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You must see the White Temple at Chiang Rai province Thailand, because it may one day be classified as a wonder of the modern world. And you wouldn’t want to tell your grandchildren you missed the opportunity. The drive there from Chiang Mai goes via the Khun Chae National Park, which in itself is worth the trip.
The drive to the White Temple Chiang Rai is spectacular
Take a trip to Chiang Rai province Thailand, and at the same time visited the famous Wat Rong Khun Thailand (aka The White Temple Chiang Rai). You’ll find it 10kms before Chiang Rai city on Route 118 from Chiang Mai. Similar to Chiang Mai the population of Chiang Rai is near two million. Chiang Rai province Thailand has 200,000 citizens. Drive another 70 kilometres North and you reach Mae Sai and the border between Laos and Thailand.
How to get there
To get to Wat Rong Khun Thailand take Route 118 from Chiang Mai city to Chiang Rai city, a distance of 250 kilometres. After leaving Doi Saket the road climbs and winds through forest, waterfalls and streams to an altitude of 2000 metres. (Click an image to see slide show)
Khun Chae Nature Reserve
In the nature reserve, there are many small resorts, trails, roadside eateries and fruit stalls. The 250 square kilometres of Khun Chae National Park is managed by ‘Forest Fire Control’. A government organisation, it is responsible for preserving the forests from fires. Most fires happen naturally in the dry season months of December to May. Fires are also caused by farmers burning off after harvest and careless visitors who damage the habitat.
Forest Fire teams are hospitable, will make you feel welcome. They will put you up for the night if you want to sleep in the mountain air and walk the nature trails. There are also camping areas for hardy souls.
The scenery is quite magnificent throughout the forest drive. As you drop down from the highest point in the road onto flat farming land small towns and villages line the roadside. The mountains to the East and West funnel you on to Chiang Rai as you rise and fall once more before arriving at Wat Rong Khun. (Click an image to see slide show)
Wat Rong Khun Thailand
The Temple grounds are on flat land and they passed two decades of construction in 2012. It is estimated that the whole project will take the best part of 100 years to complete. So it is some undertaking, and completion will not be seen out by its creator, artist Ajarn Chalermchai Kosipipat, as he is past the half-century mark. But he has ensured that his life’s work will be completed through the skilled team he has developed since inception.
He has given to the Province of his birth, and the world, a quite spectacular creation. So, it is impossible to imagine what experience people will have when they visit his legacy Wat Rong Khun, when it is complete. It could well be up there with the Taj Mahal and Angkor Wat.
One of the many remarkable features of the buildings in the Temple complex is that they are pure white and decorated with tiny mirrors. The only exception is what is probably the finest toilet in the world which is in gold.
Wat Rong Khun is therefore in complete contrast to other Thai Wat’s which are sometimes all the colours of the rainbow. Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai is a good example. It is decorated with coloured reflecting glass, as are many temples.
Come on over I’ll show you around!!
We would love to visit this place! 🙂