What Is it About Temples in Khon Kaen

Occupying pride of place on the northeastern fringes of Isan Province, Khon Kaen is perhaps one of Thailand's best kept secrets. A world away from the hustle and bustle of the country's popular travel hotspots, this charming historical village is known among locals for its rich Buddhist heritage and iconic temples. Here are some of the most fascinating places of worship that travellers can explore during a getaway to captivating but highly underrated Khon Kaen.

Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon

Whether travellers are based at Avani Khon Kaen Hotel and Convention Centre or any other hotel in Khon Kaen, Thailand, there's no escaping the majesty of Khon Kaen’s most photographed landmark: Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon. While this temple may be one of the more recently constructed ones in the city, it is no less impressive due to its massive scale and size. Constructed on the occasion of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Golden Jubilee as well as the 200th anniversary of Khon Kaen’s founding, the temple stands as a testament to the spiritual and national identity of the residents of this Isan Province heartland. Towering above the town at a height of 80 metres, the nine-storey temple not only features elaborate and colourful murals diving into the history of Khon Kaen but also countless Buddha sculptures and statues of prominent monks. The venue houses a museum that showcases the temple's prime artefacts alongside local arts and crafts including pottery work and baskets. The topmost floor of the temple is where its most sacred relics are enshrined, however, and where the best views of the city are also available.

Wat Chai Si

Home to some of Isan province's best-preserved temple murals, Wat Chai Si is one of the region's oldest spiritual hotspots, built as early as the 1800s. The ordination hall is where Wat Chai Si's famed murals are found. Depicting the tale of Sang Sinxay, an epic poem hailing from Laos, the murals express classic Buddhist edicts and values using tales full of myth and magic. Covering both the inner and outer surfaces of the ordinance hall, the murals are attributed to the local folk painter, Thong Tipcha, who was commissioned to decorate the walls of Wat Chai Si in 1922. Although the murals lost some of their previous charm due to the passage of time, the paintings were restored in the 1980s and then once again in the early 2000s. 

Wat Thung Setthi

Occupying the outskirts of Khon Kaen, Wat Thung Setthi is perhaps best known as the home base of the iconic Maha Rattana Chedi Si Trai Lokatha stupa. Shades in blue and gold, the mostly white structure is an architectural anomaly in Thailand as it demonstrates Tibetan and European building styles as well as those unique to Isan Province. The land on which the temple has been built is considered by many to be a crossroads between heaven, earth and hell. Surrounded by paddy fields, the temple sits at the centre of a lake strewn with lotus plants and flowers.

Wat Pa Saeng Arun

Built nearly 60 years ago, Wat Pa Saeng Arun is another religious point of interest that is best known for its breathtaking ordination hall. Held up by over 50 elaborately carved columns, the temple's 5-tier roof features exquisite finials that resemble bird plumage. The Mudmee or conventional Thai weaving patterns adorning the temple's exterior walls are other impressive elements of this temple where countless dioramas explaining the meaning of life and Isan culture are also found.

Phra That Kham Kaen

With an impressive height of 15 metres, Phra That Kham Kaen is a Lao-style temple and stupa situated outside of Khon Kaen. It was built during the 16th century. The temple is also known to contain sacred Buddhist relics.