Wat Kradueng Thong

Wat Kradueng Thong is a working community temple in Ban Kradueng, Ban Dan sub-district, a short drive from Buriram town — not a headline heritage site, but a genuine window into how a rural Dhammayut-order temple functions day to day. Entry is free.

Local records trace the site’s origins to the late Ayutthaya period, though the temple as it exists today was formally re-established in 1971, with its ordination hall receiving royal sema consecration in 1973. It carries more weight locally than its size suggests: the temple once served as the residence of a former provincial head of Buriram’s Dhammayut sangha, and today houses around nine resident monks under abbot Phra Khru Siddhi Kunakorn.

The temple’s current focus is a memorial chedi under construction to enshrine the relics of a widely respected former abbot, Phra Thep Mongkol Vacharajarya — known locally as Luang Pu Luang Chantakamo. Donation drives for the project have drawn support from Buddhists well beyond Ban Dan district, and the temple also hosts a provincial-level Thet Maha Chat (Vessantara Jataka sermon) ceremony around Magha Bucha, drawing crowds from across Buriram for the day.

Insider Tip: Because the chedi project is still under construction, don’t expect a finished golden pagoda — go for the working-temple atmosphere and the ordination hall rather than a single photogenic monument. Early morning is quietest, before the day’s merit-making visitors arrive.

Watch out: As with any active Thai temple, dress modestly (covered shoulders and knees) and remove shoes before entering any hall — there’s no tourist infrastructure here to remind you, since visitors are still a minority compared with local worshippers.

See Buriram for the wider province, or pair a visit with Wat Pa Khao Noi’s chedi and the Lak Mueang Shrine for more of Buriram town’s religious sites.