Princess Opens Wat Thai Norway

July 8, 2007 |

Pictures by Harald Henschien

Her Royal Highness Princess Somsawalee of Thailand yesterday on the 7th of July opened Wat Thai Norway, a Buddhist temple built at Hoenefoss outside the Norwegian capitol of Norway. More than 2000 of Norway’s 9000 Thais where present during the opening and celebrations.

The Wat is the first Buddhist temple to open in Norway, and Generated a festive mood in the sizable Thai community in Norway, who previously have had to resort to meeting in private homes for their ceremonies. The building of the Wat will change all of that.

“- I think all Thais that live in Norway today are very proud”, says Noojan Huseby to Norwegian local newspaper “Ringeriksporten“.

She and her friends where responsible for the catering during the arrangements, and had been up since 5 in the morning to prepare. Other Thais where also happy with the arrangement. “Almost like in Thailand” was one comment to the journalists, after enjoying the free Thai food served in tents on the area.

The Princess arrival at the Wat was greeted by children carrying Thai and Norwegian flags.

The Wat will also house a Thai cultural centre and will offer language and cooking classes, meditation and a library. The pride of the library is a collection of scripture from Tipitaka, donated to the University of Oslo by King Rama V. Only 39 where printed and sent around the world by the King, who himself passed trough the area where the Wat lies on his state visit to Norway in 1907.