Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon (Phrathat Kao Chan)

Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon is a nine-floor stupa standing about 80 metres tall on a 50-metre-square base, inside Wat Nong Waeng — a royal temple (พระอารามหลวง) on the shore of Bueng Kaen Nakhon lake in central Khon Kaen. It was built to mark two anniversaries at once: King Bhumibol’s 50th year on the throne and Khon Kaen’s 200th year as a city, which explains why the design mixes Dvaravati-style form with the carved detail typical of northeastern Thai (Isan) temple art rather than copying a single historical model.

Each of the nine floors has its own purpose rather than repeating the one below. The ground floor holds an assembly hall with Buddha relics and an alms area; the second floor is a museum of Isan culture and history, covering regional customs and the local concept of “kalam” (traditional taboos); the floors above house meditation halls, reliquaries for respected monks, and wooden door panels carved with scenes from Buddhist teaching stories. The climb rewards you at the top with a panoramic view across Khon Kaen city and the lake below — worth the stairs even on a hot Isan afternoon.

Entry is free, and the pagoda is open daily 08:00-18:00. Mornings bring the quietest atmosphere, before tour groups and the midday heat build up; incense and occasional chanting carry through the lower floors if a service happens to be underway.

Insider Tip: Time your visit for early morning or the last hour before closing — the top-floor viewing windows face west, so late afternoon light over Bueng Kaen Nakhon is the better photo window if you can’t make it for sunrise.

Watch out: Don’t confuse this with Phrathat Kham Kaen, a much older and unrelated stupa out in Nam Phong district — both share “Kaen” in the name but they’re roughly an hour apart and have completely different histories.

The temple sits a short walk or tuk-tuk ride from Bueng Kaen Nakhon itself, making it easy to pair a lakeside walk with the climb up the pagoda in the same visit.