Dong Ling Don Chao Pu Park

Dong Ling Don Chao Pu Park is Phana’s most distinctive attraction: a 260-rai sacred forest on the edge of town sheltering a colony of more than 4,000 long-tailed macaques. Admission is free, and the park opens daily from 08:30 to 16:30. The monkeys are regarded as the children of Chao Poo, the guardian spirit of Phana who founded the village roughly 300 years ago, and they have lived here under the protection of the local community for generations. Feeding them is part of the visit — small stalls line the road opposite the main gate selling bananas, peanuts, green beans and sweetcorn, and the macaques are thoroughly used to visitors.

At the heart of the forest stands the spirit shrine (ศาลปู่ตา) of Chao Poo, a site of active veneration where religious and municipal ceremonies are held through the year, and one of the monkeys’ favourite perches. Elsewhere in the forest, four Buddhist statues represent key moments of the Buddha’s life: birth, enlightenment, the first sermon and parinirvana.

Watch out: keep bags closed and food out of sight until you’re ready to hand it over — the macaques are quick to grab anything visible, from snacks to sunglasses, and once one has something it’s not giving it back.

The canopy is dominated by broadleaved evergreen species, including dipterocarps, and the forest floor stays shaded and cool. Birds are present but mostly heard rather than seen, while monitor lizards and skinks are common. Early morning is the best time to visit for cooler air and active monkeys; weekend mornings draw larger crowds of Thai families who come to feed the troop.

Phana town is around 45 km from Amnat Charoen city and roughly 60 km from Ubon Ratchathani. Combine the visit with Wat Pho Sila or the Mekong rapids at Kaeng Tang Lang elsewhere in the province for a fuller day out from Amnat Charoen.