Wat Dhammachakra Semaram

Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Locally known as Wat Phra Norn ('Temple of the Reclining Buddha'), this temple is significant for housing a 1300-year-old, 13.3m-long reclining Buddha carved from sandstone blocks by the Dvaravati. It's the oldest reclining Buddha sculpture in Thailand.

The face is worn considerably and the blocks that make it are askew, but because it's not covered with a layer of stucco it actually looks as old as it is, which makes for a fairly impressive sight. On display nearby is a stone Buddhist Wheel of Law that is thought to predate the Buddha image.

Suggest an edit to this attraction

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Thao Suranari Monument
20.73 MILES
Thao Suranari, wife of the assistant governor during Rama III's reign, is something of a Wonder Woman in these parts. Ya Mo (Grandma Mo), as she’s…
Wat Salaloi
22.02 MILES
The city's most interesting temple was said to be founded by local heroine Thao Suranari and her husband in 1827. Half of her ashes are interred in a…
Bo Eka
0.47 MILES
Right in the centre of the main moat, this is the most significant of Muang Sema's ruins, after Wat Dhammachakra Semaram. Labelled as Monument 1 on the…
Chang Phueak Shrine
21.14 MILES
The wooden pillar at the centre of this small shrine was once used for tying up sacred 'white' elephants that passed though Khorat on their way to be…
Wat Phayap
20.81 MILES
When the abbot of Wat Phayap learned that blasting for a quarry in Saraburi Province was destroying a beautiful cave, he rescued pieces of it and…
Wat Phra Narai Maharat
21.33 MILES
This large temple is of interest primarily for three holy Khmer sandstone sculptures that were unearthed here – Vishnu (Phra Narai in Thai) is the holiest…
Suranari Hall
20.76 MILES
This little white building is a sort of museum to local heroine Thao Suranari, with a cool diorama and an even cooler sculpted mural of the famous battle…
San Jao Lak Meuang
21.25 MILES
Khorat's city pillar shrine is pretty ordinary, but it has a large Dan Kwian (a nearby pottery village) ceramic mural on the wall beside it. It shows…

View more attractions

Nearby Nakhon Ratchasima Province attractions

1. Bo Eka

0.47 MILES

Right in the centre of the main moat, this is the most significant of Muang Sema's ruins, after Wat Dhammachakra Semaram. Labelled as Monument 1 on the…

2. Save One Market

17.05 MILES

An enormous market that's almost a city unto itself, 'safe wan' doesn't just stand out for its size, it offers more than just the usual Thai market tat…

3. Maha Viravong National Museum

20.66 MILES

Though the collection at this seldom-visited museum is very small, it's very good. There's prehistoric pottery (don't miss sneaking a peek at what's…

4. Thao Suranari Monument

20.73 MILES

Thao Suranari, wife of the assistant governor during Rama III's reign, is something of a Wonder Woman in these parts. Ya Mo (Grandma Mo), as she’s…

5. Chumphon Gate

20.75 MILES

The city's only original gate left standing. It was a part of the city walls erected in 1656 by French technicians on the orders of King Narai (Ayuthaya)…

6. Suranari Hall

20.76 MILES

This little white building is a sort of museum to local heroine Thao Suranari, with a cool diorama and an even cooler sculpted mural of the famous battle…

7. Wat Phayap

20.81 MILES

When the abbot of Wat Phayap learned that blasting for a quarry in Saraburi Province was destroying a beautiful cave, he rescued pieces of it and…

8. Chang Phueak Shrine

21.14 MILES

The wooden pillar at the centre of this small shrine was once used for tying up sacred 'white' elephants that passed though Khorat on their way to be…

View more attractions

placement: superzone
path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],

targeting:

{
  "url": "thailand/muang-sema-historical-site/attractions/wat-dhammachakra-semaram/a/poi-sig/1516008/1340477",
  "destination": "Nakhon-Ratchasima-Province",
  "continent": "Asia",
  "country": "Thailand",
  "region": "Nakhon-Ratchasima-Province",
  "position": "superzone"
}