Temple-Tastic Chiang Rai, Thailand

Thailand has some stunning Temples, but have you considered doing a Temple Tour of Chiang Rai? Some of Thailand's must-see Temples are in Chiang Rai, and the architecture is breath taking. We were captivated by their unique style.

The White Temple and the Blue Temple are two of the best temples in Chiang Rai, and should be on your list of things to do in north Thailand. Steeped in history, did you know that for a brief period of time, Chiang Rai was once the capital of Northern Thailand?

A few of Chiang Rai's temples are new and still under construction, but others are old and hold a huge amount of historical significance, including the original home to Thailand’s most highly revered Buddha image, the Jade Buddha now housed in the Grand Palace of Bangkok.

Feet Do Travel take you on a temple-tastic self guided tour of Chiang Rai, Thailand.

With literally hundreds of temples to choose from all over Thailand, you may feel all templed-out and decide not to visit any in Chiang Rai. In my opinion, this would be a huge shame as Chiang Rai has some of Thailand's must-see temples.  As there are less visitors to Chiang Rai, some temples can be viewed peacefully and quietly, with excellent photograph opportunities.

Some of my favourite Temples are in Chiang Rai. Although a Temple Tour of Chiang Mai will take you around historical sites from the 13th Century, do not under estimate a mixture of new and old in Chiang Rai.

White Temple, Blue Temple and Black House are generally included with most tours, but you can visit them yourself in a self-guided tour as we did.
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Temple etiquette is very important. When visiting Temples, you are reminded to be respectful of the Monks’ religion, beliefs and way of life. As tourists, remember we are visitors and must dress and act in a way which doesn't cause offence; wearing tiny shorts, small vests or see-through tops with plenty of flesh on display is inappropriate.

​A Temple is not a place to show off your body, it is a place of worship, so cover your shoulders and knees. If you are hot and wear less clothes on holiday, carry a sarong with you for visiting Temples so you can cover yourself.

The New Temples

The White Temple - Wat Rong Khun Temple
Entrance fee: 50 baht per person
Opening hours: 8am – 6pm
Address: San Sai, Mueang Chiang Rai District (off Highway 1, Phahonyothin Road)
Note: There are food and refreshment shops on site plus a toilet which cost 5 baht to use

The White Temple is the most-visited Temple in North Thailand, and the only exception to viewing a temple with less tourists. As the number one tourist attraction in Chiang Rai, it is literally teeming with visitors (and visiting monks who pose for photos outside with their mobile phones!). It was unlike any other Buddhist temple I have seen to date.
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This painted white temple covered with millions of mirrored tiles which sparkle in the sunlight is, in a word, sensational. It has spectacular Gaudi style architecture and a Disney-like feel to it, albeit a macabre one at times!

Movie star heads hanging at the entrance of the White Temple

At the entrance, severed heads hang from trees and clawing hands reach up from the ground, it is a fantastic example of an oxy-moron; very dark in terms of the theme yet the architecture glows white. If I were to have a palace built, I would want it to look like this (minus the severed heads). 

The reaching hands are meant to symbolise desire and the whole area represents human suffering and hell. Yes it sure does! The bridge you walk over to reach the main temple proclaims that the way to happiness is to pass temptation, greed and desire.

​These two statues on the bridge represent Death and Rahu who decide the fate of the dead.

Chalermchai Kositpipat is the Chiang Rai architect who designed the Temple. The original Temple which stood here was in a very poor state so the artist decided to completely rebuilt it funding the project with his own money (estimated so far to be 40 million baht/£917,000/US $1,207,000). In 1997, it was opened to visitors.

​He chose white to signify the purity of Buddha whilst the glass symbolizes Buddha’s wisdom, however this is where any similarity to Buddha ends. 

​Inside the temple next to the doors are strange paintings of Ku Fu Panda, Michael Jackson, Neo from The Matrix, a spaceship, transformers, Freddy Kruger and Saw. On the other door is a ninja turtle, picachoo, Superman, Spiderman, Jack Sparrow, Harry Potter, Godzilla, Terminator, Pinhead, Predator and Star Wars icons.

​Bizarrely there is also a mural of the Twin Towers exploding and images of nuclear warfare, terrorist attacks and oil pumps which are here to show the destructive impact humans have on earth. These are all modern representation of good and evil … although I’m not sure how Superman and Harry Potter relate to Buddhism!

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​Around the grounds, in addition to more stunning architecture there are various movie characters and severed heads, again, I am unsure of how this relates to Buddhism it’s just quirky.

​We managed to spend an hour looking around in amazement and as we walked under covered walkways, looking up we saw ceilings decorated with thousands of dangling “lucky leaf” medallions. Dotted around were various “lucky leaf trees” and, for 30 baht, you can add to the dangly leaf sculptures.

It was interesting to see monks visiting this temple, but I got the feeling it was more for an interesting day-trip than any pilgrimage, mainly because we saw them taking and posing for photos.

​We came across an elaborate building dripping with gold and started to photograph it, only to realise this was the women’s toilet! The gold buildings around the grounds represent the body and symbolizes how people focus on worldly desires and money, whereas the white buildings represent the mind.

​In truth, it didn’t have the feel of a Buddhist complex at all, especially as Thai guards used a megaphone to usher you to move on if you stopped for more than a few seconds, however for sheer audaciousness and wow-factor of a different kind, this temple is definitely worth a visit. But don’t expect to feel peace and calmness afterwards!
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The Blue Temple - Wat Rong Suea Ten
Entrance: FREE
Opening hours: 8am – 6pm 
Address: Tambon Rim Kok, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Rai (Off Highway 1)
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I have to say this temple is breath-taking, the colours are phenomenal. I will go out on a limb here and say this was my favourite of all the temples I had seen to-date.

​The white pearlescent Buddha statue inside the temple is the focus point and is complimented perfectly by the deep blue colour that represents the Dharma, the Buddha’s teaching and code of morals. If you are here before 10am, you may be able to observe a few monks praying.​

The statues outside are reminiscent of a fantasy movie like Clash of the Titans and the deep blue blends into deep green and translucent purples.

​I was in love with this temple, it was so visually different from any other we have seen and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I found it captivating. I wasn’t surprised to learn that the architect who built this modern structure was a student of the White Temple architect! They are similar in their shape and wow-factor, the difference being that the Blue Temple isn’t as “dark” in terms of its theme and it’s not as large as the White Temple.

The Blue Temple feels like a “true” temple with incense burning outside and large Buddha statues inside for worshippers to show their respect.  There is peace and quiet, no guards yelling at you through a mega-phone and you had time to stop, look up, look around and take time to truly admire the Blue Temple's imaginative and splendid architecture.

In my opinion, the Blue Temple is a must-visit in Thailand, and possibly my favourite.
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This temple is very new having been completed January 2016, so some of the statues within the six acres are still under construction, but this didn't affect my experience.

There is no public transport to the Blue Temple, and not all tours will take you here, so a self-guided trip is necessary. Visit the Blue Temple en-route to the Black House if you are planning to head there. Alternatively, take a taxi which will cost about 100 baht, or a Grab/Uber if you have the app.

The Black Temple/The Black House – Baan Dam Museum
Entrance fee: 80 baht
Opening hours: 9am – 5pm
Address: 414 Baandam Nanglae Moo 13 Tumbol  Nanglae, Mueang, Chiang Rai,57100
Note: There are a few food and refreshment stalls outside and the museum has toilet facilities 

The Black Temple isn’t really a temple, it’s actually a museum built in the shape of one. Referred to as “The Black House”, it’s true name is Baan Dam Museum (Baan means house and “Dam” is black). Most tours stop here, but if you are doing it yourself, be warned … it’s difficult to find!

​In truth, what this is a museum of I struggled to establish, other than a museum for thousands of dead animal bones arranged in repetitive “artistic” way. I personally found it to be a macabre, eclectic mix of wood and animal parts, tables and chairs made out of animal skins, horns, table runners made out of crocodile and snake skins, definitely not my cup of tea. ​

If you are interested in unusual or dark art, this museum is definitely for you. 

Upon first glance we thought the museum was just one building but when we exited out the back and started to wander around, we discovered it’s actually a collection of about 15 houses. There were a lot of “No Entry” signs displayed on nearly all exhibits and this place felt more like a “work in progress”.

We found bone displays underneath wooden houses which included an elephant skull and skeleton, there are also a number of lavatory exhibits displaying wooden penises. Some glass buildings looked like a car boot or bring and buy sale filled with animal bones but as animal bones are literally everywhere here, I wouldn’t describe this as art as it’s too repetitive. Art though, is subjective.

A full elephant skeleton

Elephant skull

This toilet display of wooden penises is part of the exhibit

I personally didn’t feel it was worth the 80 baht entrance fee and am trying to establish what the fee is actually for, possibly to fund further building work. 

The grounds, surroundings and wooden buildings are beautiful so we mooched around for about an hour. The complex is built in amongst trees and jungle noises can be heard, then there was the smell of burning firewood although we never established where it was coming from …maybe it was nothing to do with the museum, or maybe it was part of the collection adding another sensory level to our experience. Who knows!?

Wat Huai Pla Kung Temple
Entrance: FREE
Opening Hours: Unsure but possibly 9am – 6pm
Address: 553 Moo 3, Rimkok, Chiang Rai

This newly constructed site is an absolute must-see, you get 3-in-1 here! It’s about 6km north of Chiang Rai so a little out of the way and tours do not stop here, however, if you have a scooter than head here before sunset so you can see it during the day and night, believe me when I say it’s worth it! I would say it one of the top places to visit when in this area.
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As you approach the hill, you are greeted with a giant white Buddha sitting on a lotus leaf and it is stunning. There are three different buildings on this site and we didn’t know which way to head first. To the left is the giant Buddha and to the right, a golden Chinese Pagoda and a white Buddhist Temple – we went for the pagoda first.

​The Golden Pagoda is nine floors high and to reach the viewing level at the top, we walked up about 100 steps passing Buddha statues on each floor. At the top we were greeted with a wonderful view of the giant Buddha and surrounding hillside, and as the sun was starting to set, we wanted to see more before it became dark.

View of the Giant Buddha from the top of the Golden Pagoda

The white Buddhist Temple with Giant Buddha in the background - just as the sun was starting to set

​With dusk approaching, we made our way down the steps and over to the hill to get close to the giant Buddha. Wow, it was breath-taking, so clean and white, it’s unfortunate that we missed the last lift of the day to the head of the Goddess of Compassion and Mercy. It is 25 floors high and I have since heard that it’s like a magical fairytale. 
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Looking up, the Buddha is absolutely massive, I seriously thought it was a contender for the biggest seated Buddha in the world (it’s about 120 feet/36.5 metres tall).

As the sun set, I sat on a marble bench underneath the White Buddha listening to the soothing sounds of Buddhist incantations and watched as the night lights of the Golden Chinese Pagoda and White Temple began to illuminate.
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Visiting this Temple was an absolute highlight and if you can visit, I would definitely recommend it.

​The Old Temples

The understated entrance to the Jade Buddha

Wat Phra Kaew – Where the Emerald Buddha was discovered
Entrance: FREE
Opening Hours: 7am – 7pm (Museum 9am – 5pm)
Address: 19 Moo 1, Tambol Wiang, Ampur Mung, Chiang Rai

This temple is one of the most historically important temples in all of Thailand. It is here in 1434 that the Emerald Buddha was discovered after lighting struck the chedi in which it was kept. The Emerald Buddha is the most highly revered Buddha image in the Country which can now be seen at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Emerald in Thai language means “green coloured” and the Emerald Buddha is actually made of green jade.
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​This Temple is a working Monastery and respectful dress and behaviour should be shown at all times.

The Jade Buddha display

Back of the Jade Buddha

​Until 1434, the original name of this temple was Wat Pa Yeh meaning Bamboo Forest Temple due to its surroundings by a yellow bamboo grove known locally as Yah. It’s new name, Wat Phra Kaew means Wat of the Holy Glass Buddha, however it wasn’t until 1990 that a replica of the Emerald Buddha, known as the Jade Buddha, was commissioned.

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​Near the main entrance you will find a modern museum made of dark teak wood trimmed with gold in traditional Lanna style, it’s really rather quaint. The museum displays religious art and artifacts from the 1296 – 1558 Lanna era, which was a Kingdom occupying North Thailand. Chiang Rai was the capital between 1262-1275 (Chiang Mai later became the capital between 1292-1775).

The outside of the museum which displays religious artifacts from the Lanna era

If you have the time to visit, Wat Phra Kaew should be added to your list of Temples for its historical and cultural significance in Thailand.

​Wat Phra Singha
Entrance: FREE
Opening Hours: 6am – 5pm
Address: 2415 Ruangnakron Road, Tabon Wiang, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Rai

If you are looking for an old Temple which embodies the spirit of Buddhism, then Wat Prah Singh is one to visit. Built in 1385, it is one of Chiang Rai’s oldest temples and is a fine example of Lanna style.

The revered Buddha image, the Phra Sing “lion Buddha” used to be housed here but is now in the much larger Wat Phra Singh Temple in Chiang Mai, however a replica can be found here. If you want to read more about the Lion Buddha’s new location, check out our post “Temple Tour Chiang Mai”.

​This isn’t a big or elaborate complex, it’s just peaceful and nice to wander around the gardens, look out for the small reclining Buddha statue underneath the Bodhi tree. 

​A few monks were here and we watched with a smile on our face as they petted some of the dogs that were wandering around.

​Hiring a scooter

If you want to explore the temples of Chiang Rai at your own pace, the cheapest and most convenient way is to hire a scooter. There are many places to hire scooters at a cost of around 250 baht per day, we picked one up from a restaurant not far from our homestay which hired new and well looked after scooters.

You do not need an International Driving Licence in Thailand provided your licence displays a photograph and is in English. We are from the UK so our licence complies but if you are unsure, check the driving in Thailand website for regulations. ​

Have you been to any of the temples in Chiang Rai? If so, which ones did you visit and what were your thoughts? Maybe you are thinking of going now - let us know in the comments section below.

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How to get to Chiang Rai

Flying: Air Asia fly to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and many other places in Thailand, however Chiang Rai is very close to the border of Myanmar and Laos if you wanted to travel overland.

By Train: You will need to get a train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, then a bus. We checked the train schedule and bought tickets online through 12GoAsia from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. They also travel all over Asia so you can check boat, train and boat schedules ahead of time. We caught the overnight train from Bangkok, but there are regular daytime options.

By bus from Chiang Mai: From the Green Bus Thailand website choose your departure date, type of bus (Express buses are 4 seats across, VIP are 3 seats – we opted for the latter), time of departure and which seats you would like to sit in. You are then given a numerical code (take a photo of this code on your phone) and show this number to the cashier at your nearest 7/11 shop. We paid 270 baht per person (£6.13/US $8.16)

Take a photo of the reference code so you can buy your coach ticket

The comfortable VIP bus

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