Wat Phra That Sri Chom Thong Temple

Address: Wat Phra That Sri Chom Thong - Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

Admission: Free (donations welcome)

Wat Phra That Sri Chom Thong is a Buddhist temple in Chom Thong district, Chiang Mai province, associated with a stupa that is venerated by local worshippers.

The complex includes a central chedi and supporting shrine buildings used for daily worship and merit-making; it is visited by both pilgrims and local residents. The site is part of the Lanna cultural landscape of northern Thailand rather than a monument preserved solely for tourism.

The temple has historical Lanna ties and has been maintained by monastic communities and local patrons through restorations and additions over time. It continues to function as an active monastery and festival site.

Situated in southern Chiang Mai province, the temple lies in a rural district commonly reached from the city of Chiang Mai and is often combined with visits to nearby highland attractions.

• Religious importance: Holds the same regional religious significance as the nearby temple with a similar name and functions as a pilgrimage and local worship site.

Wat Phra That Sri Chom Thong is the same major temple in Chom Thong district (Chiang Mai). Access is the same as for Wat Phra That Chom Thong: drive or take a regional bus/minivan from Chiang Mai city toward Chom Thong/Doi Inthanon (about an hour), then walk or take a short local ride from Chom Thong town to the temple.

• Go early in the morning to join local devotional activities at the stupa and to avoid the peak visitor periods later in the day.
• Spend a few minutes exploring the ancillary temple buildings and grounds - smaller chapels and community areas next to the main chedi often contain murals and local dedications that many visitors miss.
• If possible, visit on a weekday rather than during temple festivals to experience the site with far fewer tourists and more uninterrupted time for photography and observation.

The temple stands right beside the main road (Highway 108) in the middle of Chom Thong town, so it takes no effort to reach. Thought to be one of the oldest Buddhist temples in northern Thailand, it is famed for its sumptuously decorated exteriors, its fully gilded chedi and the huge, serene bronze Buddha image (Luang Phor Phet) in its impressive viharn - true glories of Thai Theravada Buddhist art. The present temple was built in the early 19th century on an ancient site legendarily visited by the Lord Buddha, who foretold that it would house a holy relic; religious buildings have stood here for at least 1,200 years.

It is a popular pilgrimage site thanks to the Holy Dakkhinamoli Relic, which unusually is not buried under the chedi as most relics are, but kept in a container paraded on special occasions. Crowds of worshippers arrive from all over the north to celebrate the major Buddhist festivals, make merit and catch a glimpse of the relic. One of the temple’s most striking sights is a cluster of enormous pillars placed under the branches of the bo tree; offering support to the tree is symbolic of reaffirming faith, and a popular form of merit-making.

The large compound also houses a residential Insight Meditation Centre offering three-week introductory courses based on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, along with shorter retreats for more advanced meditators. Students observe the Eight Buddhist Precepts while at the temple and follow the same regime as the monks, including rising at 4am each day.