Si Maharat City Pillar Shrine

Si Maharat City Pillar Shrine sits at the foot of Kittikhachon Bridge on the approach to Tak town, built in 1992 to commemorate four Thai kings with historical ties to the area — not an ancient structure itself, but a modern memorial to a genuinely old story. Entry is free.

The four kings each have a documented connection to this stretch of the Ping River crossing. King Ramkhamhaeng the Great fought an elephant-back duel here against Khun Samchon, ruler of neighbouring Mueang Chot — the same battle commemorated separately at Chedi Yutthahatthi. King Naresuan the Great marched his army back through Tak in 1584, the first Thai territory he reached after declaring independence from Hanthawaddy rule at Mueang Kraeng. King Narai the Great passed through on a campaign against northern cities and is said to have built a temple, Wat Phra Narai, on what’s now the shrine’s site. King Taksin the Great served as governor of Tak by royal appointment before later becoming king himself — a connection also marked at Tak’s King Taksin the Great Shrine elsewhere in the province.

As a modern community shrine built to honour this history rather than a working ancient temple, it draws local visitors making merit and paying respects to the four kings’ legacy rather than large tour groups. Combine it with Chedi Yutthahatthi and the King Taksin sites for a fuller picture of Tak’s role in these four reigns.

Insider Tip: Ask locally about which king’s story resonates before you go — each has a separate marker or shrine elsewhere in Tak (Chedi Yutthahatthi for Ramkhamhaeng’s duel, the King Taksin the Great Shrine for his governorship), and this pillar is really the summary stop that ties all four together.