Thai residents party after sunset in the water on a flooded street along the swollen Yom river August 24, 2011 Phinchit, Thailand. The death toll has climbed to over 37 as 13 provinces remain flooded with 1.5 million affected. In Phinchit 110,000 people's homes have been flooded by nearby overflowing rivers. (Photo by Paula Bronstein /Getty Images)

Devotees in a state of trance mimic creatures tattooed on their bodies during the annual Magic Tattoo Festival at Wat Bang Phra in Nakhon Pathom province, on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand March 19, 2016. Believers from across Thailand travel to the monastery to have their bodies adorned with tattoos and to pay their respects to the temple's master tattooist. They believe the tattoos have mystical powers, ward off bad luck and protect them from harm. (Photo by Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters)

With the Wat Samphran Temple, what you see is what you get: while a smattering of awed visitors across the web have expressed admiration for this impressive work of architecture, details such as when it was built, who designed it, or why this 17-story tower is in the clutches of a massive, beautiful dragon are nowhere to be found.

Wat Rong Khun (Thai: วัดร่องขุ่น), more well-known among foreigners as the White Temple, is a contemporary unconventional Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It was designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat in 1997.

A tourist reacts as an elephant sprays her with water in celebration of the Songkran water festival in Thailand's Ayutthaya province, April 9, 2014. Songkran, the most celebrated festival of the year, marks the start of Thailand's traditional New Year. (Photo by Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters)

Transgender drag queen Aunchalee Pokinwuttipob, better known by the stage name, Angele Anang, 26, stands outside The Stranger bar to promote her show, in Silom district, Bangkok, Thailand, September 18, 2020. (Photo by Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters)

A lizard wears clothing and a headset at Pet Expo Thailand on May 07, 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand. Dogs take part in a skateboarding competition at Pet Expo Thailand, a four day exhibition held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Dogs were judged on form and agility and separated into novice and experienced categories. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)

A woman poses for a picture during Lunar New Year's Eve on Yaowarat Road in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, February 9, 2024. (Photo by Jorge Silva/Reuters)