Wat Maha That

Wat Maha That is a historic Theravada Buddhist temple located in Nai Mueang, Mueang Yasothon District, Yasothon town, Yasothon Province, northeastern Thailand. It is the most revered temple in the province and houses Phra That Yasothon, a Lao-style chedi enshrining Buddha relics, and a traditional wooden Hor Trai scripture hall set in a lotus pond. The temple serves as the religious centre for major local festivals and daily worship.

Visitors can expect a compact, active temple compound in central Yasothon town with a white Lao-style chedi (Phra That Yasothon), an ornate ubosot and viharn, and the distinctive wooden Hor Trai library standing on stilts in a small pond. The grounds are paved and shaded with mature trees, Buddha images, and mural paintings. The atmosphere is calm and used for daily prayer and merit-making, with areas to walk around the chedi and view the scripture hall from the pond edge.

Wat Maha That is the oldest and most important temple in Yasothon, founded during the early Rattanakosin period when Yasothon was established as a town in the late 18th century. Phra That Yasothon, the Lao-style chedi, is believed to enshrine relics of the Buddha and reflects Lao-Isan architectural influence. The wooden Hor Trai in the pond dates to the 19th century and was built to protect palm-leaf scriptures from insects, representing traditional Isan temple architecture.

As a first-class royal temple and the principal Buddhist temple of Yasothon Province, it is the spiritual centre for the local community. It plays a central role in Theravada Buddhist observances, daily merit-making, and the annual Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival, one of Isan's most important cultural festivals. The temple preserves Isan religious art, architecture and manuscript traditions.