Thung Sri Mueang

Every Thai city has a park that doubles as its living room, and this is Ubon's. A big open green in the middle of town with a golden pillar monument and a temple at its heart, flower beds kept in decent order, and enough shade trees to make the middle of the day survivable. It isn't a polished attraction and it doesn't try to be. That's rather the point.

Timing changes what you get. Daytime is walkers, families and people sitting under the trees doing not very much. Evening is when it earns the visit, cooler air, more people, and the night market alongside it coming to life. If you've only got an hour in Ubon, spend it here after dark and eat while you're at it. Photographers will want the monument in low light rather than under a flat noon sky.

Ten minutes of your time gets you the monument and a lap of the lawns. Longer if you follow it into the market, which most people should.