Sala Keoku

Sala Keoku is a large open-air sculpture park in Wat That, Mueang Nong Khai District, about 5 km east of Nong Khai city. Created by mystic and sculptor Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat starting in 1978, it contains more than 200 monumental concrete sculptures blending Buddhist and Hindu mythology. The park is notable for its surreal, large-scale figures and is a distinctive cultural attraction on the Mekong River plain near the Laos border.

Visitors can expect an open parkland with over 200 large concrete sculptures set among gardens and ponds. The site features towering figures of Buddha, Hindu deities, mythical animals and fantastical creatures, including a 25-meter reclining Buddha and multi-armed deities. Paths wind between sculptures allowing close viewing and photography. The setting is outdoors with little shade, with small shrines, pavilions and a main hall displaying the founder's history.

The park was conceived and built by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat (1932-1996), a Thai-Isan mystic and sculptor who had previously built a similar sculpture park (Buddha Park) near Vientiane, Laos. After moving to Thailand in 1978, he began constructing Sala Keoku on donated land in Wat That with help from followers, creating large reinforced concrete sculptures until his death in 1996. The project reflects his syncretic religious philosophy.

Sala Keoku is a cultural and religious attraction illustrating the syncretism of Buddhism and Hinduism in Isan culture. Its sculptures depict stories from Buddhist lore, Hindu epics, and local folklore, serving as an educational and devotional landscape. The park is locally known as Wat Khaek and is regarded as a distinctive example of contemporary folk religious art in northeastern Thailand.