Buddhist traditions entered and developed through different historical periods and regional influences. It then discusses the origin and devotional purpose of Buddha images, including their role in meditation, worship, recollection of the Buddha’s virtues, and the development of Buddhist artistic symbolism. The main body of the book classifies Buddha images by major Thai art-historical styles. These include Ancient, Dvāravatī, Śrīvijaya, Lopburi, Chiengsaen, Sukhothai, U-thong, Ayutthaya, and Bangkok or Ratanakosin styles. The later sections address Buddha images connected with the seven days of the week and pagodas as important architectural and devotional forms in Thai Buddhism.