Chaing Rai
Travel Advice for Seniors:Chaing Rai
We were very excited to visit Chaing Rai, home of the White and Blue temples and the Black house! We arrived Chaing Rai on a flight from Bangkok and was our second destination in Thailand. We had planned a four-week trip to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand and were having a tremendous time. Our trip was nearing an end, but the sights were still exhilarating with plenty yet to learn.
Chaing Rai and its sister city Chaing Mai are two of the “must see” stops when you go to Thailand besides Bangkok and Phuket. Chaing Rai is the capital of the same named province and borders Myanmar and Laos. It is in the “Golden Triangle” area which has been associated with opium but is starting to be more associated with tourism.
The area of Chaing Rai is more mountainous and is part of the jungle, so it’s a nice change from the usual tour drives. The countryside is unique and appears untouched. There are also a lot of hill tribes that live in this area. The area is called the Golden Triangle, as it is where the countries of Myanmar and Laos meet Thailand along the Ruak and Mekong rivers.
We traveled to Sop Ruake city for a half day tour of the Golden Triangle area.
On our way we stopped at the Wat Pa Sak Ngam, an ancient Buddhist temple/monastery. It was built in the thirteenth-fourteenthcenturies and is right outside the city walls of Chaing Rai. The temple was originally built to house the Buddha’s ankle. King Saen Phu oversaw the planting of about 300 teak trees on the site. We also made a stop at Wat Phra Dhat Jom Kitti, another Buddhist temple that historically housed relics of the Buddha.
At Sop Ruake, we boarded a boat for a ride up/down the Mekong River to the confluence of it and the Ruak. There were some spectacularly huge statues of the Buddha, elephants and other Thai notable creatures at a viewing point by the river. They looked large from the river but were even larger as we walked around them to take a look at the river view. We also saw a few local watercrafts on the river and passed by a casino that the Chinese had built for their Chinese constituents to enjoy.
We also visited the Opium Museum here, which provided an interesting history of the drug and drug trade. Overall, the tour was interesting mostly for the beautiful scenery and history of the area (though sanitized by the guide).
For our only full day in Chaing Rai, we prioritized the White Temple, the Blue Temple and the Black house.
The White Temple, or Wat Rong Khun, is top of the list for a visit to Chaing Rai. It was built by a local merchant/artist who wanted to give something back to the community and spent most of his life working on this modern architectural marvel. The styling marries contemporary design with traditional Buddhist design and adds in a fantasy element with stunning result. It was built between 1997-2008, but pieces are still being added. The outside is the main attraction, and you can take a nice photo with the building’s reflection in the water from the left side of the Temple. Be sure to take some time just sitting and looking at the mesmerizing exterior. As with all temples, please remember to be respectful and remove your shoes.
The Blue Temple, or Wat Rong Suea Ten, was the next stop. Finished in 2016, it was designed by a protégé of the architect of the White Temple. Like the White Temple, it fuses traditional classical Thai architecture with very contemporary design choices, with blue being the predominant color. They also had an interesting display of Buddhas outside the temple. The blue and gold colors are very striking on the exterior and the interior is very nicely done.
The final stop of the day was at the Black house or Ban Dam. This area features forty black houses of varying styles. The artist, Thawan Duchanee, was a student of the creator of the White Temple. Watch your step walking around and save some time to wander around the grounds. Several of the houses have animal-based decoration which was somewhat of an odd feature, but worked with the black and rustic buildings.
We also made time for a nice lunch at a restaurant by the river Kok and went to the Chaing Rai night market which featured plenty of souvenir-type things to purchase for friends. Night markets are definitely a thing in Thailand. There was also a very good one in Chaing Mai. These are for the locals as well as tourists and many things can be found for a good price. Don’t forget to pick up some Thai tea!
Where we stayed: La Patta Chaing Rai. Breakfast included. Nice hotel, good location.
How we got there: Flew from Bangkok to Chaing Rai,then private transfer to hotel.This was part of a four-week private tour through Southeast Asia, touring Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
General Accessibility Information: Thailand is generally not considered very handicapped accessible, with limited wheelchair accessibility in most places. Some tour operators offer accessible tours, and some high-end hotels are accessible. Some attractions in larger cities have wheelchair access.Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements.However, see our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.
