Welcome to Wat Thai Washington, D.C. First Relocation The temple was moved to 9033 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring which was purchased for$240,000 in 1980. This new location provided three times more land and floor space than the previous temple. The move was completed on December 7, 1980. As the membership grew, it became apparent that the Georgia Avenue location would not be adequate to meet the needs of its members. By 1982, concern was already being voiced that the temple was too small. The problems being faced were that the building and land could not accommodate the large crowds which attended the various ceremonies and activities, that it would have been too expensive to remodel or enlarge the existing structure, and that the temple was located in a residential area. Over the next four years, different committees discussed the advantages and disadvantages of moving again. They did feasibility studies to ensure that, if the temple moved, this would be to a final location that could meet future expansion. Second Relocation Beginning in 1983, the Search Committee under the leadership of Dr. Krita Apibunyopas carefully investigated approximately forty sites, and finally, in February 5, 1986 a home located on five acres at 13440 Layhill Road in Silver Spring was purchased for $265,000. The actual move was accomplished on July 20, 1986. An additional $167,000 was spent to add a large addition to the house for use as a prayer room which could accommodate up to 175 people and to improve and upgrade the existing house. On September 12, 1990, an occupancy permit was issued. The local government classified the temple as a place of worship under Article 81, Section 9[C] of the Tax Laws of Maryland. The temple committee and the monks decided to do everything possible to comply with the laws in the State of Maryland to become recognized as a true religious temple. After the official documents were submitted and responses made to the comments from the local government, Wat Thai received an official permit to function as a place of worship on June 2, 1992. With a strong commitment from the committee, the monks, and the Thai people in the Metropolitan area, all worked together diligently to complete many major projects. Another addition consisting of two restrooms and a foyer was built. Successfully changed the status from a place of worship to a legitimate temple recognized by the local government. Enlarged the parking area to bring the total number of parking spaces to 47 which was later increased to a total of 86 spaces. Built another addition consisting of a new dining room and a new larger kitchen for which a permit was issued upon completion on April 13, 1992. Once the Temple received the permit to function as a legitimate Thai temple, the committee, the monks, and the Thai people in this area decided to build a multi-purpose building adjacent to the existing building. The architectural drawings, the environment study paper, and the application for construction permit were submitted to the local government on March 5, 1993. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 6, 1993. On March 5, 1994, the construction permit was issued. The construction committee circulated the building plans and requests for bids. Finally, Warder & Associates, Inc., was selected as the primary construction company. On June 13, 1994, the construction began on this two-story building which was estimated to cost $1.2M. The building is 40 x 100 feet in dimension. The upstairs houses a worship hall that is used for meditation and for religious ceremonies. The lower level as a large open multi-purpose room thatis used for social functions, meetings, and can also be partitioned into a number of classrooms.The building meets all ADA requirements. The entire building project from start to finish was done under the leadership of Dr. SahaschaiMusikabhumma, Chairman of the Association, and Mr. Preedee Sudrak, President of theAssociation. The building was completed and the Grand Opening Ceremony was held on June 17 & 18, 1995.This ceremony, including the Blessing of the Cornerstones and Sema Limit [marking the boundary], was officiated by the Counsel of Thai Monks in the United States [Samacha] and byHer Serene Highness Princess Vudhichalerm Vudhijaya. The entire ceremony was presided overby the Patriarch of the Buddhist Monks Supreme Council of Thailand. Minister AkkrasitAmartyakul of the Royal Thai Embassy served as Chairman of the Ceremony. Preceding the ceremony, the annual General Assembly of the Samacha was held on June 15 & 16,1995, and was the first event held in the new building. This was the 19th annual meeting held inthe United States.     Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4