Chiang Rai’s Iconic White Temple: A Must-Read Guide

Wat Rong Khun (The White Temple) is located in Chiang Rai, North Thailand. It's only a 25-30 minute drive from the main city center, making it easily accessible by taxi, bus, or songthaew. The roads in this area are safe if you choose to rent a car or motorbike—they're easy to navigate, and there's a large car park at the temple.

Wat Rong Khun is one of Chiang Rai's and even Thailand's biggest tourist attractions for both domestic and international visitors, and for good reason.

What is it?

The White Temple began construction in 1997 by artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. It's a unique and striking temple unlike most other Thai Buddhist temples. The entire structure is white, making it stand out against the blue sky, and it's covered with glass mosaics that make it glimmer, symbolizing the purity of the Buddha.

Some of the standout features include the "Cycle of Rebirth" Bridge. On both sides beneath the bridge, hundreds of outstretched hands reach up, symbolizing humanity's "greed, anger, and delusion." The first hall you enter after crossing the bridge is covered in symbolic oil paintings and numerous cartoon-style paintings!

What's there?

When you visit the White Temple, you'll find that the site isn't just home to the main temple. It's an area with multiple beautiful buildings, including a fully gold structure. As you walk around, you'll see many symbolic statues and sculptures, an exhibition hall, and a man-made cave of art (which is amazing).

Walking around the grounds is free, and you can see all the buildings, sculptures, and enter the golden exhibition hall. However, to enter the White Temple itself, there's a small fee of 100 THB (£2.28), and the Cave of Art costs 50 THB (£1.14). These are small fees for an incredible experience of admiring these beautiful structures.

How long should I spend here?

When I visited Wat Rong Khun, I spent about 2 hours here. I stopped at a coffee shop just around the corner. It was a beautiful café with a nice indoor/outdoor garden to sit in.

When we arrived at 11:30, we found out that the ticket offices close from around 11:30-13:00 for lunch, so we had to wait (in this coffee shop). Go before or after this time if you want to enter the temple and Cave of Art. Other than during these hours, you can walk around the site at any time! The ground itself is open from 8am-5pm.

You could also consider joining a tour here! There are plenty available, offering an easy, hassle-free experience with the bonus of local knowledge and a chance to meet people along the way.

Rules To Follow

What to Wear

As it's a place of worship, you need to be respectful and ensure you wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. This is the same for any temple you visit across Asia! Any shoes are okay to wear, I wore sandles and this was no porblem. You can also use a sarong to cover yourself, these can be bought for a small cost in shops outside the temple grounds.

No Pictures Inside

When you enter the first building, they ask you to put your cameras away and take no pictures inside. However, this is only for a small section—everywhere else, you can snap away, and trust me, you'll want to.

No Stopping On the Bridge

They ask you not to stop on the bridge up to the temple to take photos, to keep the flow of people moving. However, everyone seemed to do this anyway.

It's an amazing building to see, so take your time looking around and noticing all the little details. In my opinion, it's a must-do when in Thailand. Chiang Rai is also such a nice city—I only spent 2 days here, but I really enjoyed my time.