Wat Ban Na Meuang

Ubon Ratchathani


This temple, also known as Wat Sa Prasan Suk, stands out from other temples in many ways. Most famously, the bòht sits on a boat: a ceramic-encrusted replica of the late King Rama IX’s royal barge Suphannahong, complete with crew. The wí·hăhn also has a boat-shaped base, this one resembling the second-most-important royal barge, Anantanagaraj; and it’s surrounded by an actual pond.

These were not just artistic endeavours: the water represents our desires and the boats represent staying above them. The commissioner of these creations, Luang Pu Boon Mi, died in 2001 and there's a memorial to him under the large Buddha, though his relics are in the săh·lah alongside the boat bòht. To reach all of these you pass under an immense statue of Airavata (Erawan in Thai), Hindu god Indra’s three-headed elephant mount.

The temple is north of the airport. Sŏrng·tăa·ou 8 passes near, but you need to tell the driver you’re going here or he won’t make the turn down the little road.


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