Day 4, Monday 21st November -
Khon Kaen
Concentration.......Our night spent at Le Lerts Living has been a comfortable one but I am anxious to recover from the slow start of this tour. There is not much left in the larder so we may as well aim for an early start which often eludes us. Today we must concentrate our efforts in and around the town of Khon Kaen. The first attraction on our list is not far from the stadium we visited last night and is close to Bueng Kaen Nakhon Reservoir.
Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon (Wat Nong Wang).......The first governor of Khon Kaen, Phraya Borirak Borom Raja Bhakdi built Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon in 1789 around the time the city was founded. Formally named Wat Nua, the temple on about 11 acres of land has been officially recognized as an outstanding temple several times and was promoted to the status all royal temple in 1984. The highlight is the pagoda of Phra Maha That Kaen Nakhon which contains Buddha relics received from His Holiness the supreme patriarch of Wat Rachabopit in Bangkok in 1979. The pagoda is a combination of Dvaravati and Indochinese styles, while the form of the main structure remains truly representative. Murals inside the temple depict the history of Khon Kaen.
Steel and Concrete.......Our next destination is unsurprisingly Khon Kaen railway station where I'm in for another big surprise and not necessarily a pleasant one. Where the old station used to be there is now a monstrous concrete elevated station reinforcing the fact of great effort being put in to link high speed rail travel between China and the Malay peninsula. The station was rebuilt as the first elevated station of the Northeastern Region in 2019, with the Thanon Chira Junction to Khon Kaen double-track railway project.
I must admit I'm quite confused because there is no evidence of the old railway which must surely continue to be used for freight. Everything seems to pass through at the elevated level. The bad news for me is that I cannot get access to the platforms from the concourse. It seems that access is only being granted prior to the arrival of a train service. So long used to just turning up at the station and wandering along the platform, I ask myself is this the sign of how it will be in the future. In order to reach the platform would I actually have to take a train to do so? It's a puzzle which will not resolve itself anytime soon. Just a short distance away is the next attraction.
Khon Kaen City Pillar Shrine.......Khon Kaen City Pillar Shrine is a modern beautifully designed building housing the revered city pillar. It is actually in front of Sala Suk Chai, in a small park, on Sri Chant Road. In many cities of Thailand, the city pillar represents the centre of the city and a religious monument. It is called in Thai 'San Lak Mueang'.
Shiva Mahatap Tewalai.......Here we have to take some decisions as to how this tour should progress as there is a major time constraint. However, it's still quite early so let's try to be as ambitious as we can and head out of the city to the northeast. Rather than use the bypass GPS finds I road which winds through villages and farmland until we reach an attraction seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
Shiva Mahatap Tewalai is a Hindu temple located at Ban Don Yang, Sila Sub-district, Mueang Khon Kaen District. It is near Route 230, the Friendship Highway Bypass Road (Kalasin-Udon).
According to Everybodywiki, the temple began construction on November 27, 2011. The effort was instituted by Baba Goha Swami Shivananda (Cohababa Siwasaya). Construction is still ongoing. Although Thailand is a Buddhist country, there is a syncretic relationship and mutual understanding with and about Buddhism and Hinduism and many Thai people believe in Hindu gods such as Ganesha, one of the best known and most worshiped deities in the Hindu religion and Shiva (whom the Thais call Phra Isuan), one of the principal deities of Hinduism. The purpose of this temple is to give people access to Hindu gods and receive blessings from Shiva and Ganesh and others and it was established for visitors to pay their respects while studying the dharma, the right way of living.
To my way of thinking in this park there is image presentation to support religious conviction taken to the extreme.
This attraction has also left my companion rather unimpressed but the next location is definitely on her wish list as we make our way around the bypass to the east of the city stopping for lunch at a restaurant with lovely views over the paddies which I better understand.
Wat Thung Setth.......Wat Thung Setthi is located at Phra Lap in Mueang district in an area covering 73.5 rai (29 acres). It was first built in 1999 by Luangfa Ov. Luangfa Ov has been a strenuous supporter of many noble orders mostly the Theravada doctrine of Luangpho Mun Purifatto in proclaiming Buddhism too lay persons in northeastern Thailand. After so many years traveling the region he realised that it was time to assist and guide worshippers in his hometown of Khon Kaen. He then initiated the plan to build this important temple. Construction began in 2000 with the Hor Chan or dining hall. In 2005 the construction of Maha Rattana Chedi and other buildings began. 5th May 2012 was an auspicious day with completion and inauguration of the Maha Rattana Chedi.
The current buildings in the temple include 1) Maha Rattana Chedi Sri Trai Loka Dhatu, 2) Mondrop Pathom, 3) Phra Bhudda Nilavarno Silotrapyudom or Luangpho Dumm, 4) Nakara or Hell Outdoor Museum, 5) Sculpture of Naga, 6) Vantah Chulamani Stand and Nagachedi Srinagin Pier, 7) Other buildings.
Wat Chaisi.......Again, we need to keep a check on the time as the next location on my wish list involves using the bypass to reach the western side of Khon Kaen and then highway 12 heading west arriving at another temple.
Wat Chaisi was established in 1865 located in Sawathi sub-district, Mueang district. The temple was granted consecrated boundaries on the 12th of February 1906. Ubosot Chaisi is an ordination hall that was created in E-san style in the 20th century. It has two outstanding characteristics. Firstly, the architecture presents the influence of a Vietnamese artisan under command of the first Abbot Luang Pho Oon Sa. Secondly it is surrounded by mural paintings (Hup-tam) using cold tone tempera colour by covering the background in white before sketching detail in indigo, yellow, green, black and brown.
Unanounced.......At this point things are starting to get interesting as there are three more attractions on the list and we are still over three hours away from our booked accommodation tonight. Nevertheless, we both accept that packing in as much as we can before leaving Khon Kaen is the right way to go. We now need to make progress back towards our final destination and to our next attraction which I've not announced to my companion hoping it will be a surprise. However, yet again reaching it now along minor roads is time consuming.
Cactus Garden Thailand.......Cactus Garden Thailand at Ban Kho is an exquisite farm given over entirely to growing cacti and here there is in volume and variety more cacti than I've ever seen. For those who love cacti this is an amazing place to come and buy for a fraction of the price you would expect to pay elsewhere. It's pleasing for me that Katoon has taken a great interest, selecting samples to take back home. The next attraction is another temple about 20 minutes away.
Phra That Kham Kaen.......Phra That Kham Kaen located at Ban Kham village, Nam Phong District, about 30 kilometers northeast of Khon Kaen is a Thai Buddhist chedi. Phra That Kham Kaen is located at Wat Chetiyaphum. Kham Kaen means heartwood of the tamarind tree.
The viharn at Wat Chetiyabhumi is built in traditional Thai northeastern architectural style and located to the east of the pagoda. The year of construction has not been discovered but it was built of brick. The gable roof is covered with diamond shaped roof tiles and the elaborate pinnacle consists of a roof finial or 'Chao fa' style carved bargeboard. The next and last location is not that far away in the same district.
Wat Ku Prapachai.......Wat Ku Prapachai was built as a Mayayana Buddhist place of worship called a arokayasala (medical station). It is assumed that it was built in the reign of King Jayavarman VII (1181 -1219 A.D.) in Bayon style during the 13th century. This sanctuary is just one of the 102 arokayasalas built in the kingdom.
All the main structures were built in laterite with sandstone used for door and window frames and for the lintels. The sanctuary consists of the central tower, a library (bannalai) situated in the southeastern corner and a boundary wall. Outside the wall there is the pond (baray).
Ku Prapachai was excavated and restored by the Fine Arts Department between 1998 and 2000. Many artifacts were found from the Bayon Period including a sandstone statue of the Buddha under Naga, partial remains of other statues, a piece of inscription and a Lan Chang style silver plated Buddha statue now in the Ku Prapachai Museum. The Fine Arts department registered Ku Prapachai as a national monument in the Royal Gazette dated 8th of March 1935.
Phu Pan Transit.......It seems we have extracted blood out of a stone because now at around 5:00pm we can do nothing more than finally head on into a new province over 200 kilometers away. We need to rejoin Hwy 12 and head east through the northern part of Maha Sarakham province, through Kalasin then take Hwy 213 over the mountains of Phu Pan National Park. Of course, by now it's well after dark so there can be no opportunity to take in any glorious views of this impressive park but then tomorrow's another day. We arrive in Sakhon Nakhon around 8:20pm and immediately check in at Hop Inn where all that remains is to grab some warmed-up food and a beer and settle in to watch what remains of the World Cup fixture between England and Iran and reflect upon an amazing day in the field which hauled in nine sites.
Next Page.
Khon Kaen
Concentration.......Our night spent at Le Lerts Living has been a comfortable one but I am anxious to recover from the slow start of this tour. There is not much left in the larder so we may as well aim for an early start which often eludes us. Today we must concentrate our efforts in and around the town of Khon Kaen. The first attraction on our list is not far from the stadium we visited last night and is close to Bueng Kaen Nakhon Reservoir.
Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon (Wat Nong Wang).......The first governor of Khon Kaen, Phraya Borirak Borom Raja Bhakdi built Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon in 1789 around the time the city was founded. Formally named Wat Nua, the temple on about 11 acres of land has been officially recognized as an outstanding temple several times and was promoted to the status all royal temple in 1984. The highlight is the pagoda of Phra Maha That Kaen Nakhon which contains Buddha relics received from His Holiness the supreme patriarch of Wat Rachabopit in Bangkok in 1979. The pagoda is a combination of Dvaravati and Indochinese styles, while the form of the main structure remains truly representative. Murals inside the temple depict the history of Khon Kaen.
Steel and Concrete.......Our next destination is unsurprisingly Khon Kaen railway station where I'm in for another big surprise and not necessarily a pleasant one. Where the old station used to be there is now a monstrous concrete elevated station reinforcing the fact of great effort being put in to link high speed rail travel between China and the Malay peninsula. The station was rebuilt as the first elevated station of the Northeastern Region in 2019, with the Thanon Chira Junction to Khon Kaen double-track railway project.
I must admit I'm quite confused because there is no evidence of the old railway which must surely continue to be used for freight. Everything seems to pass through at the elevated level. The bad news for me is that I cannot get access to the platforms from the concourse. It seems that access is only being granted prior to the arrival of a train service. So long used to just turning up at the station and wandering along the platform, I ask myself is this the sign of how it will be in the future. In order to reach the platform would I actually have to take a train to do so? It's a puzzle which will not resolve itself anytime soon. Just a short distance away is the next attraction.
Khon Kaen City Pillar Shrine.......Khon Kaen City Pillar Shrine is a modern beautifully designed building housing the revered city pillar. It is actually in front of Sala Suk Chai, in a small park, on Sri Chant Road. In many cities of Thailand, the city pillar represents the centre of the city and a religious monument. It is called in Thai 'San Lak Mueang'.
Shiva Mahatap Tewalai.......Here we have to take some decisions as to how this tour should progress as there is a major time constraint. However, it's still quite early so let's try to be as ambitious as we can and head out of the city to the northeast. Rather than use the bypass GPS finds I road which winds through villages and farmland until we reach an attraction seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
Shiva Mahatap Tewalai is a Hindu temple located at Ban Don Yang, Sila Sub-district, Mueang Khon Kaen District. It is near Route 230, the Friendship Highway Bypass Road (Kalasin-Udon).
According to Everybodywiki, the temple began construction on November 27, 2011. The effort was instituted by Baba Goha Swami Shivananda (Cohababa Siwasaya). Construction is still ongoing. Although Thailand is a Buddhist country, there is a syncretic relationship and mutual understanding with and about Buddhism and Hinduism and many Thai people believe in Hindu gods such as Ganesha, one of the best known and most worshiped deities in the Hindu religion and Shiva (whom the Thais call Phra Isuan), one of the principal deities of Hinduism. The purpose of this temple is to give people access to Hindu gods and receive blessings from Shiva and Ganesh and others and it was established for visitors to pay their respects while studying the dharma, the right way of living.
To my way of thinking in this park there is image presentation to support religious conviction taken to the extreme.
This attraction has also left my companion rather unimpressed but the next location is definitely on her wish list as we make our way around the bypass to the east of the city stopping for lunch at a restaurant with lovely views over the paddies which I better understand.
Wat Thung Setth.......Wat Thung Setthi is located at Phra Lap in Mueang district in an area covering 73.5 rai (29 acres). It was first built in 1999 by Luangfa Ov. Luangfa Ov has been a strenuous supporter of many noble orders mostly the Theravada doctrine of Luangpho Mun Purifatto in proclaiming Buddhism too lay persons in northeastern Thailand. After so many years traveling the region he realised that it was time to assist and guide worshippers in his hometown of Khon Kaen. He then initiated the plan to build this important temple. Construction began in 2000 with the Hor Chan or dining hall. In 2005 the construction of Maha Rattana Chedi and other buildings began. 5th May 2012 was an auspicious day with completion and inauguration of the Maha Rattana Chedi.
The current buildings in the temple include 1) Maha Rattana Chedi Sri Trai Loka Dhatu, 2) Mondrop Pathom, 3) Phra Bhudda Nilavarno Silotrapyudom or Luangpho Dumm, 4) Nakara or Hell Outdoor Museum, 5) Sculpture of Naga, 6) Vantah Chulamani Stand and Nagachedi Srinagin Pier, 7) Other buildings.
Wat Chaisi.......Again, we need to keep a check on the time as the next location on my wish list involves using the bypass to reach the western side of Khon Kaen and then highway 12 heading west arriving at another temple.
Wat Chaisi was established in 1865 located in Sawathi sub-district, Mueang district. The temple was granted consecrated boundaries on the 12th of February 1906. Ubosot Chaisi is an ordination hall that was created in E-san style in the 20th century. It has two outstanding characteristics. Firstly, the architecture presents the influence of a Vietnamese artisan under command of the first Abbot Luang Pho Oon Sa. Secondly it is surrounded by mural paintings (Hup-tam) using cold tone tempera colour by covering the background in white before sketching detail in indigo, yellow, green, black and brown.
Unanounced.......At this point things are starting to get interesting as there are three more attractions on the list and we are still over three hours away from our booked accommodation tonight. Nevertheless, we both accept that packing in as much as we can before leaving Khon Kaen is the right way to go. We now need to make progress back towards our final destination and to our next attraction which I've not announced to my companion hoping it will be a surprise. However, yet again reaching it now along minor roads is time consuming.
Cactus Garden Thailand.......Cactus Garden Thailand at Ban Kho is an exquisite farm given over entirely to growing cacti and here there is in volume and variety more cacti than I've ever seen. For those who love cacti this is an amazing place to come and buy for a fraction of the price you would expect to pay elsewhere. It's pleasing for me that Katoon has taken a great interest, selecting samples to take back home. The next attraction is another temple about 20 minutes away.
Phra That Kham Kaen.......Phra That Kham Kaen located at Ban Kham village, Nam Phong District, about 30 kilometers northeast of Khon Kaen is a Thai Buddhist chedi. Phra That Kham Kaen is located at Wat Chetiyaphum. Kham Kaen means heartwood of the tamarind tree.
The viharn at Wat Chetiyabhumi is built in traditional Thai northeastern architectural style and located to the east of the pagoda. The year of construction has not been discovered but it was built of brick. The gable roof is covered with diamond shaped roof tiles and the elaborate pinnacle consists of a roof finial or 'Chao fa' style carved bargeboard. The next and last location is not that far away in the same district.
Wat Ku Prapachai.......Wat Ku Prapachai was built as a Mayayana Buddhist place of worship called a arokayasala (medical station). It is assumed that it was built in the reign of King Jayavarman VII (1181 -1219 A.D.) in Bayon style during the 13th century. This sanctuary is just one of the 102 arokayasalas built in the kingdom.
All the main structures were built in laterite with sandstone used for door and window frames and for the lintels. The sanctuary consists of the central tower, a library (bannalai) situated in the southeastern corner and a boundary wall. Outside the wall there is the pond (baray).
Ku Prapachai was excavated and restored by the Fine Arts Department between 1998 and 2000. Many artifacts were found from the Bayon Period including a sandstone statue of the Buddha under Naga, partial remains of other statues, a piece of inscription and a Lan Chang style silver plated Buddha statue now in the Ku Prapachai Museum. The Fine Arts department registered Ku Prapachai as a national monument in the Royal Gazette dated 8th of March 1935.
Phu Pan Transit.......It seems we have extracted blood out of a stone because now at around 5:00pm we can do nothing more than finally head on into a new province over 200 kilometers away. We need to rejoin Hwy 12 and head east through the northern part of Maha Sarakham province, through Kalasin then take Hwy 213 over the mountains of Phu Pan National Park. Of course, by now it's well after dark so there can be no opportunity to take in any glorious views of this impressive park but then tomorrow's another day. We arrive in Sakhon Nakhon around 8:20pm and immediately check in at Hop Inn where all that remains is to grab some warmed-up food and a beer and settle in to watch what remains of the World Cup fixture between England and Iran and reflect upon an amazing day in the field which hauled in nine sites.
Next Page.
Mueang Khon Kaen
Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon (Wat Nong
Weng), Mueang Khon Kaen
Khon Kaen Railway Station,
Mueang Khon Kaen
San Lak Mueang (City Pillar Shrine),
Mueang Khon Kaen
Shiva Mahathap Tewalai,
Mueang Khon Kaen District
Baan Rimna Cafe,
Mueang Khon Kaen District
Wat Thung Setthi,
Mueang Khon Kaen District
Wat Chaisi, Mueang Khon Kaen District
Cactus Garden Thailand,
Mueang Khon Kaen District
Phra That Kham Kaen, Nam Phong District
Wat Ku Prapachai, Nam Phong District