Wat Pra kaew was built to house the Emerald Buddha which was returned to Thailand after Thailand’s capture of Vientiane in 1778. The Emerald Buddha is the most important representation of the Buddha in Thai Buddhism. To pray before the Emerald Buddha is to make merit in a vary special way, and although this is an important place on any visitor's itinerary, it is important to recognize that this is a place of worship and should be respected as such.