Wat Kham Chanot

(คำชะโนด วังนาคินทร์)

A busy, unusual, and beautiful temple

Why Go

• Unique and beautiful temple among a grove of trees
• Always busy and a good place to see Thai people merit making
• Interesting wildlife among the trees and surrounding farmland

This temple is at the far North Eastern edge of Udon Thani, close to the borders with Nong Khai and Bueng Kam. You won’t see it widely promoted, and you’ll see relatively few non-Thai visitors, but this place is always busy and the first thing you will see is a large car park and market. Be patient, though, and make your way to the winding 100m long concrete bridge with naga (snake) handrails. Shoes must be left at the start of the bridge.

The island holds a grove of kam chanot palm trees which make the whole island shady. It is the location of a legendary giant naga serpent, hence all the snake statues. Paths crisscross the grove and there are numerous places for people to make merit,  including having their fortunes told, sounding gongs, or listening to monks preach. Its all a bit busy, but the smoke winding through the trees and the gentle sound of gongs and praying makes this place delightful.

Watch out for lizards climbing the trees and for birds and butterflies.

Location & Map

About 100 km Northeast of Udon Thani city
It’s a 95 minute drive along good roads. The last 20km or so are lined with stalls selling gifts for the monks and also bags of salt, a local product.

What to Do There

Activity	Notes
Visit the island temple	Very photogenic
Make the most of the market	Great for snacks and souvenirs
Make an offering	Sound a gong or shake sticks to find your fortune

Cost & Practical Info

• Best time to visit: Open all year. This place does get hot.
• Opening Times: 0830 – 1630 Every day
• Admission: Free (may be a charge on special days). Car park is free too.
• Time required: 1-2 hours on site
• Facilities: Parking, toilets, large market

Nearby

22km before Kam Chanot is the town of Ban Dung. This has a bit more to offer than most provincial towns and I will write a separate guide in due course. There is a bit of an ex pat community here, not least due to the nearby top secret (!) US radio station. The town has frequent superb markets and also has a large and useful Big C supermarket. North of the town along the main road is an area where salt is produced from the local briny water.

Ban Dung would be a good place to base yourself to explore this area of Thailand.

Photo Highlights