Dan Sao Khoi

Wat Phuphan Udomtham — known to most locals as Dan Sao Khoi — is a hilltop Buddhist temple in Na Kae district of Nakhon Phanom, set on the Phu Phan range about an hour and a half from the provincial town. Its name comes from the broad natural stone platform (dan) it’s built on; sao khoi, “the waiting maidens,” recalls a local tale of young villagers who gathered here while out collecting forest produce. Entry is free, with no formal gate hours.

The site became a temple relatively recently. In 1984, the Na Kae district chief led local officials up to survey the stone platform and judged it suitable for a religious monument; on 12 August 1985, the district installed a large white Buddha image here — formally titled Phra Phuttha Maha Mongkhon Bophit Chaturathit Prathanphon, cast in the northern Chiang Saen style, facing all four cardinal directions — as a symbol marking the end of regional conflict and bringing peace to the area. Buddha relics were enshrined inside it by the Supreme Patriarch. The site was formally declared Wat Dan Sao Khoi Wanaram in 2003, then renamed Wat Phuphan Udomtham the following year with royal permission from Queen Sirikit. Seven small chedi stand around the image on the stone terrace, which doubles as the temple’s main gathering space.

That elevated terrace is also a genuine viewpoint. On a clear day it looks out across the Mekong into Laos, with the spire of Phra That Phanom and the waters of Nong Han lake in neighbouring Sakon Nakhon visible in the distance. The white Buddha faces four directions rather than one, so it’s worth walking the full circuit of the terrace rather than viewing it from a single spot — each face looks out over a different stretch of the Isan lowlands below.

Insider Tip: Go in the early morning. The four-sided Buddha and the long Mekong view both photograph best before the midday haze builds up over the river valley.

Watch out: The stone terrace is fully exposed with little shade — midday heat here is intense with nowhere to shelter. Bring water and a hat if you’re visiting outside the early-morning window.

The temple is reached most easily by your own vehicle. As at any working temple, dress modestly — cover shoulders and knees — and remove your shoes before entering the buildings. Combine the trip with Phra That Phanom, the province’s principal relic shrine and visible from the terrace on a clear day.