🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
People who come to Sakon Nakhon to trace the forest monks usually hear about Luang Pu Man first, but the deeper you get into this lineage, the more you run into the names of his senior disciples scattered across the districts around the province. One of them is Luang Pu Fan Acaro, at Wat Pa Udom Somphon in Phanna Nikhom district, about 35 kilometres west of the city. The temple isn't on any in-town walking route, but if you're serious about following the trail, this is a stop you shouldn't skip — his memorial chedi is one of the most recognisable pieces of forest-temple architecture in Isan.
Who was Luang Pu Fan Acaro?
Luang Pu Fan Acaro was born on 20 August 1899 in Phanna sub-district, Phanna Nikhom, Sakon Nakhon — a local of this area from birth. After ordaining, he set off on the wandering, meditative life of the forest tradition, as a direct disciple of Luang Pu Man Phurithatto, the great teacher behind the entire forest-tradition lineage. He was known for his kindness and for teaching meditation in a way that was easy to follow, drawing a large following of both monks and laypeople.
Luang Pu Fan was a monk whom King Rama IX and the Queen held in deep respect, visiting to pay their respects several times. He passed away on 4 January 1977 here at Wat Pa Udom Somphon, at the age of 77. King Rama IX presided over the royal cremation in a private ceremony in early 1978. After that, his disciples came together to build the memorial chedi to house his relics and belongings so that later generations could come and pay their respects.
Connected to Wat Tham Kham
Luang Pu Fan also founded Wat Tham Kham (Kham Hom), a cave temple up in the Phu Phan hills. People following his trail often pair the two temples. Wat Pa Udom Somphon is the lowland temple where he passed away, while Wat Tham Kham is the mountain cave temple where he once lived and practised. The settings are completely different, but they're part of the same monk's story.
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The lotus-shaped memorial chedi
The thing everyone comes to see is the lotus-shaped memorial chedi, which locals call the blooming-lotus chedi. The chedi has a round base layered into three tiers of lotus petals, stands 27.9 metres tall, and is a clean white that stands out in the temple's forest garden. King Rama IX laid the foundation stone in 1980, it was completed in 1982, and he came with the Queen for the opening ceremony — which gives this chedi a special meaning both in terms of faith and history.
- Life-sized statue — enshrined at the centre of the chedi, modelled on Luang Pu Fan seated with his feet down and a walking staff in hand. This is the main spot where visitors pay their respects.
- Relics that crystallised — kept in a glass case for visitors to venerate. After his cremation, his remains transformed into clear, crystal-like relics, deeply revered by the devout.
- Monastic belongings — his alms bowl, umbrella-tent, shoulder bag, walking staff, and the everyday monk's items he actually used in life, displayed around the chedi with explanatory labels.
- 56 clay-relief panels — along the lotus petals of the lower base are clay reliefs telling Luang Pu Fan's life story from birth, ordination, and his wandering years through to his passing. You can walk around the chedi and read them in sequence.
Besides the chedi, the temple also preserves the original wooden kuti (monk's hut) where Luang Pu Fan once lived, with a statue of him beneath it. The grounds are a shaded forest garden where you can walk quietly without any fuss. This isn't a temple set up as a photo landmark — it's a working practice temple where people come to pay their respects with real intent.
Give yourself enough time
You can cover the memorial chedi properly in about 30–45 minutes, but if you've come to pay your respects, read the clay panels one by one, and walk around the wooden kuti and forest garden, give yourself about an hour and a half so you're not rushing. This isn't a place where you breeze through and tick everything off — it's somewhere you come to take it in slowly and understand it.
Opening hours, entry, and getting there
- Opening hours — open daily, roughly 7am–5pm. Late morning to afternoon is best, when the sun isn't too harsh and it's not crowded, so walking around is most comfortable.
- Entry — free, no fee charged. There's a donation box for temple upkeep if you'd like to give.
- Location — Wat Pa Udom Somphon, Phanna sub-district, Phanna Nikhom district, Sakon Nakhon, about 35 kilometres west of Sakon Nakhon city along Highway 22 (Sakon Nakhon–Udon Thani).
- Getting there — driving from the city takes about 40–45 minutes. Take the Sakon Nakhon–Udon Thani road to Phanna Nikhom, then turn into the district centre; there are signs pointing to the temple. It's much better suited to having your own car or a rental than to public transport.
- Parking — there's a parking area inside the temple, easy to park, no parking fee.
On what to wear
This is a working forest-tradition practice temple, so dress modestly — cover your shoulders and knees, take off your shoes before going up to the chedi, keep your voice low, and don't strike playful poses for photos in front of the statue or the relics. Most people here come to pay their respects, not just to grab a check-in photo.
More forest-tradition temples to carry on to
Because it sits along the Phanna Nikhom and Phu Phan route, Wat Pa Udom Somphon pairs easily with other forest-tradition temples in a single day. Several of them tie into the story of Luang Pu Man and disciples from the same lineage, so you can follow the trail as a full-day route.
Wat Pa Klang Non Phu (Phanna Nikhom)
In the same district, this is the temple where disciples brought Luang Pu Man to rest when he was gravely ill, before moving him into the city. The original wooden sala has been turned into a museum displaying the carrying litter, stretcher, and mosquito net used to bring him from Wat Pa Nong Phue. Easy to combine with Wat Pa Udom Somphon on the same trip.
Wat Tham Kham (Kham Hom), Phu Phan
A cave temple up in the hills that Luang Pu Fan founded and once lived and practised in, with caves, hillside kutis, and views down over the plains. It's part of the same monk's story as Wat Pa Udom Somphon, but the mountain setting is clearly different from the lowland temple.
Wat Tham Pha Daen (near the city)
A hillside temple in the forest tradition with large rock carvings of the Buddha's life story carved into the cliff, plus a viewpoint over Sakon Nakhon city and Nong Han lake. A good follow-on from the forest-monk trail when you want a change of pace — a hill walk to see the stone carvings.
Straight talk
Wat Pa Udom Somphon is a long way from the city, so it's awkward to reach without a car, and the museum side is temple-style — focused on the real objects and on quiet, not an interactive, brightly lit museum. If you turn up expecting a modern, eye-catching experience, it might feel plain. But if you come to pay respects to Luang Pu Fan and understand the forest-temple lineage, the value is in the lotus chedi, the relics, and the stories in the clay panels — not in the lighting.
Planning a forest-monk trail day
If you're set on following the forest-tradition trail in full, you can do it either as a half day focused on Phanna Nikhom, or a full day that stretches into Phu Phan as well. Here are two sample plans.
The Phanna Nikhom route, a half morning
Stretching into Phu Phan
Check out where to stay and the full Sakon Nakhon travel guide before you set off
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