Temples of Nong Khai: My Buddhist Home

One of the reasons I chose to move to Thailand is that I am Buddhist.  Thailand is the country with the largest Buddhist population in the world, percentage-wise and sheer amount-wise (93% of people in Thailand identify as Buddhist - a whopping 64 million people!!).  There are Buddhist temples everywhere here.

I have visited ten temples in Nong Khai (my home province) so far, all within biking distance of my apartment.  This post contains photos and descriptions of these amazing, spiritual places.  I hope that you enjoy visiting these temples with me!

Wat Si Sumang

Situated on the side of the Mekong River, the border between Thailand and Laos, Wat Si Sumang is my favorite temple I have found in Nong Khai thus far.



This temple is about 3 km away from my apartment, a 10-15 minute bike ride along the river.

I go here often, so I have photos of this wonderful place at all times of day.  The above photo was taken around sunset.

This is the inside of the main temple.  I have been lucky enough to find this door unlocked, though most often lately it has been padlocked so that visitors may not enter.

There are stairs that lead all the way up to the base of the golden buddha statue that sits atop the temple.

The views from this level are pretty incredible... wave hello to Laos on the other side of the river!

This viewpoint allows for a unique look at the Naga statues, the sea serpent friends that slither in front of Wat Si Sumang.

This level is one of the reasons that this temple has my heart.

The view of the Mekong from this vantage point on a different day, soon after it had rained.

This was taken on a morning run, just about the time of sunrise.

Isn't the contrast between the sunset and sunrise lighting of this temple fascinating?

This is the view off of the top level on another day recently.  I love how the clouds reflect on the river in this shot.

I'm sorry for the surplus of photos of this temple... I promise the other ones have less!  I just can't get enough of this divine place.

I can't believe this is my home.

Profound joy.

Wat Chaiyaphon

This temple is the closest one to my abode.  It takes approximately 3 minutes to bike there.

This wonderful gold buddha sits outside the temple.

This one is not open to visitors entering.  I have heard monks chanting inside around sunrise and sunset.

The Naga slithers down the stairway of the bell tower.

A sunset meditation by the golden buddha, listening to the monks chanting inside the temple.

Wat Hai Sok

This temple is the next-closest to where I live, after Wat Chaiyaphon.  I love this one because I can go inside and light incense/meditate.

So far, I have not encountered any other visitors while I've been at this temple.

A group of buddha statues accompanied by a baby monk (that my mom finds quite creepy).

Wat Mi Chai Tha

This temple is also quite close to where I live, though in the other direction lining the river.  I have found it twice on my morning runs.  Here, you can see it lit up by the sunrise.

There are some very territorial dogs that hang out at this temple!  Be warned!

Wat Si Chomchuen

This stunning temple is about 1.5 km from where I live.

Tucked into a landscape of trees, the ornate gold and red colors of the drum and bell towers stand out so beautifully.

The inside of the temple.

The back wall of the temple is in process, either of creation or renovation, I'm not sure.  So this is how they do this amazing work!  Scaffolding, and a lot of time...

The dharma wheel here symbolizes dedication to the Buddha's teachings.

Elephant relief as you exit the temple grounds.

Wat Si Mueang

I didn't snap any photos of the outside of this temple because there were so many monks and people around.  I only take photos if I am not seen doing so; I do not wish to show any disrespect.  Inside the temple, I was alone, so I took a quick photo.  Beautiful, no?

Wat Pho Chai

3 kilometers from my apartment lies Wat Pho Chai.  One of the most famous temples in Nong Khai, Wat Pho Chai features a highly revered golden Buddha and incredibly detailed mural walls.

The walls depict modern murals, featuring scenes from the life of the Buddha as well as local history between Laos and this part of Thailand.

Even the ceiling is stunning!

Monks gather to learn the teachings from the Enlightened One.

Buddha and Naga sea serpent carved into the window pane.

Visitors praying in front of the sacred Buddha, transported to this temple from Vientiane, Laos, in 1778.

Paintings of Buddha, devas, and nagas.  Even more beautiful in person!

An attempt at a panorama of the sacred space.

The scenes in the entryway mural tell the story of the three golden Buddhas that were taken as bounty from the Laos royal family when the king of Thailand sacked Vientiane in 1778.  The first statue ended up at the bottom of the Mekong River when its raft was destroyed during a storm, the second one ended up in Bangkok, and the third (which was also supposed to go to Bangkok) ended up here in Nong Khai because its cart broke down here, so this was taken as a sign that the solid gold image of Buddha was meant to be here.  Thus, it sits in Wat Pho Chai and is a revered destination in Nong Khai, today.

A kind Thai man insisted on helping me get a photo of the temple - and that I be in it!  So sweet.

He also made sure that I had a photo in front of the money tree!  I assume this is made of monetary donations to the temple.

The other components of Wat Pho Chai.

The view through the main doorway.

Golden dragon dog lions guard the temple.

Tile/mosaic naga helps the lion dogs protect Wat Pho Chai.

The view of the main temple from the side temple.  Wat Pho Chai is regarded as the most important temple in Nong Khai and is certainly a destination worth visiting if you are in the area.

Wat Srisaket

1.5 km from where I live, Wat Srisaket is another beautiful temple gem of Nong Khai.

Slightly weathered, this temple is not as much of a tourist destination as temples like Wat Pho Chai and Wat Si Sumang, but it does hold services that bring visitors together to pray.

Outdoor Buddha with a lovely energy.

The large standing, golden Buddha statue in a niche on the side of Wat Srisaket.

Our dearly loved naga/snake Buddha throne motif.

Wat Sri Khun Mueang

2 km from my living space, this temple is tucked into the temple-packed streets of main city Nong Khai.

BEAUTIFUL mural on the back wall of Wat Sri Khun Mueang.

The inside temple.

Handsome naga, no?  Sud lohr!  (Sud lohr = handsome, in Thai.)

Pu Ya Shrine

Pu Ya Shrine is not a Buddhist temple, but a Daoist, Chinese/Vietnamese-inspired religious space of worship.

I love going by this shrine because it has such vivid colors and reminds me of my time in China.

Wat Thung Sawang

Last but not least, Wat Thung Sawang is a quaint temple 2 km away from my apartment that is marked by its distinctive collection of shrines at the side.

Each shrine is set up to worship a different deity in the Buddhist pantheon.

This one is for Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion.

This one is for a four-headed deva.

One for the buddha in his naga/snake throne.

One for the future Buddha, known as Budai in Chinese Buddhism.

A unique and charming new temple to visit.

My bike enables me to get to all of the temples featured in this post!

Thank you all for reading.  I hope you enjoyed having a look at some of the wonderful temples of Nong Khai.  May you all be well!  I will talk with you soon...

☸