Wat Maha That (Yasothorn)

Wat Maha That is Yasothon’s principal temple and the site of Phra That Anon, the chedi that gives the province its unofficial symbol — also known as Phra That Yasothon. Entry is free, the grounds are open daily 05:00-21:00, and this is as close as Yasothon gets to a must-see landmark.

Temple tradition traces the site back to Phra Wo, a refugee who fled conflict in Nong Bua Lamphu and established a temple in a spirit forest, originally named Wat Thung Sawaeng. Thao Na, ruler of Singha Tha — the historic settlement that grew into Yasothon — later commissioned a large stupa on the site and it was renamed Wat Maha That. According to that same tradition, the Phra That Anon chedi enshrines relics of Phra Ananda, the Buddha’s cousin and personal attendant, brought from India and installed by builders named Jetanu Vin and Chin over eight months and 25 days. It’s said to be the only stupa in Thailand purpose-built to honour Ananda specifically — treat the dates as temple legend rather than verified history, but the devotion around the claim is real and still shapes how Isan Buddhists regard the site. The brick-and-mortar chedi itself has a square base rising through four tiers of lotus pedestals to a central mandapa with four niches, capped by three stacked lotus finials — a form that echoes the much larger That Phanom in Nakhon Phanom, one province over.

Two smaller structures round out the grounds. A lotus-shaped chedi built in 1811 holds the remains of Phra Wicha Khattiyanwong, a former local ruler, and a two-storey wooden Ho Trai — a scripture library — built in 1830 in Rattanakosin style carries carved wooden doors and window panels depicting deities. Inside the ordination hall, the principal Buddha image is a jade figure in Chiang Saen style, known locally simply as Phra Kaew, treated as an heirloom of the old ruling family. The Fine Arts Department has registered the temple as a protected ancient monument, with the grounds — roughly 2 rai (0.3 hectares) — formally demarcated in 1981.

Insider Tip: If you can time a visit for Boon Duan Sam in February, do it — the festival turns the temple grounds into the biggest merit-making event in Yasothon province, with processions and gilding of the chedi. Outside festival dates, arrive around 6 AM to catch the monks’ alms round without the crowds.

Watch out: Parking near the temple gets tight during Boon Duan Sam — arrive early or expect to walk in from further out.

Dress modestly with covered shoulders and knees, remove your shoes before entering the ordination hall or Ho Trai, and avoid pointing your feet toward the Buddha images. The temple sits on Wari Ratchadet Road in central Mueang Yasothon, an easy tuk-tuk or songthaew ride from anywhere in town — pair it with Wat Phra Phutthabat Yasothon or Phra That Kong Khao Noi for a fuller morning of Yasothon’s temple sites.