Just a short 15 minute drive from the Nong Khai/Vientiane border crossing is the Sala Keo Kou Sculpture Garden.
The gardens are spread out and are filled with large towering concrete statues. Each statue has its own unique story and purpose for being added to the sculpture garden.
If you are in the Nong Khai area, we suggest taking a few hours of your time to visit Sala Keo Kou. Because what you will find here is unique to this sculpture garden and not something you will find anywhere else. There are also other Unique Attractions in Nong Khai to visit or visit our page that has man off the beaten places to visit around Thailand.
Location
Sala Keo Kou is on the east side of Nong Khai. You will need a car to get there or take a Grab taxi from the center of Nong Khai. Click here to find its location. Grab is a company similar to the Uber or inDrive found in other countries. It is extremely common throughout Thailand. If you are using Grab taxi for the return trip, we recommend ordering one ahead of time as it will take a little while for a taxi to get over to you at sculpture gardens. You can schedule one ahead of time. If you wish to stay at an accommodation near to Sala Keo Kou you can check out Wasuthan Garden House. This property is about a 15-minute walk away, so it makes could be convenient.
The sculpture garden is on its own land and there is very little around it. We suggest bringing water with you as the land is open and it could be hot. There are a few stalls at the entrance of the garden selling water and souvenirs, but we recommend coming prepared.
Cost / Opening Hours
40 baht per person
Extra cost for fish food inside the gardens if you choose to feed the fish
8 am – 6 pm each day
Duration of Visit
Sala Keo Kou covers a large section of land and there are many sculptures to see. However, the amount of time spend there depends on your interest in learning about the different sculptures and taking time for observation. We recommend giving yourself two hours of time.
History of Sala Keo Kou
Luang Phu Boonlua Surirat created this sculpture garden. He was a holy teacher whose work extended throughout Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam in the 1960’s.
The sculptures are a mix of Buddhist proverbs and Buddhist and Hindu religious symbolism. Throughout the gardens, you can make connections between the sculptures.
There is also a temple area at the front of the gardens that you will see as you enter. There you will find many portraits of Luang Phu Boonlua Surirat hanging around.
*Note about Children: There are some sculptures that could scare young children, so be aware of what your children can handle. We lived in the northeast region of Thailand for several years before visiting this attraction due to this concern, but once we were there, my children were more curious than fearful.
Getting Around
As the purpose of Sala Keo Kou is primarily for religious use, there is very little English throughout the park. Much of the information is written in stone in Thai, but we were still able to use google translate throughout the park to gain more information.
Even without a knowledge of the Thai language, we believe the sculpture garden is a great cultural and religious experience.
