Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)
Chalermchai Kositpipat's ornate all-white contemporary Buddhist temple, Chiang Rai's most famous landmark.
- Category
- Temples (Wat)
- Entrance fee
- As of 2026, ~100-200 THB for foreigners; free for Thai nationals. Confirm at the gate.
- Hours
- Daily, approx 08:00-17:00 (as of 2026, confirm locally)
- Best time
- Right at opening (08:00) to beat tour buses; dry cool season Nov-Feb.
- Time needed
- 1-1.5 hours
About Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)
If you see one thing in Chiang Rai, make it this. It's the province's signature sight, a dazzling all-white Buddhist temple that's really the ongoing art project of Chalermchai Kositpipat, and it lives up to the hype. The bridge, the reaching hands, the mirrored surfaces, it's genuinely unlike any temple you've seen.
The catch is the crowds. By mid-morning the tour buses roll in and the whole place turns into a slow-moving photo queue. It's also privately owned and still unfinished, so parts of it can feel like a construction site with scaffolding here and there.
Get here right when the gate opens and you'll have a completely different experience, quiet, cooler, and room to actually take it in. Come late and you'll be shuffling shoulder to shoulder.
Highlights
- All-white temple covered in mirrored glass
- The bridge of reaching hands crossing into the main hall
- Chalermchai Kositpipat's ongoing contemporary art vision
- Chiang Rai's single most famous landmark
Tips
- Arrive right at opening to beat the tour buses
- Come in the cool dry season, November to February
- Take the blue songthaew from Bus Terminal 1 for the cheapest ride
- It's still unfinished, so expect scaffolding in places
How to get there
~13 km south of the city on Highway 1/AH2. Blue songthaew from Bus Terminal 1 ~20-30 THB, or Grab/taxi ~150-200 THB, 20-25 min. Commonly done as a day tour.