Wat Khao Takhrao วัดเขาตะเครา
This monastery is located at Tambon Bang Khrok, Amphoe Ban Laem and is accessible by two routes, i.e.,
through a 15 kilometer left hand branching road not far from Phetchaburi township (coming from Bangkok) '
where one can recognize a clear sign board, and another route is going from Phetchaburi township to Ban
Laem Where one has to continue the journey for another six kilometer distance.
This monastery houses a sitting Buddha images in the subding evil attitude having a height of 29 inches
and a lap width of 21 inches it is called Luang Phao Khao Takhrao. There are a huge number of villagers
and visitors who make a trip to pay homage and affix to the image, as an offering, gold leaf thus currently
causing non clear vision of the original image's characteristics. There is a legend saying that this luang
pho is one of the three brother Buddha images and the other two are : Luang Pho Sothon of Changwat
Chachoengsao and Luang Pho Wat Ban Laem of Changwat Samut Songkhram. Some other legends say
this image is one of the five-brother images, i.e., to include Luang Pho Bang Phli Yai and Luang Pho Wat
Rai Khing of Changwat Nakhon Pathom to the above three images. However, the source of origin of this
Buddha image is that during the fall of the Ayutthaya era, the villagers of Ban Laem migrated from
Phetchaburi to the mouth of the Mae Klong River (the present Samut Songkhram folks descend from
those people) just to be away from the Burmese troop marching route. One day a fisherman found two
Buddha images through his usual trawling, in the bay area. One image is a standing buddha in the
attitude of carrying an alms bowl, and another is a sitting Buddha in the attitude of subduing evil.
Ban Laem folks enchrined the standing Buddha at Wat Ban Laem which is now Wat Phetch Samut
Wiham in the heart of Samut Songkhram township while the rest was give to relative at Bang Tabun
to be enshrined at Wat Khao Takhrao of Amphoe an Laem, Changwat Phetchaburi.