My first sight of Wat Pa Huay Lad in Phu Rua, Loei Province, was impressive. The near empty car park didn’t do justice to the view. The steep three-tiered pointed roof and hushed grandeur beneath it looked out-of-place in such a wide open space. Its magnificence muffled by the abandoned theatre below it. Surely such a beautiful thing should hold court to a plethora of admirers. An angelic presence domineering an awesome backdrop.