Yasothon

Yasothon (ยโสธร) is a town and province in the Isaan region of Thailand.

By car
Use Hwy 1 (Pahol Yothin Rd) and turn right at Saraburi onto Hwy 2 (Mitraphap Rd). Keep going via Korat to Phimai, Nong Song Hong, and Ban Phai of Khon Kaen. Get onto Hwy 23, travel via Boraue, Maha Sarakham, Roi Et, Thawatburi, and Seraphume to Yasothon. This route is 531 km and it takes 7 hours.

By bus
Buses and air conditioned coaches leave the Northeastern Bus Terminal in Bangkok for Yasothon daily. For more information, call Northeastern Bus Terminal, Kamphaeng Phet 2 Rd, at +66 2 9362852-66.

See

 * Phaya Tan Park สวนสาธารณะพญาแถน The park is surrounded by winding stream. It includes a beautiful garden, outdoor stage, playground, and health park. Phaya Tan Park is the venue for provincial fairs and festivals such as annual Rocket Festival, short boat racing, and Songkran (Thailand).
 * Wat Maha That. วัดมหาธาตุ The Buddhist temple is a Yasothon icon. The ancient temple houses "Phra Buddha Boonyarat" or "Phra Kaeo Yod Nam Kang", Buddha statue in attitude of meditation in Chiang Saen Art style. Attractions in Wat Maha That include:
 * Phaya Tan Park สวนสาธารณะพญาแถน The park is surrounded by winding stream. It includes a beautiful garden, outdoor stage, playground, and health park. Phaya Tan Park is the venue for provincial fairs and festivals such as annual Rocket Festival, short boat racing, and Songkran (Thailand).
 * Wat Maha That. วัดมหาธาตุ The Buddhist temple is a Yasothon icon. The ancient temple houses "Phra Buddha Boonyarat" or "Phra Kaeo Yod Nam Kang", Buddha statue in attitude of meditation in Chiang Saen Art style. Attractions in Wat Maha That include:


 * Phra That Yasothon or Phra That Anon. พระธาตุยโสธร หรือ พระธาตุอานนท์ A significant ancient stupa of Isan. Housing ashes of Phra Ananda พระอานนท์ inside, the square based stupa has a head similar to Phra That Phanom.


 * Hor Trai or Library for Buddhist scriptures. หอไตร The pavilion is used for keeping Buddhist scriptures. The rectangular pavilion has terrace around for housing the Buddhist scriptures chest board, cradles, and shelves from Vientiane. The niche and wooden door are well carved and covered with gold leaf.


 * Phra That Kong Khao Noi. พระธาตุก่องข้าวน้อย Different from other monuments which are often mainly concerned with Buddhism, Phra That Kong Khao Noi was built by a commoner. Legend says that a young farmer had been working since dawn. At noon, his mother came late with his lunch. Great hunger and his anger at seeing a tiny serving of rice drove him to kill his mother. The young farmer built this stupa, hoping for forgiveness and to expiate his sin.


 * Ban Thung Nang Oak. บ้านทุ่งนางโอก A village famed for its bamboo basketry.
 * Ban Na Samai. หมู่บ้านนาสะไมย Close to Ban Thung Nang Oak, the village is famed for bamboo basketry and carved miniature carts.
 * The old building of Ban Singha Tha. ย่านเมืองเก่าบ้านสิงห์ท่า Ban Khum Singha Tha, in Muang municipality, is the old area whose name is found in the city's history.
 * Phu Tham Phra. ภูถ้ำพระ Housing Buddha statues, the cave Phu Tham Phra is six metres wide and 16 metres long. The shady mountain is blanketed with lush forest. Other caves in the area include Than Keng, Tham Ngu Suang, Tham Kliang, and Tham Prombutr.
 * Ban Song Puey Archeological Site. แหล่งโบราณสถานบ้านสงเปือย Its significant attractions include:


 * Big Buddha Image. พระพุทธรูปใหญ่ Made of brick, the principal Buddha of Wat Song Puey is three metres wide and eight metres high. This sacred image can be dated back more than 200 years.


 * Pagodas containing soil from holy sites of Buddhism. เจดีย์บรรจุดินจากสังเวชนียสถาน The old pagoda, more than 200 years old, houses soil from a holy site of Buddha, namely the place of birth, enlightenment, the first sermon, and nirvana, brought from India by a Buddhist monk, Khien Ammaphand.


 * The replica of Buddha's footprint. รอยพระพุทธบาทจำลอง The Buddha footprint was built by sponsorship of Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsongkram and his lady. Local people come to bathe the footprint during Songkran.


 * Antique Museum. พิพิธภัณฑ์ของโบราณ The museum features antiques found in Dong Muang Toey, an ancient Khmer town. The antiques include the stone bed of the mayor, and stone inscriptions in ancient Khmer script.


 * Dong Muang Toey Ancient town. ซากเมืองโบราณดงเมืองเตย Foundations of a temple and town wall are found here. Although they are ruined, their remains indicate that it once was settlement in the Chenla-Dhavaravadi period. Chenla King's inscription indicates that this ancient site was religious site for Shaivism.


 * Ku Chan. กู่จาน is an ancient pagoda similar to that of Wat Phra That Phanom. Legend says it was built in the same period to Phra That Phanom in That Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province.


 * Yasothon Buddha footprint. พระพุทธบาทยโสธร The Buddha footprint is on a white sandy hill. It is considered a sacred antique of the province. An antique found nearby is a 2 ft laterite Buddha image in the attitude of meditation under Nāga protection, and a laterite inscription which is a metre high and 50 centimetres wide.


 * Hor Trai, or library of Wat Sra Trinurak. หอไตรวัดสระไตรนุรักษ์ The pavilion, over a century old, houses Buddhist scriptures. The Burmese-style wooden architecture is 8.3 metres wide and 10.5 metres long, with 4-level metal-sheet roof and long eaves at all sides.

Buy
Yasothon boasts of its fragrant jasmine rice, watermelons (of the red-fleshed, spherical variety sometimes called "icebox melons") and  handcrafted axe pillows (Mon Kwan,) a specialty of Ban Si Than, the Khit pillow making village in Tambon Si Than, Amphoe Pa Tio. Yasothon is known for its handicrafts: Khit cloth, replica carts, sticky rice containers, and basketry. Good foods include preserved sour fish, royal featherback fish, and sweet rice noodles.

Go next

 * Roi Et bus 1.5 hours 60 baht, Amnat Charoen, Ubon Ratchathani or Surin.