The Best Temples In Chiang Rai (Wat Rong Khun & Wat Rong Suea Ten)
Last Updated: March 1 2021
Chiang Rai is a city in the mountainous region of Thailand and is close to the border of Laos and Myanmar. The city was founded in 1262 by King Mangrai and became one of the regions capital cities. There are lots of incredible temples in Chiang Rai which makes it a popular destination for tourists and backpackers.
We spent 4 days exploring the city because there is plenty to see. There are so many temples to visit in Chiang Rai including Wat Phra Singh, Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong. Baandam museum (also known as the black house) is another popular spot.
However, in this post, we are just going to talk about the two most popular temples in Chiang Rai. Wat Rong Khun and Wat Rong Suea Ten (also known as the white temple, and the blue temple) are a must for any Thailand travel itinerary!
We will go through what you need to know about each temple, how to get there and top tips to give you a better experience. These temples are both extremely beautiful, and you need to visit them both if you are heading to Chiang Rai!
The two best temples in Chiang Rai
There are so many incredible things to do in Chiang Rai, but we are just going to talk about two temples in this blog post. In our opinion, Wat Rong Khun and Wat Rong Suea Ten are the must-see temples in Chiang Rai
Wat Rong Khun (the White temple)
The White Temple in Chiang Rai is beautiful and a must-visit! The site of the original temple was in ruins when local artist Chalermchai Kositpipat took it upon himself to resign and build the temple.
He spent £25 million of his own money on the project and now privately owns the temple. It is also known as Wat Rong Khun and is one of the most popular attractions in Chiang Rai.
Wat Rong Khun has been open to visitors since 1997, and despite ongoing work, the architecture is incredible. Kositpipat built the temple as an offering to the Buddha as he thought it would give him immortal life.
Things to see at Wat Rong Khun
Here are the main things you need to see whilst visiting the White temple.
The Bridge
You have to cross a bridge to get to the main temple. On the way across the bridge, you will see intricately designed hands that reach out towards you.
The hands symbolise ‘unrestrained desire and temptation’. The idea is that if you can avoid the temptation, greed and desire you will make it to the gate of heaven.
Two beautiful Kinnaree statues are situated alongside the bridge. A Kinnaree is a half-human, half-bird like creature which is derived from Buddhist mythology.
The Gate of HeavenÂ
After you cross the bridge, you will come to the Gate of Heaven. The gate is guarded by Rah and Death who are the two creatures which decide your fate.
The main temple
At the front of the main temple, there are several images of Buddhas meditating. It is a beautiful design which greets you upon your entrance to the temple.
Inside the temple, the walls are covered in crazy murals. The murals depict everything from cartoon characters such as pokemon and Michael Jackson to the Matrix. The strangest mural is of the twin towers being attacked by some kind of monster.
These murals make the temple very unique and aren’t something you would expect to see inside a Buddhist temple. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take photographs of the inside to show you!
The toilets
Okay, now we appreciate this is a very random thing to put in here. However, the building is stunning. It is a large beautifully decorated golden building and is rather impressive. It just goes to show how amazing this site is that the toilet can be so incredible.
Key information
Here is some important key information about the white temple that you should know.
Opening time
Wat Rong Khun is open from 8 am-5 pm. The temple is open every day of the week and stays open until 5:30 am on Saturdays and Sundays.
Entrance fee
The temple costs 50 baht (£1) to enter.
Best time to visit
Wat Rong Khun gets extremely busy, so it is best to get there early. The crowds arrive early to queue, so make sure you get there before opening time.
If you arrive later than 9 am, your experience will be a lot less enjoyable. Visiting the temple just isn’t as pleasant when there are hoards of crowds. If you can’t get here early in the morning, your other best bet is getting there just before the temple closes.
How to get there
There are a few options you can choose from in terms of getting to the white temple.
The first option is by the taxi app GRAB. It will show you where the driver is, how long the journey will take and the rough price. It is a quick and cheap way to get to the temple.
Alternatively, you can catch the public bus. Chiang Rai has a large bus station in the centre of town, and you can catch a bus to the temple from here. The bus is easy to find as it says ‘the white temple’ on the side. If not just ask around, and somebody will help you.
There are buses every hour from 6:15 am to 10 am. After this, they run every 30 minutes until 2 pm and become less frequent after that. The bus takes 20-minutes and costs 20baht (£0.50) for a one-way trip.
The bus is a great choice if you are trying to save money because a taxi will cost at least double the price. However, if you aren’t bothered about paying a bit more we recommend getting a taxi. It will get you there quickly, rather than stopping off along the way.
Wat Rong Suea Ten (the Blue temple)
The Blue Temple (also known as Wat Rong Suea Ten) is another of the most popular Chiang Rai tourist attractions. Wat Rong Suea Ten is well known for its blue colouring and intricately designed architecture.
Wat Rong Suea Ten stands for the ‘house of the dancing tiger’. Historically the area where the temple is located used to be surrounded by wildlife; especially tigers hence the name.
The temple has plenty of elaborate carvings, as well as some impressive dragon sculptures. It is the most recent of the Chiang Rai temples, only being completed in 2016.
In the main hall of this temple, is an incredible white Budha statue surrounded by art and murals. The blue temple is beautiful and one of the top temples to see in Chiang Rai.
Key information
Here is some important key information about the blue temple that you should know.
Opening time
The Blue Temple is open every day of the week from 7 am-8 pm.
Entrance fee
Wat Rong Suea Ten is completely free.
The best time to visit
The blue temple also gets quite busy, so it may be best to get there early. However, it doesn’t seem to get as busy as the white temple. Not in our experience anyway! If you head there late afternoon, it is also quieter.
How to get there
Unfortunately, there is no public transport which will get you to Wat Rong Suea Ten. However, you can easily get a GRAB taxi, jump in a tuk-tuk or even walk.
The drive will only take about 6 minutes, but we chose to walk. From the centre of Chiang Rai, the temple is a 40-minute walk.
Top tips for the White and Blue Temples
- Wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees. These temples didn’t seem as strict as some we have visited, but not covering up in temples is often seen as disrespectful.
- Arriving before opening time is a good idea, to try and avoid the crowds.
- You can’t take photos inside the White Temple because they don’t allow it.
- When taking photos try not to pose too dramatically or in any way that could be seen as disrespectful.
- You have to keep moving at the White Temple. Otherwise, the staff will shout at you for holding the queues up.
- The best place to get photos at the White Temple is from across the lake.
Where to stay in Chiang RaiÂ
We stayed in a wonderful budget accommodation called TT Hostel Chiang Rai. It cost us £11 a night for a double room with air conditioning and a shared bathroom.
It was right in the centre of the city and we got free breakfast every morning! The owner was lovely and helped us print off bus and flight tickets, at no extra cost.
We tend to stay in budget accommodation a lot of the time, so here are some more accommodation options for you if you aren’t staying on a tight budget:
Medium Budget Accommodation
Happynest Hostel- £24 a night for a double room with breakfast.
High Budget/Luxury
Mora Boutique Hotel- £45 a night for a deluxe double room breakfast and pool access. Alternatively £75 for a double room with pool view and breakfast.
If you are looking at what to do in Chiang Rai, these two temples are both a must-visit. Wat Rong Khun and Wat Rong Suea Ten are two of the most popular Chiang Rai attractions and it isn’t hard to see why.
Both temples are beautiful and the architecture is something else. They are a must for any Thailand itinerary!
P.S If you want to follow our travels, you can find our Instagram HERE.
Thanks for reading,
Jack & Abbie
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I’m one half of Acouplescalling. I'm passionate about all things travel and photography and I love sharing my experiences with others. I've seen a lot of the world already and I want to help as many people as I can do the same thing!
