Wat Khao Di Salak

Wat Khao Di Salak is a hilltop temple in Don Kha subdistrict, U Thong district — Suphan Buri province, not Kanchanaburi. It was established in 1927, though its precise origins before then aren’t recorded, and it’s built around a Buddha footprint carved into the hill’s summit. Entry is free, open daily 09:00–16:00.

The footprint itself is the reason to make the climb: a low-relief carving in red sandstone, roughly 65.5 by 141.5 cm, ringed with 108 auspicious symbols in a circular frame — a style historians place in the late Dvaravati period with Khmer influence, making it somewhere around 1,000 years old. It wasn’t formally surveyed until 1991, when the Fine Arts Department worked with the provincial government to build a protective pavilion over it. Excavations on the same hill uncovered a stupa built from brick and natural limestone blocks showing two distinct construction phases — Dvaravati and later Ayutthaya — along with a cave containing Buddha images and other artefacts. U Thong district is one of central Thailand’s richest Dvaravati archaeological zones, and this hill fits into that broader picture rather than standing alone.

Insider Tip: Combine the climb with the U Thong National Museum in town, which holds Dvaravati-era finds from across the district and gives useful context before you see the footprint itself.

The temple holds an annual Tak Bat Thewo alms-giving ceremony on the first day of the waxing moon in the eleventh lunar month, marking the end of Buddhist Lent and the Buddha’s traditional descent from Tavatimsa heaven — monks process down from the hilltop shrine to receive alms from villagers waiting below.

Watch out: There’s limited shade on the ascent and no water vendors at the top — bring your own water and sun protection, particularly if you’re visiting outside the cool season.

Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, and remove shoes before entering the shrine buildings. Pair the visit with Wat Khao Phra Si Sanphetchayaram (Wat Khao Phra), another U Thong hill temple nearby, before heading back toward central Suphan Buri.