A wat is the residential compound where Buddhist monks live. Wat originated from a Pali-Sanskrit word avasa which means a place to live. Basically, a wat is a compound made of six parts.

• A library of buddhist scriptures called Sim. The Sim is also the place where new monks are ordained.
• Monastic towers called goo - ti.
• A drum tower called hor gong.
• A central square where monks and laymen can listen to dharma called sala hong tam.
• Stupas called tat.

Wats are always enclosed by huge fences with elaborate and ornate gates. Each post along the fences are designed such that ashes of the deceased can be housed.

Not only do wats serve as the pulse of Buddhist ceremonies, they also serve as educational and cultural centers for Lao communities. Wats are entirely supported by their local communities. Without local support, wats can not sustain themselves. In Laos, where Theraveda Buddhism is a good majority of the population, the possibility of a wat being abandoned by lack of support is almost nil. However, in the U.S. Lao Buddhists are so scattered that struggles over building and maintaing a wat are all far too common.