King Taksin the Great Stupa Memorial

This bell-shaped chedi in Chachoengsao’s Bang Khla district marks a stop on King Taksin’s escape route, not the site of a battle. After breaking through the Burmese siege of Ayutthaya in 1767, Taksin retreated east along the Bang Pakong River before eventually founding his new capital at Thonburi. Local tradition holds that his soldiers raised a victory stupa on this spot at Pak Nam Chorlo, where Khlong Tha Lat meets the Bang Pakong. Entry is free and the grounds are open to walk any day.

The original stupa didn’t survive — river erosion took it around 1948, and the site sat without a proper monument for decades. The chedi standing today was built between 1996 and 1999, a bell-shaped structure with alcoves set into all four sides, facing out over the water toward Koh Lod island. It’s a newer structure than its history suggests, but the riverside setting and the story behind it carry more weight than the age of the concrete.

Thai visitors treat the site as a place to pay respects rather than just a photo stop — incense and flowers show up regularly at the base of the chedi, and it’s common to see people bow toward the monument before walking the grounds. The river view is the other reason to linger: Pak Nam Chorlo is a working confluence, with local boat traffic passing beneath the memorial and Koh Lod’s low green outline visible across the water.

Insider Tip: Pair the visit with Bang Khla Floating Market a short drive away — it runs weekends and turns the memorial stop into a half-day riverside outing rather than a five-minute detour.

Watch out: There’s limited shade around the chedi itself, and the site has no food or drink vendors on hand — bring water if you’re visiting in the middle of the day.