Ton Pho Si Maha Pho (The Great Bodhi Tree)

Ton Pho Si Maha Pho, in the grounds of Wat Ton Pho Si Maha Pho, is generally considered Thailand’s oldest Bodhi tree — a single trunk with a circumference of about 20 metres, standing roughly 30 metres tall with a canopy spreading some 25 metres across. Thailand’s Fine Arts Department has registered it as a protected monument, and it’s recognised as a symbol of Prachin Buri province.

The tree’s story goes back to the Dvaravati-era city of Si Mahosot, whose ruins sit a short drive from here — see Si Mahosot Ancient Town, a separate site, not the same grounds as the tree. According to local history, a Si Mahosot ruler named King Thavanamphayadit, a devout Buddhist, sent envoys to Pataliputra in India to request a cutting from the original Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya — the tree under which the Buddha is said to have reached enlightenment — and planted it here more than 2,000 years ago. Whatever the exact chain of descent, the tree’s age and the reverence around it are well documented rather than a tourist-brochure invention.

Devotees visit to meditate beneath the canopy, tie silk scarves and ribbons around the trunk, and pour water at the roots while making a wish — a common practice at sacred trees across Thailand. Small shrines and Buddha images sit around the base, and the surrounding temple buildings show the wood carving and roofline style typical of this part of central-eastern Thailand. The biggest gathering of the year falls on Visakha Bucha, the holiday marking the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death, when the temple draws its largest crowds for merit-making and ceremony.

Entry is free, and the temple is open daily 08:00–18:00. Outside the Visakha Bucha rush, this is a quiet, unhurried site — most visitors are here for a genuine devotional stop rather than a photo, and the atmosphere reflects that.

Insider Tip: Combine this with Si Mahosot Ancient Town on the same trip — they’re a short drive apart in the same Si Mahosot district, and the ancient city ruins give useful context for the kingdom that supposedly planted the tree in the first place.

Watch out: During Visakha Bucha, parking and access get tight fast — arrive early if you’re visiting on the day itself, or pick another date if you want the site to yourself.

Prachin Buri province’s other Si Mahosot-era sites are worth building into the same day — this tree, the ancient town ruins, and the wider Dvaravati history all sit within a few kilometres of each other.