Wat Phra Thaen Sila At
A sacred landmark temple of Laplae · Just 3 kilometres from the resort
The temple at the heart of Uttaradit, and the very reason Hua Dum Resort came to be — the closest stay to Phra Thaen for those coming to make merit.
History
Wat Phra Thaen Sila At, formerly known as 'Wat Mahathat', stands on Khao Tao hill in Ban Phra Thaen, Thung Yang subdistrict, Laplae district. It's an ancient temple with no record of who built it; historians believe it likely dates to the Ayutthaya period.
Legend tells that when the Buddha and 500 arahants came to dwell in this land, the Venerable Ananda hung his alms bowl on a jujube tree (hence the name 'the bowl-hanging jujube'), and the Buddha took his meal upon a stone platform — the origin of the name 'Phra Thaen Sila At', the sacred stone seat.
The platform itself is a rectangular block of laterite, about 8 feet wide, 10 feet long and 3 feet high, its base adorned with lotus-petal motifs. It is enshrined in a four-gabled mondop and venerated by Buddhists from across the country.
From the resort
3 km (5 min)
Opening hours
08:00–17:00 daily
Annual festival
Phra Thaen veneration on Makha Bucha
Great for
Merit-making, prayer, families
Highlights Not to Miss
The Phra Thaen Sila At veneration festival
The temple's great annual merit fair on Makha Bucha day (the full moon of the third lunar month), with candlelit circumambulation around the platform, dawn alms-giving to a hundred monks, and a cultural procession from all nine districts.
The standing & reclining Buddhas
Pay your respects to the important Buddha images around the ancient town of Thung Yang — the stone platform, the standing Buddha and the reclining Buddha, all in one visit.
The local museum
See antique tools and implements and the way of life of the Laplae people within the temple grounds.
Stay Closest to Phra Thaen at Hua Dum Resort
Just 3 kilometres from the temple, about a 5-minute drive, so older travellers needn't walk far. Easy to book via LINE.