Wat Phra That Nong Bua

Wat Phra That Nong Bua sits on the northern edge of Ubon Ratchathani city, a short drive from the airport in Nai Mueang subdistrict. Its centrepiece, the Phra Borommathat Chedi Sri Maha Bodhi, is a roughly 56-metre white-and-gold pyramid modelled directly on the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, India — the site where the Buddha reached enlightenment. It’s one of only a handful of temples in Thailand built as a literal copy of an Indian original rather than the usual Sri Lankan bell-shaped stupa or Khmer prang, which makes it stand out immediately against the rest of Ubon Ratchathani’s temple skyline.

Four smaller stupas, matching the main chedi in white and gold, mark each corner of the square base. Inside the central structure, meditating Buddha images face outward in all four directions, and the stepped tiers carry relief panels depicting scenes from the Buddha’s life and the Jataka tales — the same narrative technique used at the original Bodh Gaya stupa. Smaller shrines ring the base, where locals stop through the day to light candles and press gold leaf onto the images.

The temple keeps a working rhythm rather than a museum stillness. Monks move between the halls for morning and evening chanting, and the courtyard fills for merit-making on Buddhist holy days. Because the design departs so far from a standard Thai wat, it draws both pilgrims specifically after the Bodh Gaya connection and photographers chasing the geometric white-and-gold tiers against the sky.

Insider Tip: Come at opening rather than midday, when tour buses arrive — the chedi’s carved tiers photograph far better in low side light, and the courtyard is mostly locals making their morning rounds.

Entry is free and the temple is open daily 06:00-18:00. Dress modestly (covered shoulders and knees) and remove shoes before entering any of the halls. It’s easiest to reach by taxi, Grab, or car from central Ubon Ratchathani — there’s free on-site parking, and the airport-road location makes it a workable stop on the way in or out of the city. Combine it with a couple of the city’s other standout temples: Wat Thung Si Mueang in the old town, or the glow-in-the-dark murals at Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Phrao further out of town.