Wat Okat or Wat Okat Si Bua Ban is the old sacred temple of
Nakhon Phanom Province. The temple houses two revered Buddha images, "Phra
Tio" and "Phra Thiam", which are situated together, as well as
beautiful murals. Interesting sights inside the temple include the two
identical "Phra Tio" and "Phra Thiam" Buddha images in Mara
Vichaya Posture. Housed in the Busabok pavilion in front of the principle
Buddha image inside the temple's main hall, the two ironwood statues are 39
centimeters high and 60 centimeters tall. Phra Thiam is located on the right
side of the principle image, while Phra Tio is on the left. According to a
legend, the images were built in the time of Si Khotrabun Kingdom when King Si
Khotrabun demanded to have a royal barge constructed. Once the vessel was
completed, they pushed it onto Khong River by putting numbers of round logs
underneath the barge as laborsaving tools in moving. One log of Tio wood didn't
move as they pushed and kept straying away from the direction. It took a long
time to finish moving the barge onto the river. They believed that there was a
guardian spirit in that Tio wood. The King, therefore, decided to have the Tio
wood carved into a Buddha image in the year 784 and organized a ceremony to
celebrate the Buddha statue of the kingdom. In the reign of the next king, King
Khattiyawong, a fire incident burned down the hall of Phra Tio. The King
ordered to have an imitation of Phra Tio carved from a sacred wood. However,
Phra Tio statue was later found in Khong River. It was brought to house alongside
with the new Buddha image which was named as "Phra Thiam."Beautiful
murals inside the main hall of the temple depict the life of Lord Buddha.
Wooden plates on top of each pole are painted with pictures of angels inside
glass pavilions, while the wall is painted with golden stars on red background.
Each pole is painted in colorful Thai patterns. Both Buddha images are sacred
icons of the city.