It’s common knowledge by know that on his whirlwind tour of Bangkok, Barack Obama stopped by Wat Pho along with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The two visited the grounds (after respectfully removing their shoes) and stuck around to chat with assistant abbot Phra Suthee Thammanuwat.
According to Phra Suthee Thammanuwat, he and Secretary Clinton discussed the temple’s daily visitors, which number seven to eight thousand, and the revenue garnered by the aforesaid.
“Clinton [said] that the temple was making a lot of money and should be able to support Obama’s work in helping poor children,” reported the abbot in an interview with the Nation.
“I replied that the US president and his entourage should instead support the temple because the visit prompted half of the temple to be closed and caused the temple to lose money.”
Obama’s team has yet to respond to that request, though the delegation did present a “large gift box” to the temple, which remains unwrapped. In addition to the mysterious box, Obama also offered the temple three glasses, as a formal gift from the White House.
Despite Suthee’s implication that Obama’s trip hampered the temple’s returns, scores of Thai and foreign tourists flocked to Wat Pho during the weekend, trying to catch a glimpse of the US president’s visit.
