If you’re looking for something to do in Nong Khai this has to be the most interesting and unusual sight you could pick.

There is nothing quite like the first view of Wat Khaek.

I rode my bike in the general direction of the temple from my air bnb in town on a very hot and humid day.

A local woman on a motorbike pointed to where I was headed and shouted ‘Wat Khaek?’. I nodded and she gestured for me to follow.

My no-geared bicycle creaked at the sudden increase in speed. As we made our way to the entrance, we were teased glimpses of the huge concrete Buddhist and Hindu sculptures behind the local Thai houses.

Soaring above us were the strangest religious statues I had ever seen.

History of Wat Khaek

Sala Kaeo Kou, is the strange brainchild of the now passed Luang Phu Boonlua Surirat, a holy-man with a multitude of different spiritual influences.

His varied life included studying Hinduism in Vietnam and preaching in Laos, until he was eventually expelled by its communist leaders. He was almost like an Alestair Crowley figure, with bizarre superstitions surrounding him – it was said that those that drank water given by him would renounce all their worldly possessions to his temple – leading to a cult like following in Nong Khai.

His concern that his views would not be accepted by the communists in Laos led him to build his artistic vision in Nong Khai, Thailand. The park took over 20 years to complete.

He died in 1996 and, amazingly, his mummified body can be seen on the third floor of the main building at the sculpture garden inside a strangely futuristic glass globe.

The sculpture garden is a blend of its creators spiritual make-up, with a mix of Hindu, Buddhist and Thai influences. It was built by Luang Phu’s unskilled following, which gives the park its slightly amateurish feel.

These are not, however ancient ruins. They were built in the latter half of the 20th Century, which is why you’ll see more modern interpretations of the religious teachings.

The bizarre faces of the Buddha sculptures are said to bear likeness to Luang Phu himself.

The entrance to the sculpture gardens – Thai proverbs

I walked towards the looming entrance of the gardens. To my right was a towering concrete structure of a Buddha, decrepit and unfinished, it felt like I was entering an abandoned theme park long forgotten.

Birds had made their home inside odd holes that have emerged within it. Nature was beginning to take over.

The first sculpture I was met with was a play on an old Thai proverb. In a similar vein to the ‘Naga-Buddha’ which depicts the Buddha indifferent to the violent snakes around him, this proverb uses the symbolic Elephant surrounded by a pack of angry dogs – ‘as the elephant is indifferent to the barking dogs’.

The message in the proverb is to remain steadfast in spite of negativity that may come from other people.

‘The circle of Life’ Sculpture

The most unusual and maybe most immersive sculpture in the gardens is the ‘circle of life’.

To enter you must first crouch your way through a stone ‘womb’, symbolising the first stage of life, birth. Within the circle are different potential paths that a human can take in life, and there consequences.

The sculpture is made in Luang Poo’s philosophy, that life is an assortment of different influences beginning with conception and ending at death. Depending on what choices you make impacts the type of life you will have.

One of the sculptures highlights this well. An old couple are shown to live in regret from the mistake (in Luang’s opinion) of not having children. Choices early in life have a rippling effect and have consequences.

Where does the circle of life lead you may ask?

Following Buddhist teachings, the idea is to get off the wheel of life by reaching enlightenment and attaining nirvana. At ‘the circle of life’ sculpture you can imitate this by jumping over the wall of life and following the Buddha!

Is Sala Kaeo Kou worth it?

Sala Kaeo Kou is one of those oddities that is rare to find. It is not only worth visiting for its peculiarity, but also for its modern take on Buddhist, Hindu and Thai teachings. As a practising Buddhist myself I found the experience very engaging and loved the size and eccentricity of the sculptures.

It is well worth researching the meanings of the sculptures as they provide valuable insights into the culture.

My advice would be to rent a bicycle from Nong Khai and take a leisurely ride towards the park, this way you can see more of Nong Khai away from the city centre.

There are over 100 sculptures here, so you can easily spend a few hours here walking around the park and the lake.

Drinks and gifts can be bought near the entrance of the park, the entrance fee is 40 baht for foreign visitors.