Thailand
The main building, an 18th Century Buddhist shrine with a gilded, tiered and spired roof rising nearly 80 feet, is an exact replica of the Mondop of Saraburi - a shrine north of Bangkok where a sacred footprint of Buddha is preserved. The ornate roof was built in Thailand, shipped to the U.S. piece by piece and assembled on the fairgrounds. In this building and an adjoining wing, exhinits reflect the arts, crafts and traditions of ancient Siam and modern-day Thailand. In another wing are a gift shop and restaurant offering national products and dishes.
The Thailand pavilion was one of the most beautiful buildings at the Fair. While there wasn't any major show or exhibition, long lines were usually seen waiting to get inside. (CD #48 Set 215 #11)
Relics of the Past. Inside the shrine, traditional Thailand is represented by exquisite statuary, displays of classic costumes and models of such things as a wooden Thai house, a cart drawn by water buffalo, and ancient warriors wearing armor and bearing weapons of the past. (CD #TBD Set 469 #8)
Today's Thailand. The exhibit wing shows aspects of the modern nation. Here are displays of Thai jewelry, silks, spoons with buffalo-horn handles, and samples of minerals, forest products and rice. Travel information is available at a tourist booth.(CD #35 Set 179 #18)
Restaurant. In indoor and outdoor dining areas, an elaborate eight-course Thai buffet offers a wide assortment of hors d'oeuvres, rice and such entrees as meekrob (sweet and sour crisp noodles with shrimp and chicken) and musaman (curried meat served with fresh pickles). The gift shop nearby sells a wide range of items, including handmade jewelry, dolls and custom-made silk apparel for adults and children. Also on sale is a cookbook with recipes for dishes served in the restaurant. (CD #35 Set 179 #18)
Visitors to Expo 67 in Montreal may experienced a bit of déjà vu, for when the New York World's Fair closed, the Thailand pavilion was carefully disassembled and shipped to Canada. Slightly expanded, it was just as beautiful there as it was in New York. (Expo 67 CD #1 Set 2 #32)