Travel Tips

(please see the foreword under Off The Beaten Path - Lopburi, regarding this temple)
Wat Prabaht Nam Phoo is found at the end of a dirt road. You only take this road if you are going to the temple as it does not go anywhere else. It literally is the end of the road for many. In 1992, this temple was turned into a hospice for AIDS sufferers. This was at a time when Thailand was finally coming to terms with the HIV crisis, after many years of politicians covering up the scare for fear of harming the tourism industry. The Abbott of the temple, Dr. Alongkot Dikkapanyo, an engineer by training, is the person behind the temple-hospice idea. And he is its chief fundraiser.

The hospice grew from its early days of 8 beds to the present day where there are about 128 patients. Numbers fluctuate daily as patients die (an average of 2 per day, more in the hot season) and new people are admitted. Patients range from late stages of AIDS to appearing completely healthy.

The day I visited, Khun Somkit, our guide, was articulate and healthy, to the point where I wondered if he was employed here or if he was a patient. But Somkit is a patient. He was expecting to go back home to the south soon to clear up some of the work that he left behind at his government office. His condition has improved immensely since he arrived a few months earlier. At that time, he has to leave his job as he was too tired to concentrate. He arrived in Lopburi and needed help to physically move about the temple. Since arriving, the diet, medicine, the quiet surroundings, and the support have him back in good shape. For the time being. This means that he helps around the temple, helps with other patient’s needs.

Medicine at the temple is free. It is not the most up-to-date experimental medicine. Most is to treat symptoms. All medicine is synthetic, herbal medicines are not allowed. Rice is free. Other food must be paid for. Lopburi Hospital (a government hospital) will admit patients from the temple in extreme pain or discomfort free of charge.

Patients must agree to follow rules if they are to be admitted. No addictive drug use, no gambling, sexual relations, no TV; if they are healthy, they must be willing to help at the temple.

There are facilities for 48 patients who can no longer care for themselves. As a group, you will be taken right through this area. There are also many small individual houses for those who are still independent. The temple is building a new 200-room hospital facility on the site. Other facilities onsite include a large meeting hall (built with money donated by a Japanese car manufacturer) and a state of the art American-built crematorium.

The temple survives on donations. The Abbott is often away fundraising. The electricity bill alone is 200,000 baht per month. Medicines must be purchased. All fruit is either purchased by the patients or donated by visitors.

Ms. Betty is a Canadian working with AIDS patients at the temple and supported by the Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers). She is one of two foreign workers there at the time. There are also 18 Thai nurses. She tells a different story of the temple, one of improper patient care and graft. She suggested we give our fruit directly to the patients – hang it on their doorknobs, give it to them in person.

In addition, the temple has embarked on a new project. The Thammarak Niwet Project is a housing community being built on land purchased by the temple 70 km away in another district in Lopburi province. When finished, it will house 10,000 HIV and AIDS sufferers. Like the temple, the aim of the project is “to provide a resting place for AIDS sufferers where they can be treated with kindness and mercy, and to be a centre for education and information about AIDS.” The first of five phases of the project started in February 1998. The Princess Mother (deceased 1996) donated 300,000 baht to this venture in 1995 and the aim is to open the facility in December 1999 for King Bhumiphol’s 72nd birthday.

The project will be divided into two zones.

Zone 1 will be used for visitors and workers who are not HIV positive. It will comprise a meeting hall for up to 500 people, conference rooms, a restaurant, office and mini mart, park, housing for conference participants, and rest areas.

Zone 2 will be used for HIV and AIDS patients and will comprise of housing, hospital, temple, handicraft factory, farming area, herb gardens and exercise areas.