Wat Ban Rai is a large temple complex in Nakhon Ratchasima, best known for its giant elephant-shaped shrine covered in millions of mosaic tiles. Temples in Khorat town and sites farther out at Phimai need different journeys, so check road distances before trying to see both in one day.
Check the site's own notices for opening times, entry fees, and access to halls or grounds. These can change for a service or local event. Follow the rules at the site and give people space to pray.
English spellings can vary. Use the Thai name and map location to check that you have found the right place, especially when names are similar.
Wat Ban Rai started out as a small, modest monastery. It grew into one of Nakhon Ratchasima's most-visited temples through the work of one monk: Luang Phor Khun (หลวงพ่อคูณ), one of Thailand's most widely revered holy men. He spent years living and travelling alone through Cambodia and Laos. Then he settled at Wat Ban Rai. He used donations from devotees to rebuild the temple, and to fund local hospitals, schools, and roads nearby. He died in 2015, not long after the temple's best-known structure was finished.
That structure is a giant elephant-shaped shrine. It's covered in more than 20 million pieces of mosaic tile, reported as Asia's largest ceramic mosaic shrine. The wider temple grounds are roughly the size of 20 football fields, with several separate compounds and shrines to explore.
These details come from travel writing, not a government archive. Treat exact figures like the tile count and size comparison as reported, not officially confirmed.