The sights
Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)
Artist Chalermchai Kositpipat’s life work, begun in 1997: a dazzling white temple inlaid with mirror glass, reached over a bridge across a pit of grasping hands. Inside, the murals mix Buddhist imagery with figures from popular culture.
ℹ️ About 13 km south of town. Open daily; foreigners pay a small entry fee (around 100 THB). Busiest 10 am–2 pm when the day trips arrive. Allow an hour.
Wat Rong Suea Ten (Blue Temple)
A newer temple by one of Chalermchai’s students, painted in deep sapphire and gold with a serene white Buddha in the main hall. Smaller and usually calmer than its famous neighbour.
ℹ️ Just north of the river, a short ride from the centre. Free entry at the time of writing. Open into the evening, when it is lit up.
Baan Dam Museum (Black House)
The former home and studio of the artist Thawan Duchanee: some forty dark timber buildings in a garden, filled with animal skins, horns, bones and carved furniture. A brooding counterpart to the White Temple.
ℹ️ About 12 km north of town. Entry fee of around 80 THB. Allow an hour.
Golden Triangle & the Mekong at Sop Ruak
A viewpoint above the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers looks out over three countries. Longtail boats make short trips on the Mekong, and the Hall of Opium explains the trade that made the region notorious.
ℹ️ About 1–1.5 hours from Chiang Rai. The viewpoint is free; boats and museums charge. Combine with the old walled town of Chiang Saen nearby.
Doi Mae Salong tea country
A ridge-top village settled by Chinese Nationalist soldiers from Yunnan in the 1960s, now surrounded by oolong tea terraces. Walk or cycle between plantations, taste tea and eat Yunnanese noodles in the morning market.
ℹ️ About 1.5 hours from Chiang Rai on winding roads. Coolest and clearest November–February; cherry blossom around December–January.
Phu Chi Fa
A cliff on the Lao border, 1,442 m high, that juts over a valley often filled with mist at dawn. A short, steep path of about 20–30 minutes leads from the car park to the summit.
ℹ️ About 2 hours from Chiang Rai; most visitors leave around 4 am or sleep nearby. Best November–February; very cold before sunrise.
