Wat Thung Si Mueang

A 200-year-old teak library stands on stilts over a lotus pond at Wat Thung Si Mueang, in downtown Ubon Ratchathani. This ho trai — a traditional scripture repository — was built over water specifically to keep termites and insects away from the palm-leaf Buddhist manuscripts stored inside, and it’s the reason this otherwise modest city-centre temple draws visitors at all.

The library dates to the reign of King Rama III in the early 19th century, and its pitched, multi-tiered roof and weathered teak panels have survived largely intact — a rarer sight than it sounds, since most wooden ho trai elsewhere in Thailand were lost to fire, flood, or simple decay. You view it from the walkway that rings the pond rather than stepping inside; the building itself isn’t set up for foot traffic through fragile manuscript storage. Around the pond, the temple’s main ordination hall and viharn show the Lao-influenced style typical of Ubon’s older temples — a look shared with several other city temples across the province, so the ho trai is genuinely the reason to stop here rather than the halls themselves.

Insider Tip: Come in late afternoon when the low sun catches the library’s reflection in the pond — the still water doubles the structure and makes for a better photo than the flatter light of midday.

Wat Thung Si Mueang sits on Luang Road in the heart of Ubon Ratchathani city, an easy walk from most central hotels or a short tuk-tuk ride from anywhere downtown. It’s a quick stop — 20-30 minutes is enough to see the ho trai and walk the grounds — which makes it easy to combine with Ubon’s other city temples or the nearby Ubon Ratchathani National Museum on the same visit. Entry is free and the grounds stay open from 06:00 to 18:00 daily, though the temple itself, not the pond area, follows standard monastic hours for any interior halls.

Watch out: Dress rules apply as at any working temple — shoulders and knees covered, shoes off before entering the ordination hall. The pond walkway is outdoors, so you can view the ho trai without changing out of walking shoes.

The library is best appreciated slowly: walk the full loop around the pond to see the roofline from multiple angles, and read the small signage explaining why Thai temples built over water at all — a practical answer to a termite problem that predates any modern preservation techniques.