Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)
Chalermchai Kositpipat's white, mirror-studded temple outside Chiang Rai — part sacred site, part contemporary artwork, still being built.
Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple, is 13km south of Chiang Rai on the road to Chiang Mai. It is a contemporary art project by Chalermchai Kositpipat, not a historic temple, and costs 100 baht. Allow 90 minutes; the interior murals are the reason.
Open Wat Rong Khun (White Temple) in Google Maps19.8244, 99.7633
Foreign fee doubled to THB 200 on 1 January 2026; Thais free
Entry fee checked against operator or park publication, October 2026. Hours can change without notice — confirm on the day.
Chalermchai Kositpipat's white, mirror-studded temple outside Chiang Rai — part sacred site, part contemporary artwork, still being built.
Chalermchai began the temple in 1997 on the site of a derelict village wat, funding it himself so that no patron could dictate the design. It is deliberately unfinished and is not expected to be completed in his lifetime. The white stucco and mirrored glass represent the purity of the Buddha; the bridge you cross is a passage from the cycle of suffering, and the pond below is filled with sculpted hands reaching up.
Nothing else in Thailand looks like it. The bridge over the lake, the hands reaching from the ground and the murals inside (which include pop-culture references) are worth the drive.
What you’ll actually see
- The bridge of 'the cycle of rebirth' with its forest of reaching hands
- The interior murals — Ben 10, Superman, the Twin Towers and a Starbucks cup among the demons
- The gold building beside the main hall, representing the worldly temptations you must pass
- The gallery of Chalermchai's own paintings, which explains the whole project
How to visit it well
- Arrive at opening; by 10am the coach groups arrive.
- Dress respectfully — shoulders and knees covered.
- The artist's gallery next door is free and explains the project.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Photographing the outside and skipping the murals, which are the actual art
- Coming midday — the white surfaces are blinding between 11am and 2pm
- Treating it as sacred architecture; it is satire and devotion mixed together
Is it worth it?
Worth it, and one of the very few modern Thai temples that earns a detour. The murals are genuinely funny and genuinely unsettling, which no photograph conveys. Combine it with the Blue Temple and Singha Park for a good half day from Chiang Rai.
Common questions
It is a working temple with monks, but it is first of all an artwork by Chalermchai Kositpipat. No monks live there and it is not a historic site.
100 baht for foreign visitors, free for Thais. The gallery and the gold building are included.
90 minutes is right: 30 minutes outside, 20 for the murals, 30 for the gallery. Most coach tours give 40 minutes, which is too short.
Cover shoulders and knees. It is stricter than most because of the queues — you will be turned away at the bridge.
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Last updated: October 2026 · Prices and hours checked by Kanya Pongsak