Wat Sri Suphan
Temple Chiang Mai's silver-covered temple with intricate metalwork
Chiang Mai’s Wat Sri Suphan, known as the Silver Temple, features intricate silverwork on its ubosot; visitors study local silversmithing and visit nearby artisan workshops, observing interior rules where they apply.
Wat Sri Suphan is a Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai’s Wualai district, notable for its richly decorated silver-covered ordination hall.
The complex’s most striking feature is the silver-clad ordination hall, whose exterior and many fittings are finished in detailed silverwork. Small workshops and retail silver shops cluster along the adjacent Wualai Road, reflecting a long local tradition of silversmithing.
The site functions as an active monastery within the Lanna Buddhist tradition and has long associations with Chiang Mai’s silversmith community. The silver decoration on the ubosot is a relatively recent focus compared with the temple’s longer monastic role.
The temple sits on Wualai Road in Chiang Mai’s old city, just south of the moat, within easy walking or short-taxi distance from central Chiang Mai.
- Silver ubosot: The ordination hall is covered in hammered silver sheets and intricate silver reliefs, which make it the temple's primary attraction.
What to See #
- Ordination hall (ubosot): The temple's main ordination hall, or ubosot, is clad in hammered silver sheets and detailed silver reliefs that cover walls, doors, and fixtures; it is the complex's principal building and focal point for visitors.
- Silversmith quarter: A concentration of family-run silversmith workshops and retail silver shops runs along Wualai Road immediately outside the temple complex; many craftsmen produce decorative and liturgical silverwork.
How to Get to Wat Sri Suphan #
Wat Sri Suphan (the Silver Temple) sits on Wualai Road in Chiang Mai’s Old City. From Chiang Mai International Airport it’s about 3-4 km (a taxi or Grab is typically 10-15 minutes). From Tha Phae Gate it’s a 10-15 minute walk (roughly 800-1,200 m); the temple is also served by Chiang Mai’s red songthaew shared taxis that run along Wualai Road.
Tips for Visiting Wat Sri Suphan #
- Go early in the morning when the silver workshops along Wua Lai Road are active - you can watch artisans working and the temple grounds are far less crowded than later in the day.
- Enter from Wua Lai Road and ask at the gate about visiting hours for the ubosot; the main ordination hall is richly silver-decorated and visitors are expected to follow temple dress-and-behaviour norms (cover shoulders and knees, remove shoes).
- Combine a visit with the nearby Wua Lai artisan neighborhood to see traditional silversmithing and small galleries that many tourists skip, rather than only photographing the exterior.
Best Time to Visit Wat Sri Suphan #
The ideal time to visit is during Chiang Mai's cool, dry season (November-February) when walking and photography are easiest.
Weather & Climate near Wat Sri Suphan #
Wat Sri Suphan's climate is classified as Tropical Savanna - Tropical Savanna climate with hot summers (peaking in April) and warm winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 14°C to 36°C. Abundant rainfall (1056 mm/year), wettest in August with a pronounced dry season.
January
January is mild with highs of 29°C and lows of 14°C. The driest month with just 3 mm and mostly sunny skies.
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February
February is mild with highs of 32°C and lows of 15°C. Almost no rain and mostly sunny skies.
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March
March is warm with highs of 35°C and lows of 19°C. Light rainfall and mostly sunny skies.
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April
April is the hottest month, feeling like 31°C. Moderate rainfall (49 mm).
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May
May is hot, feeling like 33°C due to high humidity. Significant rainfall (161 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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June
June is hot, feeling like 32°C with oppressive humidity. Significant rainfall (118 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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July
July is hot, feeling like 32°C with oppressive humidity. Significant rainfall (147 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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August
August is hot, feeling like 31°C with oppressive humidity. The wettest month with heavy rain (196 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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September
September is hot, feeling like 31°C with oppressive humidity. Significant rainfall (185 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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October
October is warm with highs of 31°C and lows of 22°C. Significant rainfall (113 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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November
November is warm with highs of 30°C and lows of 18°C. Moderate rainfall (46 mm).
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December
December is mild with highs of 28°C and lows of 15°C. Light rainfall and mostly sunny skies.
