Thailand Guidebook > Provinces > North-East Thailand

Sakon Nakhon is the town of the sacred Phra That Choeng Chum and the vast Nong Han Lake. The Phu Thai Tribe people living around the town offer an interesting study in ancient customs and traditions, such as the "Wax Castle" festival in October when castles fashioned from Wax are celebrated. Sakon Nakhon is 647 kilometers from Bangkok.

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Nong Han A 32-sq.km. lake in Sakon Nakhon is a popular place of relaxation. Its offshore isles, particularly the Don Sawan, are both beautiful and restful and can be easily reached by hired boats.

Phra That Choeng Chum a major and sacred religious monument of Sakhon, is enshrined at Wat Phra That Choeng Chum in town. Of rectangular shape, it is made of mortar and bricks with a height of 24 meters.

Phra That Narai Cheng Weng another religious structure is located at the Ban That village about five kilometers from town center. It is of Khmer-style pagoda, made of laterite, and 12 meters high.

Wat Pa Suthawat opposite the Town Hall, is where the paraphernalia and remains of the highly respected late Phra Achan Man Bhuritatto are kept.

Phu Phan National Park 25 kilometers from the province on Sakon Nakhon-Kalasin route, the park is scattered with limestone mountains, groves, and savannahs with several natural attractions such as Tat Ton Waterfall and Kham Hom waterfall

Huai Huat Reservoir 35 kilometers from King Amphoe Tao Ngoi, the reservoir is a part of Huai Huat National Park, a consequence of Huai Huat Dam construction. Fronting the reservoir are a royal hall, a flower garden, and a natural arrangement of various forms of rocks.

Nam Phung Dam at Amphoe Kut Bak is a multipurpose dam. 172 -meter long and 40-meter high, it dams up a huge lake with a surface area of about 6,000 acres.

Wat Pu Udom Somphon three kilometers off from highway No. 22 at Km. 123, is where another extremely venerated Achan used to reside. Visitors pay respect to the life-size statue of Phra Achan Fan Acharo.

Nam Un Dam 5 kilometers before entering Amphoe Phang Khon on Sakon Nakhon route with a left turn at km. 49 on Phang Khon - Waritchaphum route with a 6.6 km. turn, the huge dam provides a sanctuary for numerous teals. A trip to Mae Un Waterfall and a fishing trip are some examples of various activities at the dam.

Kut Na Kham Arts & Crafts Center is located at Ban Kut Na Kham, Amphoe Charoen Sin, 112 kilometers from Sakon Nakhon. It is where potter; fabric weaving and wood carving are made by hand with unique designs and production.

Wax Castle and Boat Racing Festival held at the end of the Buddhist Lent (Ok Phansa), the event represents a traditional merit-marking in the from of wax castle procession,a tribute paid to the Lord Buddha. Elaborately constructed miniature wax castles stand as the main feature of the precession. Traditional northeastern performances are also presented while a boat race takes place at Nong Han Lake.

COPYRIGHT: Information on this page is used with permission from the Tourist Authority of Thailand. Additional information from brochures produced locally and notes made by Panrit Daoruang and Richard Barrow. All photographs on this web site are the property of Panrit Daoruang.