The Grand Buddha Image of the Dvaravati Period

The Grand Buddha Image of the Dvaravati Period stands at Wat Khon Sawan, about 5 km east of Khon Sawan district town in Chaiyaphum. Carved from sandstone in the Vitarka mudra — right hand raised in the teaching gesture, left hand resting at the side — the figure stands roughly 3 metres tall (given locally as 124 inches from the base, with a 60-inch circumference) and is known to villagers as “Luang Pho Yai,” the big revered father.

Stylistically it belongs to the Dvaravati period with visible Khmer influence, generally dated to around the 7th to 11th centuries CE — old enough that it predates most of the Khmer-era ruins scattered across Isan’s other provinces. The robe is carved in a single draped layer typical of Dvaravati Buddhist sculpture, and the face has softened with weathering rather than restoration, which is part of what draws visitors who’ve seen more heavily restored images elsewhere. It sits within the working temple grounds of Wat Khon Sawan rather than a fenced archaeological site, so there’s no admission gate — it functions as an active place of worship, with locals visiting to pay respects alongside the occasional visitor drawn by its age.

Insider Tip: Combine the visit with Wat Chaiyaphum Phithak or Wat Pa Sukato if you’re spending a day around Chaiyaphum’s temple sites — none of them are more than an hour’s drive apart and together they cover a good spread of the province’s religious architecture.

Watch out: There’s minimal shade around the statue and no visitor centre, so this is a quick stop (15-20 minutes) rather than a destination to build a full day around. Dress modestly, as with any active temple — covered shoulders and knees.

The site rarely sees more than a handful of visitors at a time, which is the trade-off for its remote location: genuine quiet and unhurried access to a piece that’s centuries older than most of what tourists photograph in central Thailand, but no facilities beyond the temple itself.

More of the province is on the Chaiyaphum hub, with Wat Chaiyaphum Phithak and Wat Pa Sukato as nearby temple stops.