Today, Thailand supports a clerical community of some 280,000 monks who reside at an estimated 30,000 temple monasteries throughout the country. The temples or wats, are sited mostly in the city suburbs, the countryside or on the village outskirts. Being cut off the outside world by the wall, their compounds are generally composed of tree-shaded ground and buildings with sweeping roof lines and spires decorated with gold. A wide space, together with serene ambiance in the temples provides a place for various kinds of activities. They serve as hubs for spiritual pursuit as well as social life. In the past people came to the temples to spend the night, meet some village folks to chat or to play, seek medical treatment, find suitable name foe a newly-born baby, get auspicious time to perform social events, and of course, gain several forms of knowledge. However, after the law of compulsory education was enacted and enforced in 1921, schools were established and the temples had not served as educational places any more.