Wat Rong Khun (White Temple), Chiang Rai

Chalermchai Kositpipat, a Thai national artist born in Chiang Rai province, began rebuilding the old village temple of Rong Khun in the late 1990s, opening it to visitors in 1997. He has reportedly spent more than 40 million baht of his own money and he expects the full complex of buildings to take until around 2070 to complete, with his apprentices continuing after him.

In 2014 the Mae Lao earthquake damaged the temple; engineers later found the buildings structurally sound, although some can now only be viewed and photographed from outside. No monks currently live at the temple, which functions primarily as an art site. From 1 January 2026 the admission fee for foreign visitors was raised, with the ticket including the newer Cave of Art, whose sculptures depict Buddhist cosmology from the hell realms to the gates of nirvana.

Chiang Rai is a relaxed northern provincial capital with a night bazaar, a lively Saturday walking street and a growing art scene inspired by artists such as Chalermchai. Many travellers pair the White Temple with the Blue Temple, Wat Rong Suea Ten, built by one of his students, and with Baan Dam, the dark, wooden museum of the late artist Thawan Duchanee. Stalls outside the temple sell northern snacks, coffee from the surrounding hills and souvenirs.