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Thailand · City guide

Chiang Rai

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places

Things to do in Chiang Rai (Thailand): White Temple (Wat Rong Khun), Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten). Prices, opening times and the author’s tips.

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What to see

White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)
Photo: Chainwit., CC BY 4.0

🤍White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)

A dazzling white temple by artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, covered in mirror mosaic. You enter over a bridge above a sea of reaching hands, and the murals inside hide Neo from The Matrix, superheroes and Michael Jackson among the demons.

Price Foreigners about 100 ฿

Insider tip Arrive at the 8:00 opening: by noon the tour buses are here and the heat bounces off the white walls. No photos inside the main hall. From Chiang Mai it’s a day trip by car or tour, combined with the Blue Temple.

Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten)
Photo: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0

💙Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten)

A deep-indigo temple with golden dragons on the railings and a white Buddha inside. It was built by a student of the White Temple’s creator and feels much calmer and more intimate.

Price Free (donations welcome)

Insider tip Best light is in the morning and late afternoon, when the blue seems to glow. Across the road they sell coconut ice cream served in half a coconut — perfect in the heat.

Golden Triangle
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0

🔺Golden Triangle

The point where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet — and a frank museum about why this place was once famous for opium.

Secret spot: details and the map pin are in the full guide

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