🔄 Updated 12 Jun 2026
Wat Maha That (a royal temple) has been part of Yasothon since the city's founding, around 1771. A group of leaders who had migrated from Nong Bua Lamphu settled along the Chi River and built a temple here. It was originally called Wat Thung Sawang; later, after the large stupa inside was restored, the name was changed to Wat Maha That, and it has kept that name ever since. The temple sits in the old Ban Singha Tha quarter within Yasothon's municipal area, an easy walk from the old shophouses and cafés in the neighbourhood.
Phra That Anon — the city's stupa
Phra That Anon — which many people also call Phra That Yasothon — is the temple's principal stupa, and one of the important early stupas of the Isan region. It's believed to enshrine relics of Ananda, the disciple who was the Buddha's cousin and personal attendant. The stupa itself is a square-shaped chedi with a base roughly 8 metres wide, standing in front of the ordination hall. People in Yasothon hold it as a sacred symbol of the city, and during major festivals there are celebrations and crowds come to pay their respects.
- The form — a square-shaped chedi in the old Isan style, with a stepped square base rising in tiers to a slim, tapering top; it looks older and more austere than the bell-shaped stupas you usually see.
- The belief — it's believed to enshrine relics of Ananda, which is where the name Phra That Anon comes from.
- How people pay respects — visitors typically walk clockwise (pradaksina) around the stupa, then light incense and candles and offer prayers on the courtyard in front of it.
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The scripture library on the pond — old wood over water
Another spot people love to photograph is the scripture library standing on a pond, built around 1830 to keep palm-leaf manuscripts brought over from Vientiane. The building is a raised wooden structure set in the middle of a pond — it was built over water to stop termites and ants from reaching up and damaging the manuscripts. The carved doors and gable are finely detailed in early Rattanakosin style, and it remains a well-preserved old wooden building. When the pond is still, the library's reflection on the water is lovely.
Photographing the library
The library sits in the middle of the pond and you can't go inside — you can only shoot it from the edge. In the morning the light is still low and the air is calm, so the water surface stays smooth and the reflection comes out clearer than later in the day, when the breeze picks up.
5 sacred things inside the temple
Besides Phra That Anon and the scripture library, the temple holds what locals count as the 5 sacred things of Wat Maha That — you can see them all on one walk around.
Phuttha Woranat Maha That Yasothon
The principal Buddha image in the Subduing Mara posture inside the ordination hall — an important image with an officially bestowed name, and usually where people stop to pay respects first.
The dewdrop crystal Buddha
Phra Phuttha Patima Butsayarat, a meditating Buddha image carved from clear crystal in the Chiang Saen style — very small, and one of Yasothon's revered city treasures, usually brought out for the public to honour on important occasions.
Phra That Anon
The principal stupa in front of the ordination hall, believed to enshrine relics of Ananda — an old city stupa that people circle on foot to pay respects.
The city founder's reliquary
A ku reliquary holding the ashes of Chao Phraya Wichai Ratchakhattiyawongsa, who founded Yasothon — a good spot to take in the story of how the city began.
Getting to Wat Maha That
The handy thing about Wat Maha That is that it's right in the centre of Yasothon, in the old Ban Singha Tha quarter within the municipal area — no need to drive out of town. If you're staying in the city, you can walk there.
- Walking from the Ban Singha Tha old quarter — the temple sits among the old shophouses and cafés, so if you're already wandering the quarter you can fold in a temple stop along the way. This fits an old-town walk best.
- Private car / rental — drive into Yasothon along Chaeng Sanit Road, then head into the municipal quarter; there's parking near the temple. Good if you're hitting several spots in a day.
- Rental motorbike — there are motorbike rental shops in Yasothon, and a bike makes getting around town easy, with simple parking right by the temple.
- Coming from another province — Yasothon is about an hour and a half by car from Ubon Ratchathani and about an hour from Roi Et, and Wat Maha That is one of the first stops people make on the way into town.
Straight talk
Wat Maha That isn't a huge, grand temple like the famous ones in big tourist cities — its charm is more in its age and its role as the city's founding temple. A walk around takes maybe 30–45 minutes to cover, and it pairs better with a stroll through the Ban Singha Tha old quarter than as a temple visit on its own.
Hours and temple etiquette
- Hours — the temple is open for visitors to pay respects during normal daytime hours, with morning to early afternoon the best window; the library and the stupa can be viewed from outside at any time.
- Dress — dress modestly: skip shorts, short skirts and spaghetti-strap tops, especially when entering the ordination hall.
- Take off your shoes — remove your shoes before stepping into the ordination hall or any building with a principal Buddha image, as the signs indicate.
- During festivals — Buddhist holy days and major merit-making events draw crowds, so if you want a relaxed walk and easy photos, avoid the big holy days.
What else is worth seeing nearby
- Ban Singha Tha old quarter — right around the temple, a quarter of old shophouses blending Thai, Chinese and French styles, with cafés, food spots and street-art walls to wander and photograph.
- Phra That Kong Khao Noi — an old stupa tied to the legend of the 'little rice ball that killed a mother', a short way out of town and easy to pair on the same day.
- Phaya Thaen Public Park — a riverside park in the middle of town, with naga figures and rocket sculptures, a good place to take a break in the evening.
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