Wat Pho Sila

Wat Pho Sila’s name is a straightforward description, not a metaphor: “pho” for the Bodhi trees growing across the grounds, “sila” for the ancient stone sema — boundary markers — set around its ordination hall. The village temple was established in 1857 in Ban Pueai, Lue Amnat district, roughly 20 km south of Amnat Charoen town. It isn’t a rock-cut temple built into boulders; it’s a modest, working monastery whose real draw is what’s standing in its compound.

That draw is a set of sixteen sandstone sema stones, large slabs originally used to mark the consecrated boundary of an ordination hall, most carved with an inverted-lotus-petal motif at the base. They date to the Dvaravati period — over a thousand years old, among the older archaeological finds in this part of Isan. Only two of the sixteen survive in reasonably intact condition; the rest are cracked, chipped or broken, which is typical for sema of this age exposed to a millennium of weather and use. The Fine Arts Department registered the group as a national ancient monument in December 2002, which is what keeps them protected rather than repurposed or removed.

Seeing them doesn’t require much of a detour from ordinary temple life — the sema sit in the open, near the current ordination hall, so you’re looking at genuinely ancient stonework a few steps from an active Buddhist community going about its normal routine. It’s a useful stop if you’re interested in Dvaravati-era craftsmanship without the crowds of the region’s better-known ruins.

Insider Tip: Pair this with Wat Tham Saeng Phet, Amnat Charoen’s actual cave temple — if you came to Wat Pho Sila expecting a rock-cut sanctuary, that’s the attraction that delivers it.

Dress modestly, cover shoulders and knees, and remove your shoes before entering the ordination hall. There’s no admission fee, and morning visits avoid the worst of the afternoon heat.