Wat Sa Bua Kaeo

Wat Sa Bua Kaeo’s reputation rests on its sim — the ordination hall — not on any lotus pond, despite the temple’s name translating as “Crystal Lotus Pond Temple.” The temple in Khon Kaen province’s Nong Song Hong district was founded in 1917, with the sim granted Wisungkhamsima (the land consecration required for ordinations) in 1932. Entry is free, open daily 06:00-18:00.

What Makes the Sim Worth Seeing

Every wall of the ordination hall, inside and out, carries Hup Taem — Isan folk murals painted by artisans brought in from neighboring Maha Sarakham province the same year the sim went up. The scenes mix conventional Buddhist teaching (Jataka tales, heaven and hell) with everyday village life from the period, giving a rare visual record of rural Isan dress and routine alongside the religious content. A “Sinthao” line — a flame-shaped border pattern — separates the panels, a technique more associated with central Thai mural painting from the Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin periods than with the northeast, which makes its appearance here unusual among Isan temple murals.

At the foot of the stairway leading up to the sim, a pair of crouching singha (lion-like guardian figures) flank the entrance, each paired with a seated human figure stretching out its legs — both carved by the temple’s own abbot, Luang Pu Phui (Phra Khru Wiboon Phatthananuyut), who also oversaw the sim’s construction. The building was restored in 2001 with support from HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana and the Siam Society, work that’s kept the murals and stucco in better condition than many rural sims of the same age.

Atmosphere & Timing

This is a working village temple in Nong Mek subdistrict, not a tour-bus stop — expect to have the sim to yourself outside of Buddhist holy days. Morning brings the softest light for photographing the exterior murals; there’s limited shade elsewhere on the grounds.

Insider Tip: If Hup Taem murals interest you, pair this with Sim and Hup Taem Sin Sai, Wat Chaisri elsewhere in Khon Kaen province — seeing two examples side by side shows how much the style and subject matter vary village to village.

Watch out: Don’t build a visit around expecting lotus ponds or water features — the name is a place-name convention, not a description of what’s on site.

Practical

Wat Sa Bua Kaeo rewards visitors who come specifically for the murals and sim architecture — it’s a detour for Isan mural enthusiasts, not a general-purpose day-trip stop from Khon Kaen city.