Tickets
Hotels
Tours
Insurance
Trains
ThailandDescription and is it worth a visit
Temple of the Emerald Buddha Phra Kaew (Wat Phra Kaew), also called Bamboo Forest Monastery is one of the most important temples of Chiang Rai, and indeed the whole of Thailand. So if you suddenly have to choose which of the historical temples to visit in Chiang Rai, then without a doubt choose this one. Now let's explain why:
Phra Kayu Temple is famous for the fact that in the XV century the statue of the Emerald Buddha, the one that is currently on display in the temple on the territory of of the Royal Palace in Bangkok and which is the most revered sacred A statue of Buddha in Thailand, was found here immured in one of the stone stupas. As the story goes, in 1434, lightning struck one of the stone stupas in the courtyard of the Wat Pa Yiah temple (this is the old name of this temple), the stupa split, and a statue of the Emerald Buddha was found inside. Later she was moved to the Royal Palace of Bangkok, and this temple was renamed Wat Phra Kaew, which translates as "Temple of the Emerald Buddha." In 1935, the temple was awarded the title of a state historical landmark, and in 1978 it received the status of the first royal temple in Chiang Rai. Therefore, you should definitely visit it.
Like all Thai temples, it is very beautiful, sparkling with gold and jewelry. But it is also interesting because it is practically buried in greenery, as if it is in a forest. That's probably why it had the old name Bamboo Forest Monastery.
Here, on the territory of the temple, in a wooden two-story building there is a free museum. It tells about the history of Phra Kayu, presents important Buddhist relics, many artifacts, documents and photographs.
🕐 Working hours
The temple and museum are open from 07:00 to 18:00.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
Located within walking distance from the city center (Phra Kayu Temple on the map)
Friends, we remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Thailand with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at options with online booking and reviews on these excursion aggregators: