History and General Information about Yasothon Province
The emblem of YasothonAccording to historical chronicles of Muang Yasothon, Phra Chao Voravongsa, and his followers in 2340 B.E. were migrating to settle down with the governor of Champasak. Along the way, they stopped at Dong Phi Singh and decided to make their home there as it was found to be an approciate site which was later named Ban Ta Singh or Muang Ta Singh. In 2357 B.E. King Rama II issued an edict to upgrade the settlement into a town. Muang Ta Singh, reporting direct to Bangkok. The rank of Phra Rachavongsa was given to the governor. The town was subsequently elevated into a province under a Revolutionary Order No.70 on February 6,2515. The province was made up of the following districts, Yasothon, Kam Khuan Kaew, Maha Chaichana, Pa Tiew, Lerng Nok Tha and Kud Chum (all formerly in Ubon Ratchathani), and officially came into existence on March 1,215 (1972).

Tourist Attractions 
Wat Mahathat
   Located within in Muang municipality.It has existed ever since the beginning of the community of the original Ban Ta Singh, major ancient structures include the Phra Buddha Busayarat statue, the Phra That (holy relic) Yasothon and the Scripture Hall.festivities and events place there.

The Phra Buddha Busayarat
   Also known as Phra Kaew Yad Nam Kang, cast in the Chiang Saen style, is a statue in th Meditation posture, with a lap width of 1.9". It is an ancient symbol of Yasothon and was presented to the first governor of the town by King Rama III.

Phra That Kong Khao Noi

Phra That Kong Khao Noi    is an ancient chedi dating back to the Khorn Era. Located in a field in Tambon Tad Thong of Yasothon district. It can be reached by going out of town for about 8 kms. on Highway No.23 (Yasothon-Ubon Ratchathani). At about Km. marker 194, turn left and proceed on for another kilometer.at Ban Tat Thong is a distinctive brick pagoda dating back to the late Ayutthaya period (18th centry).

Phra That Yasothon (Phra That Anon)

   is one of the major and ancient Phra Thats in the Northeast. Square shaped with the top similar to the Phra That Phanom, the chedi enshrines the ashes of Phra Anon. The Phra That Phra Anonarchitecture reflects the influence of Laotian art popular reflects the influence of Laotian art popular during the Late Ayutthaya Period-Early Rattanakosin Period, which supports the belief that it was built around that period when Phra Vor and Phra Ta led immigrations to settle down in that vicinity. The Phra That has a square base, each side measuring 81 m. built of brick and mortar with a tapered waist in the form of face-up and face-down lotrses. The actual Chamber is located above. The four arches on the four compass points are adorned with standing Buddha statues. On the four sides top of the Phra That are smaller Pli Lek knots, while the central top is double-tiered. The general style is similar to the Phra That Kong Khao Noi. The Phra That Anon is celebrated in an annual fair during the month of March.
   Also known as Phra Kaew Yad Nam Kang, cast in the Chiang Saen style, is a statue in th Meditation posture, with a lap width of 1.9". It is an ancient symbol of Yasothon and was presented to the first governor of the town by King Rama III.

Dong Muang Toey
   near the village of Ban Song Puay in Kham Khuan Keao district is the site of a commuity beelieved to have originated around the 6th century. The ruins of a building at the site bear words which indicate it was a Brahman shrine.

Mae Nam Chee Beach
Buddha Image in Phu Tham Phra
       is a two-kms stretch of river bed along the banks of the Chee River. The area is exposed when the river recedes during the dry deason from December to May. During this time vendors set up food stalls and the "peach" becomes a recreation area. There a number of interesting caves in the scenic mountainous vicinity of Phu Tham Phra 16 km from Loeng Nok Tha district. The cave on Phu Tham Phra contains several Buddha images. Other notable caves include Kheng Ngu Chuang, Kliang and Phrom Butr.
Phu Thang Kwian
   is a rocky peak in the Phu Phan Mountains 24 km from Kut Chum district. It is worth a visit to see the surrounding landscape. Local people pay homage to a shrine while they are there.
The village of Ban Si Than Pa Tiu
   District 20 km east of Yasothon on Highway 202 is noted for making khid cloth and triangle-shaped mawn kwan pillows.

  Festival and Enent Interesting 
   Yasothon is most famous for its spectacular Rocket (Bung Fai) Festival, an event which draws visitors from all over the country. The festival, held as a rain-making and fertility rite, features large home-made rockets, fireworks displays, parades and beauty contests. This unique Isan tradition is hele in early May at the advent of the rainy season.

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THAILAND'S northeastern region has seen civilizations come and go over the centuries. In the 1970's, an archeological excavations at Ban Chiang, 50 kms cast of Udon Thani, unearthed the remains of a Bronze Age civilization that flourished over 5,000-7,000 years ago. A thousand years ago, the area was also part of the ancient Khmer empire that gave birth to Angkor Wat. The Khmer ruins at Phimai and Phanom Rung are fine examples of this great civilization that preceded Sukhothai-Thailand's first established capital.

But even before human begins roamed the plateaus of "Isan", the region was once home to a more ancient species of animal-the dinosaur. The discovery of new dinosaur bones at the Phu Wiang National Park in Khon Kaen province has brought excitement to the world at large. Thai people are even more excited to learn that the fossils are the "grandfather" of all tyrannosaurs, the oldest example of the fierce, mcat-eating dinosaur ever found.

The discovery was reported by a team of Thai and French researchers. The report has just been published in the well-known science journal "Nature". Researchers have named this new species of dinosaur the Siamotyrannus isanensis. It is 20 million years older than earliest known Tyrannosaurus rex, the feared beast of the popular movie "Jurassic Park". The meat-eating dinosaur was first found at the Phu Wiang National Park in Phu Wiang district,Khon Kaen province in 1987. The study on its hip bones, spine and legs was completed early this year and published in the latest issue of the journal "Nature".
The Department of Mineral Resource says the new dinosaur found in Thailand is only 6.5 metres longs, about half the size of the Tyrannosaurus rex. The excavation and study on the fossils of this dinosaur were conducted through cooperation between Thailand's Department of Mineral Resources and the University of France. The project started in 1979, and a plant-eating dinosaur was discovered in Phu Wiang in 1984 . It was named Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae in honuor of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
The new discovery of dinosaur fossils in Phu Wiang has made a name for Thailand. It may prove that this tyrannosaur evolved in Asia and spread to North America. The story of dinosaurs has always attracted people of all ages and nationalities. The first dinosaurs fossils were found about 175 years ago in Connecticut,USA. Since then, a great many others have been found in other parts of the world. These fossils are mainly dinosaur bones, teeth and eggs. Scientists can put the bones together into whole skeletons and from the skeletons they can tell what the dinosaurs actually looked like. By studying fossil teeth, scientists can tell whether a dinosaur ate plans or meat. Meat eater has pointed, sharp teeth for teaching meat. Dinosaurs that ate plants had flat, blunt teeth designed for chewing.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Department of Mineral Resources and other agencies concerned are joining hands in establishing a dinosaur museum will be completed by the year 2,000. When completed, the museum will become a tourism attraction in Khon Kean. It will also serve as a study centre for these who are interested in the ancient dinosaurs, which died out millions of years before the first humans appeared on Earth.
Information About Phu Wiang

Phu Wiang National Park
Phu wiang is a name of a mountain and Amphur in Khorn Kean. Royal Forest Department declared this national park on December 8,1991, becoming 71th national park of Thailand, covers an area of 325 km2 Dinosaurs' skeletons and steps are found in this park. Beside this, human sheletons, Iron equipment, the sleep Lord Bhuddha in Thawarawadee Period and also point in before history. The topography on the mountain is a big hold of a volcano peak, which covered by dipteracarp and dry evergreen forest.
Phu Wiang National Park
P.O.Box 1, Nai Muang Sub-district, 
Amphur Phu Wiang   Khorn Kaen
Thailand 40150
Tel. 08 5852 1771   E-mail reserve@dnp.go.th

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