Thinking about venturing to Chiang Rai during your stay in Thailand? Chiang Rai is located in northern Thailand near the borders of Laos and Myanmar. Out of all the places my friend and I traveled throughout Thailand, it was the least touristy. Chiang Rai is big enough to have an airport. My friend and I stayed at a yoga retreat in the more rural part of Chiang Rai. We were able to walk past many rice fields where we stayed which was quite beautiful and peaceful. Here are some recommended activities and places to visit if you decide venture to Chiang Rai:
1) Wat Rong Khun: The White Temple of Thailand is a must. I would recommend reading about the symbolism of The White Temple before visiting. We weren’t given any brochures upon arriving. Here is the CliffsNotes version: Chalermchai Kositpipat, who is a Thai artist, started to build The White Temple in 1997.1 The white exterior of this Buddhist temple signifies Buddha’s purity. While crossing over the bridge there are arms reaching out which represents suffering and hell and the mirrors symbolize self-reflection.2 The temple is a combination of Buddhist symbols in addition to Western ones such as Michael Jackson and Freddy Krueger.2 Other figures are Harry Potter and Kung Fu Panda.3 The temple portrays the battle between good and evil and the bridge to enter is called the Cycle of Rebirth.3 On the inside of the Temple, the Twin Towers are drawn.3 George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden are depicted inside of the eyes of a demon by the name of Mara who is fighting with Buddha.3 An earthquake in 2014 required parts of the temple to be reconstructed.4
Once visitors cross the Cycle of Rebirth, they are at the Gate of Heaven. At the Gate of Heaven there are two creatures. One that represents Death and one that is Rahu, who determines the fate of man.5 The white building after walking through the Gate of Heaven is also known as the ordination hall. There are murals on the inside of this hall which are modern.5 If looking for the restroom, it is located in the golden Building. The golden building is a symbol of the body while the white ordination hall is of the mind. The gold signifies materialism and the golden building sends a reminder to spend more energy on the mind.5 There are medallions hanging from the trees throughout the temple grounds and tourists can add their names to a medallion for 30 baht.5 Looking back, I wish I would have taken more time and read up on it to really appreciate all the details of this magnificent temple.
Cost: 100 Baht
Hours: 8:00 am- 5:00 pm
Website: https://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/wat-rong-khun
2) Baan Dam Museum: There is a brochure available upon entrance that has English translation. Based on the brochure, “baan” means home in Thai and “dam” means black. Thus, the Museum is called the Black House. In reality this museum is a collection of 40 black houses that were created by Thawan Duchanee, a Thai artist. These houses house Thawan’s art collections in addition to art from Lan Na and Southeast Asia that go as far back as the Suvarnabhumi Period.
Cost: 80 Baht
Hours: 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Website: https://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/baan-dam-museum
3) Singha Park: This was my favorite place to visit in Chiang Rai. My friend and I rented bikes for an hour to tour the beautiful and scenic tea plantation. There is a zipline near the entrance as well as a petting zoo. I had the best matcha tea overlooking such a breathtaking view.
Cost for bike rental: 200 Baht an hour and a half
Hours: 9:00 am -6:00 pm
Website: https://www.singhapark.com
4) PongPhabat Hot Springs: This was a nice place to stop briefly as it wasn’t too far from our yoga retreat. My friend and I paid 80 Baht per person for a private bath. However, I would not recommend this and would rather use the free hot spring pool instead.
5) Wat Huay Pla Kang: One building is the Phop Chok Dhamma Chedi, which is a nine-story pagoda.6 There is also a Giant Guan Yin Sculpture which is the largest in Thailand. 6 A lift to take in the views that Wat Huay Pla Kang has to offer is available. 6 The last main building is a white stucco ubosot which is an ordination hall.6
Cost: 40 Baht
Hours: 7:00 am-9:00 pm
Website: https://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/wat-huai-pla-kang
6) Wat Rong Suea Ten or Blue Temple: This was free to enter. It was completed in 2016 and is relatively new.7 The Buddha statue is at the center of the main hall. 7 There are murals and sculptures on the inside of the temple.8 The name Wat Rong Suea Ten is translated to “temple of the dancing tiger.”8
Cost: Free
Hours: 7:00 am-8:00 pm.
Website: https://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/wat-rong-suea-ten
7) Night Markets: My friend and I went to the weekend market. There are two different weekend markets. One is on Saturday night and is called the Saturday Night Market. It is located on Thanalai Road (have seen spelling for the road 2 different ways), right in the city center and open form 4:00 pm-12:00 am. The other market is Sunday Happy Street. It is located on San Khong Noi Road (have seen spelling for the road 2 different ways) near the Chiang Rai Hospital. The hours for the Sunday Market are from 4:00 pm-11:00 pm. I still have a souvenir from the market I attended which is very unique and used as a hanging decoration. Part of it is made from a can. Whenever I look at it, it reminds me of my time in Thailand and at the market. Note the times for the market hours may vary slightly.
8) Find a yoga retreat: My friend and I went to a yoga retreat which was fantastic. I found it on bookyogaretreats.com. The retreat that we visited is no longer in Thailand but there are plenty of other great ones. My friend and I met another traveler who was getting certified to be a yoga instructor while traveling in Thailand. This would also be worth looking into doing in the future.
Getting around in Chiang Rai: With the help of our yoga instructor, my friend and I hired a taxi during the day to drive us to many of the destinations mentioned above.
Attire for visiting the temples: Cover shoulders and wear clothing that covers the knees. Take off ones shoes when entering.
Sarah Masse
References:
- Nėjė J. Thailand’s White Temple looks like it came down from heaven. Bored Panda. September 1, 2014. Accessed July 18, 2021. https://www.boredpanda.com/white-temple-thailand/.
- Morton E. A tour of Wat Rong Khun, the Oddest Temple in Thailand. Slate Magazine. July 22, 2014. Accessed July 18, 2021. http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2014/07/22/wat_rong_khun_or_the_white_temple_in_chiang_rai_thailand.html.
- Cooper A. Thailand’s White Temple a sanctuary for buddha – and hello kitty. Los Angeles Times. April 11, 2015. Accessed July 18, 2021. https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-d-thailand-temple-20150412-story.html.
- Amy Nelmes Bissett, “The White Temple in Thailand Has Reopened and It’s as Stunning as Ever,” 9Travel, November 27, 2017, https://travel.nine.com.au/2017/11/27/15/01/white-temple-thailand.
- “Symbolism in the White Temple.” Symbolism in the White Temple of Chiang Rai. Accessed July 18, 2021. https://www.renown-travel.com/temples/symbolism.html.
- “Wat Huai Pla Kang.” Tourism Authority of Thailand. Accessed August 26, 2024. https://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/wat-huai-pla-kang.
- “Wat Rong Suea Ten – the Unique Blue Temple – Thai Unika.” Thai Unika Travel. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://thaiunikatravel.com/attraction/wat-rong-suea-ten-the-blue-temple/.
- “Wat Rong Suea Ten – the Unique Blue Temple – Thai Unika.” Thai Unika Travel. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://thaiunikatravel.com/attraction/wat-rong-suea-ten-the-blue-temple/.
Travelnista 