That Phanom

Nakhon Phanom is one of the few Thai provinces where the provincial main religious attraction is not within the limits of its capital city. 53 kilometers south of Nakhon Phanom, along the road to Mukdahan, and along the Mekong River, the little town of That Phanom is worth a detailed visit. The town is an important pilgrimage centre for Thais due to the Phra That Phanom Chedi.

The Town’s Name

Even the name is special. "That Phanom" means the "Stuppa (on, of the) Hill." Some travelers may object: "but ‘stuppa’ in Thai is ‘chedi’ and ‘hill’ or ‘mountain’ is ‘doi’;" they are right, but in this case we see an excellent example of the cultural complexity of the Isaan area. "That" means "stuppa" in Lao, while "phnom" (which appears also in the name of the province and its capital in the Thai form of Phanom) means "hill" in Khmer.

For a long time this area was under the influence of the Khmer Empire, thus many Khmer words entered the modern Thai language. Later the area became part of Lan Xang – the Kingdom of the Million Elephants – the first Lao state. Even now Isaan speaks Lao – though it writes it with the Thai alphabet (Thai is used for official affairs). Thus, we see here a Thai town’s name mixing the Lao and Khmer languages.

Stuppas Are Not Everything in Life

Frequent buses reach the town from Nakhon Phanom; the main bus stop is by the main axial road's sharp curve, very close to the Phra That Phanom Chedi.

If traveling by car, then That Phanom can be reached traveling south of Nakhon Phanom along Road 212 – the road running along the Mekong riverside. The best days for such a trip are Mondays and Thursdays, since these are the market days in That Phanom. This experience can enrich the trip due to the Lao look of the market.

On these days, a big concentration of Thai and Lao merchants by the river offers many products of the area and souvenirs for sale. It is worth visiting especially if not planning crossing the river to Laos.

Being almost in Laos, it is a good idea to taste at least one Laotian dish while staring at the Victory Monument replica at the center of That Phanom. Near it and the market, is the That Phanom Pochana restaurant, which offers excellent food. Isaan food is practically undistinguishable from Laotian one - as the languages spoken in both areas are.

The laap served there is recommended; laap is a refreshing salad of minced meat, chilies and mint leaves, with other occasional additions. The meat can be pork, beef, poultry, fish or my favorite: duck. A bit of lime juice - look at the table for the green wedges - improves the taste; take care of the small chilies as they are of the extra-spicy kind.

Also Food Is Not Everything in Life

Across the Mekong River the mountainous Laotian province of Khammouan can be seen. However, the views here are far flatter and less impressive than from Nakhon Phanom.

The main avenue connecting the temple with the river was pleasantly designed with many open spaces, gardens and grass surrounded ponds. The promenade along the river is narrow, but not crowded with stalls and offers awesome views of the Mekong River and Laos across it.

Yet, the Stuppa Is the Most Important Thing in That Phanom

The famous stuppa that gave the name to the town is within a temple called Wat Phra That Phanom located at the very center of town, at the western end of a short and wide avenue connecting it with the Mekong River.

Within the temple complex is the Phra That Phanom Chedi, one of the most important Theravada Buddhist structures in Isaan. The construction date of the original structure is deep within mythical times and was apparently designed in Khmer style.

Legend tells that Buddha visited the area and requested his breastbone to be enshrined here. Eight years after his death, the relic was brought by his disciple Phra Maha Gassapa and the first stuppa was built. This is what transforms the temple into an important one.

However, nobody can date accurately the temple. One version – supported by the legend – gives the date of 535BC; the other claims the first stuppa was built much later in the 8th or 9th century. The problem is that between 1690 and 1691 the stuppa was restored and remodeled in Lao style; no signs were left of the original one.

Despite restoration works along the years, the stuppa finally collapsed in August 1975 following a few days of heavy rains. It was restored with the help of public donations; the actual stuppa resembles a downscaled replica of the Pha That Luang Stuppa in Vientiane.

The new stuppa is 57 meters high (including the four meters gold umbrella at its top), its base is smaller than the sister one in Vientiane, there are no walls surrounding it and instead of being coated with gold, it has a complex gold spire over a white plaster coat, but otherwise the similarity is striking.

A festival honoring the temple takes place every year at the end of January or February and it lasts for a week.

Patuxai’s Replica

In front of the temple, at the other side of the avenue and a block before the river, is a a gate that looks like miniature replica of the Patuxai Victory Monument in Vientiane. Again, this one is much smaller than the original and has funny metal stairs steps stuck inside the plaster; it makes a perfect frame for a picture of Wat Phra That Phanom.


From journal Mountain City