Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkhon

Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkhon stands 101 m tall — 109 m including its gold-tipped spire — on a hilltop in the Phu Phan range in Nong Phok district, Roi Et. The Fine Arts Department designed it with the base, width, and height all fixed at 101 m, blending the form of Bangkok’s Phra Pathom Chedi with the shape of Nakhon Phanom’s Phra That Phanom. Entry is free, open daily 06:00-17:30.

Inside, five floors are open to visitors. The ground floor is a large multipurpose hall; the second is a sangha assembly hall lined with murals depicting episodes from the Buddha’s life. The third floor is the temple’s ubosot, housing 101 lifelike marble statues of revered Thai monks. The fourth is a museum holding the alms bowl and personal effects of Luang Pu Sri Mahaviro, the monk who led the chedi’s construction, alongside other Buddhist artefacts. From there a spiral staircase of 119 steps climbs to the top floor and the chamber enshrining the relics, opening onto views over the surrounding Phu Phan foothills and the farmland below.

The site sits within the grounds of Wat Pha Nam Thip Thep Prasit Wanaram, the wider temple complex the chedi belongs to — worth the extra half hour if you want the Jataka murals and golden Buddha images at ground level as well as the climb. Don’t confuse it with Phra Maha Chedi Mongkol Bua, a smaller, unrelated chedi closer to Roi Et town that shares a near-identical name and gets mixed up with this one in search results — see the FAQ below.

Insider Tip: Climb early. The 119-step spiral stair to the top floor has almost no shade, and by mid-morning in hot season the metal handrails get uncomfortably warm to hold.

Watch out: Modest dress is required to enter the ubosot and museum floors — cover shoulders and knees, and expect to remove your shoes before the marble-floored levels.

The chedi is reached by car or motorbike from Roi Et city, with parking at the base of the hill. Allow at least two hours to see the temple grounds and climb to the top floor, and bring water — there’s little shade once you’re above the tree line.