Wat Bo Shadow Puppet Troupe

What to See at the Wat Bo Troupe

Sbek Thom’s Siem Reap Roots

Shadow theatre using large, non-articulated leather puppets — Sbek Thom — is widely believed to have been born in and around Siem Reap, performed outdoors at night beside pagodas and rice fields long before Angkor became a tourist circuit. The Wat Bo troupe, led for years by Vann Sopheavouth, is one of only two performing groups left in Siem Reap carrying that specific local tradition (the other works the hotel dinner-show circuit).

A More Traditional Staging

Where many Siem Reap shadow-puppet shows are built around hotel dinner packages, the Wat Bo troupe leans toward staging closer to the historic original — simpler, outdoor, and rooted in the pagoda setting rather than a resort stage.

Wat Bo Itself

The pagoda grounds hosting the troupe are a working Buddhist temple in their own right, on the east bank of the Siem Reap River — worth a daytime look even outside performance times.

How to Get to Wat Bo

Wat Bo sits on the east side of the Siem Reap River, a short tuk-tuk ride or 15–20 minute walk from the Old Market area.

• On foot: Walkable from central Siem Reap guesthouses for the able-bodied
• Tuk-tuk: A few minutes from the Old Market or Pub Street

Practical Tips

• Performances aren’t on a fixed nightly schedule — check with Cambodian Living Arts or ask locally before planning around it
• This is a lower-key, more traditional alternative to the resort dinner-and-dance packages elsewhere in Siem Reap
• Modest dress is appropriate, as Wat Bo is an active pagoda

Nearby Attractions

• Old Market (Phsar Chas) — Siem Reap’s evening food-stall district, a short ride away
• Angkor National Museum — useful context on Khmer mythology and the Reamker before seeing it performed