Wat Phra Phuttabat Khao Ruak

Wat Phra Phuttabat Khao Ruak sits on a low hill in Wang Lum sub-district, Phichit province — about 10 km from Taphan Hin district town, not in neighbouring Chainat as some older listings claim. The temple’s centrepiece is a Buddha footprint shrine, but the footprint itself is a replica: Thai temples across the country cast copies of the country’s most sacred footprint impression, enshrined at Wat Phra Phutthabat in Saraburi, and this is one of them, set inside its own small hillside pavilion with gilded framing.

The more distinctive draw is what surrounds the footprint. The temple is associated with Luang Pu Ngoen Sorayo, a well-regarded 20th-century monk who spent time here and whose Buddha Vimok meditation images the temple distributed to schools nationwide. On the grounds you’ll also find a giant teak-wood drum, locally described as among the largest of its type, and a laterite statue of a ruesi (hermit-ascetic) that local tradition dates to 1,000-1,500 years old — though those dates are traditional estimates rather than confirmed archaeology — even as the temple’s footprint shrine itself is a modern addition. A short flight of stone steps takes you up the hill past smaller shrine points to the summit pavilion.

Insider Tip: The hermit statue and teak drum are easy to miss if you head straight for the footprint pavilion — ask a caretaker to point them out, since neither is signed prominently in English.

Mornings and late afternoons are the practical times to visit — midday sun on the exposed hillside steps gets uncomfortable, and it’s also when resident monks are least likely to be mid-ritual. Standard temple etiquette applies: dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, remove shoes before entering shrine buildings, and keep feet pointed away from Buddha images. Bring water for the short climb; there’s little shade on the way up.

The temple sits along rural roads best reached by car or motorbike — public transport this far into Taphan Hin district is sparse. A small donation toward the temple’s upkeep is appreciated but not required.