Sao Chaliang

Sao Chaliang is a cluster of sandstone pillars inside Pha Taem National Park, Khong Chiam district in Ubon Ratchathani, eroded into mushroom shapes by wind and water over millions of years. Because it’s within the park boundary, entry runs on Pha Taem’s standard ticket — 400 THB for foreign visitors, 40 THB for Thai nationals, daily 5am-6pm — rather than being a free-standing roadside attraction.

The pillars formed from two layers of sandstone laid down in different geological eras: a harder cap roughly 130 million years old sits on a softer base around 180 million years old. Wind and water wore the softer lower layer away faster than the cap, leaving narrow stems supporting wider tops — some pillars reach about 20 metres. Shell and gravel fragments embedded in the rock are evidence this stretch of Isaan sat under an ancient sea before the sandstone formed.

Insider Tip: Come in the first or last hour of opening hours. The reddish-brown sandstone photographs far better in low, angled light than under the flat midday sun, and the heat between formations is more bearable early or late.

Wooden walkways and marked trails wind between the larger pillars, with interpretive signage explaining the erosion process. There’s little shade once you’re among the rocks, so this isn’t a long, lingering walk in the hot season — most visitors cover the site in under an hour before continuing to Pha Taem’s cliff paintings or the Maenam Song Si viewpoint, where the Mekong and Mun rivers meet a few kilometres away.

Watch out: The rock surfaces are uneven and can be slick after rain — sandals are common in the heat but proper walking shoes are safer on the trail sections.