Vessantara Jataka Public Park

A ring of statues around a large public lake retells the entire Vessantara Jataka — the Buddhist tale of Prince Vessantara giving away everything he owns, down to his own children, before being reunited with his kingdom — in thirteen chapters, one sculpture group per kan of the story. Roi Et’s Provincial Administrative Organisation broke ground on the park in 2002 with a 28.7 million baht budget, about 10 km from town on the road toward Chaturaphak Phiman district.

Walking the loop means moving chronologically through the story: Thotsaphon and Himmapan near the start, through Chuchok’s approach and the wrenching Kumarn and Matsi chapters, to Sakkabap, Maharaj, and the final return in the Nakhon chapter. The statues sit directly on the water’s edge in places, so the lake works as a mirror for the larger figures, particularly in early morning light. Shade trees line the paths between groups, useful given how exposed the lakeside walk gets by midday.

Roi Et takes the story seriously beyond this park: the province runs an annual Bun Phawet procession — “Maha Than Barami, Roi Et’s Bun Phawet Tradition” — that’s run for over 100 years locally and been staged as a major province-wide event for more than three decades, re-enacting all thirteen chapters through the streets of Roi Et town with folk dancers and mor lam performers. Visiting the park first gives useful context if you’re timing a trip around that festival, since the statue sequence lays out the plot the parade later performs live.

Insider Tip: visit in the early morning or an hour before sunset — the flat light and still lake water make the statue reflections worth the trip on their own, and you’ll have the paths mostly to yourself outside festival season. Watch out: there’s little shade directly at the lakeside statues, so bring a hat and water if you’re walking the full loop at midday.

Pair it with Bueng Phlan Chai, Roi Et’s central lake park, or Wat Pa Non Sawan for a fuller day around the provincial capital’s Buddhist sites.