Wooden Ubosoth of Wat Chaoreon Songtham

The wooden ubosot at Wat Chaoreon Songtham is the only one of its kind left standing in Nong Bua Lam Phu province — a rare survival in a region where most ordination halls were rebuilt in brick and concrete decades ago. Construction began in 1946; the hall was relocated to higher ground in 1955 and its new foundation was finished in 1959. Entry is free, open daily roughly 08:30–16:30.

Built facing east, the rectangular hall was designed with a high, open interior specifically to stay cool without the concrete mass most modern ubosots rely on. Its walls are horizontal wooden planks pierced by four windows on each side, and the front railings carry carved garuda and honeycomb motifs rather than the painted murals found elsewhere in the region. Stucco nagas flank the brick entrance stairs, and the double-tiered roof — originally shingled in wood, now covered in corrugated metal after later repairs — still shows its original carved wooden ridge along the centre line. The hall’s first site was actually over a pond on the temple’s eastern edge; builders moved it to firmer ground on the northwest side once the pond proved unstable, which is why the current foundation postdates the timberwork by more than a decade.

Inside sits a single seated Buddha image locals know as Phra Kin Or. Insider Tip: The hall is small and unlit, so visit between 9 and 11 AM when the light through the four side windows falls directly across the interior — later in the day the space goes dim fast, and the carved detail on the railings is easy to miss.

Remove your shoes before stepping inside, and keep voices low — this remains a working ordination hall, not a museum piece, even though it now functions mainly as a heritage exhibit alongside the temple’s other halls. It’s a modest, rural stop: pair it with Tham Suwannakhuha or Phu Khao Phu Phan Kham National Park elsewhere in Nong Bua Lam Phu province to make the drive worthwhile — the wat itself is a 15–20 minute stop.