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Last update: Apr 15, 2025
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A travel guide to Chiang Mai.
Introduction.
Chiang Mai is a city in the northern region of Thailand, known for its rich history, cultural heritage, and natural beauty. Founded in 1296, Chiang Mai was once the capital of the ancient Lanna Kingdom and has since become a vibrant hub of temples, art, cuisine and tourism. The city is surrounded by mountains and forests, making it a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, while its countless temples, markets, and festivals offer visitors a glimpse into the local way of life.
Whether you're interested in exploring centuries-old temples, trekking, elephant camps or enjoying a delicious coffee, Chiang Mai has something for everyone. Chiang Mai is not just a food destination, but also Thailand’s coffee capital, where every street and ally has one or two coffee shops. But foremost it is a spiritual destination, a temple city. The old town was exclusively reserved for royalty, nobility and monks, the working people stayed outside of the city walls.
Where to stay in Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai can be divided into three areas: the Old Town, the Night Bazaar, and the Riverside. Where you choose to stay will depend on your preferences and budget. The Old Town offers a mix of accommodation options, from hostels and guesthouses to budget and luxury hotels. The Night Bazaar is a more modern district, featuring high-rise hotels. Meanwhile, the Riverside is known for its upmarket hotels and resorts, many of which boast fine dining dinners with prices to match.
- Old town: The old town area of Chiang Mai is central, walkable and mostly quiet at night. There is very little traffic within the square old town, it is the ring-road outside the moat which is busy.
- Night bazaar: East of the Old City is the "night bazaar", a market which runs nightly and is aimed at tourists. Here are the high-rise hotels like Le Méridien (Marriott) and the Melia hotel. This area is modern and has little of interest, except perhaps for the night market.
- Riverside: This is the luxury hotel area, with the Anantara Resort, 137 Pillars House, and some more colonial style hotels with all the modern luxury of a 5 star hotel. The area around the Ping River has some popular upmarket restaurants with a nice river view. From the riverside it is at least half an hour walk to the old town, which is between 1 and 2 kilometer away.
Map of Chiang Mai's hotel areas.
The old town, night bazaar and the riverside.
karte von Chiang Mai hotels, Chiengmai hotel plan
For most people the best place to stay is in the old town, and as close to Thapae Gate as possible. Thapae Gate is a lively square and the center of activities; the true "hub" of Chiang Mai. The riverside area is walkable from here, the famous Sunday night market is right in the old town and starts from Thapae square, and most hotels and restaurants are also in the old town. More on Thapae Gate and Thapae square: thapae.htm
The old town is a pleasant oasis, an old historic square town inside a metropolis of a million people that is Chiang Mai today. There are many interesting old temples (Wats) and cute little streets that date back hundreds of years. But make no mistake, Chiang Mai has become a large, modern town in the last 50 years. It is not an original town like, for example, Phrae, which was the center of the teak industry in Northern Thailand.
Nimmenhaemin road and -area is the trendy neighborhood of Chiang Mai. This neighborhood has a lot of modern high-rise buildings and is popular with CMU University students and digital nomads who stay longer periods in apartments and condominiums. However, it is a very long walk to the historic areas in the old town.
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Thapae gate, the center of Chiang Mai. Here some Buddhist monks from Myanmar.
Lanna Culture: a walk into the past.
Thapae gate is the best place for a walk into the old town of Chiang Mai, westward on Ratchadamnoen road, the main east-west street in the old town. Ratchadamnoen means Royal Promenade or Royal Road, and it runs straight from Thapae gate to Wat Phra Singh temple, the most important royal temple in town.
Map of historic Chiang Mai with Ratchadamnoen road,
First time arrivals with large backpacks often walk down Ratchadamnoen road in search of a hostel or guesthouse, unaware of the fact that this main road has only upmarket hotels. The guesthouses are usually located on the alleys and backroads that are easily missed.
Looking left and right, there are only modern buildings around; on the left a posh Honda dealer, next to it a large Toyota car dealer, on the right a Yamaha motorbike dealer, posh hotels, lots of restaurants, and also the occasional Wat.
The old town has mostly modern buildings, but there is the occasional old teakwood house. After 2 blocks on the left there is the Lanna Architecture Center, which is a traditional wooden house located at the crossing of Ratchadamnoen and Prapokklao road.
There are very few restrictions on new buildings in Chiang Mai; the old town within the moat has a building height restriction of 23 metres, or eight floors. Buildings within a 100 metre radius of temples can be no higher than nine metres. Modern development has always been more important in Thailand than preserving heritage buildings.
Apart from a few traditional wooden houses, what remains of the ancient town of Chiang Mai are the many Wats. Because they were sacred places and rarely sold or destroyed, most of these temples are still there. The many wooden houses have mostly disappeared, but there are some left in the corners of the town. How many temples were there 130 years ago, compared to now? Read it here: King Inthawichayanon's map.
At the end of Ratchadamnoen road, about 1 km walking from Thapae gate, is Wat Phra Singh; probably the most important temple of the town.
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A few special temples.
Viharn Lai Kham, at the back of Wat Phra Singh compound.
In the back of the Wat Phra Singh compound is a modest temple, the Viharn Lai Kham. Viharn Lai Kham, famous for its wall paintings, is a small building behind the main temple of Wat Phra Singh, the large Viharn Luang temple. Luang means large, so Viharn Luang simply means "Large temple".
Lai Kham is a type of mural art made by a special painting method that is unique to the northern region of Thailand. It is a technique of gold-leaf stenciling, and as you can see below, the walls and the pillars of Viharn Lai Kham are decorated in red-and-gold patterns.
The highlight of Chiang Mai: Viharn Lai Kham / Wihan Lai Kham.
The murals on the right (the north wall) of Viharn Lai Kham show the history of Prince Sang Thong (Songthong), and on the left (the southern wall) the history of Suwanna Hongse (Suwannahong). These murals were created during the 1820's, and the artist has painted himself above the window in the middle.
The "History of Sang Thong", a mural in Viharn Lai Kham (Wihan Lai Kham).
The murals were extensively restored in 2008. The murals on the souithern wall, the history of Suwanna Hongse, have mostly disappeared over the centuries.
Viharn Lai Kham in Wat Phra Singh. (1920 compared to 2022)
Between 1920 and 1950 the porch roof was replaced with a Thai style roof.
historic photo of Viharn Wihan Lai Kham in Wat Phra Singh.
Wat Jed Yod (Ched Yot) is probably one of the least visited major temples because it is located outside of the old town in an inconvenient place. Jet Yod translates to "seven peaks" and refers to the seven chedis which top the rectangular temple.
It is a very unusual temple building, very different from the typical Thai Wat, because it is in the style of the Mahabodhi temple at Bodhgaya in India. Maha-bodhi means Great Awakening or Great Enlightenment; the Buddha became enlightened under a Bodhi tree. In the original language of India, the Sanskrit language, it can also be translated as Maha=great and Bodhi=teacher; the Great Teacher.
Wat Jed Yod, a Mahabodhi temple.
Jed Yod was built in the fifteenth century to host the Eighth World Buddhist Council.
Wat Jed Yod is located on the busy superhighway which loops around Chiang Mai; it is next to the Chiang Mai National Museum. The logical route would be to visit Wat Jed Yod first, then do a short stretch on the highway, and turn left into the National Museum. English signs are not there, so you might want to use a GPS map to find both spots.
Wat Jed Yod design drawing by Arch.kidyang.
Wat Jed Yod is a typical Mahabodhi temple design; it has a large central tower and several smaller ones, and is inspired by the famous Mahabodhi temple at Bodhgaya in India. Jet Yod in Thai means seven peaks, because there are seven towers on top of the temple. The Mahabodhi temple is one of the most copied temples in Asia. The Wat Jed Yod compound has a Bodhi tree, a very large Chedi (stupa), a Vihara, and several other buildings belonging to the monastery.
Wat Ket Karam or Wat Sra Ket is a small but nice temple on the eastern riverside road, and it has its own little museum.
Library building of Wat Ket Karam.
Wat Ket Community Traditional Museum is located inside the Wat Ket temple grounds; it is a somewhat dusty collection; varied items that mostly date from the early twentieth century and perhaps the late nineteenth; like textile, photographs, statues, phones, radios, swords and daggers, old currency and household items. It is an eclectic collection of beautiful, weird, interesting and bizarre objects. No entry fee but there is a donation box.
The Wat Ket area has many interesting old houses which have been turned into galleries and cafes. Some of the trendy restaurants are very popular at night, and in the afternoon, there is a good view of the Ping river to enjoy. How to get there: cross Nawarat bridge, turn left and walk a short distance north. One can also cross the footbridge at Warorot market, and end up just in front of Wat Ket Karam.
Currently Wat Ket Karam Museum is closed, due to a complete renovation (2023 - 2025). It may reopen in 2026.
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Museums, the popular and unexplored ones.
After a few days in Chiang Mai, you may have been up to Doi Suthep, enjoyed the panoramic views of the valley and Chiang Mai in the distance, and seen the famous famous Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. And your may have done a temple tour of the many temples in the old town. Sampled some of the many different restaurants, the many vegetarian places, the modern Japanese restaurants. Now you're looking for something else to do.
Chiang Mai is also an important cultural city and a center of Lanna art; either traditional or modern art. Chiang Mai has three governmental museums. The Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre and the Lanna Folklife Museum are located on on Three Kings square. The Chiang Mai National Museum is located on the busy superhighway north of Chiang Mai's old town.
City Arts and Cultural Center
Housed in the old grand colonial-era city hall, the building itself is perhaps the most interesting aspect. The exhibits primarily focus on Chiang Mai’s modern development, presented through maps, videos, and historical artifacts.
Two rooms are dedicated to astrology, exploring the city's square layout and the Lanna calendar, which differs from the Thai calendar. These explanations - centered on aligning the city’s axes and measurements, may feel unscientific to a Western perspective. Unfortunately, the broader historical evolution of Chiang Mai is not deeply explored.
The museum highlights the Chet Ton Dynasty (Seven Princes Dynasty), founded in 1796 by the influential ruler Kawila. Other exhibits provide a general introduction to the Chiang Mai region and Northern Thailand, covering its people, customs, and tribal cultures.
A standout feature is a glass display representation of the region’s logging industry. Other notable displays include the construction of the railway and the Khun Tan Tunnel, as well as historical videos of major milestones such as the opening of the railway station and airport. Additionally, exhibits touch on the establishment of churches, corporations, and schools. The remaining sections provide a brief overview of the hill tribes and a general exhibit on rice production.
While limited in historical coverage, the museum serves as a solid introduction to Chiang Mai. Admission is 90 baht.
Lanna Folklife Museum
The name of this museum is somewhat misleading, as its focus is overwhelmingly on Thai Buddhism. About 80% of the exhibits are on Buddhism, rather than Lanna social history. While there is a small upstairs display featuring textiles and lacquerware from the 19th and 20th centuries, the majority of Buddha statues are either undated or relatively modern. Given Chiang Mai’s abundance of temples with free or donation-based access to statues and murals, the museum is worth a visit if you're interested in Thai Buddhism or looking for an indoor activity on a rainy day.
On the positive side, the building itself is impressive, and the exhibits have well-written captions in Thai, English, and Chinese. There is a wealth of information about Buddhism in Northern Thailand.
Some displays are visually interesting but lack clear connections between the objects and their explanations. For example, one room features a large display of paintings copied from the famous Viharn Lai Kham in Wat Phra Sing. The wall-painting technique is explained, but the content not. The historic folk-tale story behind the painting; the palaces, kings, officials, servants remains a mystery.
Additionally, objects and figures are often referenced by name without further clarification. Simple additions, such as accompanying images or brief descriptions, would greatly improve accessibility and understanding.
Entrance fee is 90 baht.
Other, unexplored museums.
Here are a few examples of other, usually smaller museums, that are very interesting but relatively unknown. Some of these are private, one of them is run by the Chiang Mai university (CMU). Let's start with two contemporary art museums, located not too far away from Chiang Mai.
The Chiangmai Art Museum has been around for a few years, but is totally unknown among foreign tourists, perhaps because it is well outside of Chiang Mai town. Located about half an hour drive away, past San Kamphang on the 1006 road. This is a wonderfull contemporary art museum, mostly modern paintings but some sculpture as well. Some quite amazing paintings in 3 large halls. There is a small cafe nearby, with limited choices.
Entrance fee is 100 baht.
Chiangmai Art Museum.
The MAIIAM Museum of Contemporary Art opened its doors in 2016. Located less then half an hour drive away, before San Kamphang on the 1006 road, 12 km east of Chiang Mai. The Museum houses the Bunnag-Beurdeley family’s permanent collection.
Entrance fee is 150 baht; seniors 100 Baht. MAIIAM is closed on Tuesdays.
Map of Chiangmai Art Museum and MAIIAM Museum: cmpark.htm
MAIIAM Museum of Contemporary Art.
The Dara Pirom Palace Museum is half an hour drive north in Mae Rim village. The museum is not a palace in the Western sense, but a historic wooden mansion; a teakwood Victorian style house which was home to the famous Lanna princess Dara Rasami (also: Dara Rasamee or Dara Rasmi) (wikipedia.org), who was one of the consorts of Chulalongkorn, King Rama V of Siam.
Dara Rasami was the daughter of King Inthawichayanon, the 7th Ruler of Chiang Mai from 1870 until 1897. Dara Rasami was also a pawn in the annexation plans of Britain in the 1880-ties, which King Rama V of Siam tried to prevent. The admission fee for the museum is 20 baht per person.
The Lanna Architecture Center is a traditional house located at the crossing of Ratchadamnoen and Prapokklao road, almost in the middle of the old town, and certainly worth a visit if you don't want to go all the way to the Traditional House Museum. It is a colonial house built in 1895 by a European trader, and used to be owned by the prince Chao Burirat. The admission fee is 20 baht.
Lanna Architecture Center, Ratchadamnoen road.
The Treasury Museum, Ratchadamnoen road.
The Treasury Museum, Ratchadamnoen road.
The small Treasury Museum, also known as the Treasury Pavilion is housed in the former residence of Princess Thiphawan on Ratchadamnoen road, opposite the Lanna Architecture Center. The modern building houses an collection of coins showing the evolution of Thai mints from the past to the present days, especially the exhibition of Lanna-style coins. This hidden gem is totally free and showcases a wide variety of mostly special edition silver and gold commemorative coins, as well as paper money. Interesting for numismatic enthousiasts.
The Lanna Traditional House Museum is part of the Centre for the promotion of arts and culture, Chiang Mai university. The Museum is located on Doi Suthep road; between the old city and Doi Suthep. It displays 10 traditional wooden Thai Houses and 4 rice barns in a large wooded garden area which is an oasis of peace and calm.
If you are interested in how Thai people lived in the 1890's this is a lovely place to visit. Not a Disney interpretation but the real thing; beautiful old teak houses that real people lived in.
Queripel Colonial house, built in 1926.
Also well worth seeing is the Colonial house, owned by Arthur Lionel Queripel (1878-1946), who was a forest manager for the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation. The old mansion, built in 1926, is in splendid state, and has been carefully restored. Explanations are in Thai and in English. It gives a view of how European traders lived in Chiang Mai 100 years ago. The garden is dominated by a magnificent Indian walnut tree, and there are some Ebony trees and other special trees. Queripel was a forest manager after all.
Chiang Mai University (CMU) museum site: art-culture.cmu.ac.th
The Museum is open every day except on public holidays from 8:30 to 4:30 (9am on Saturday/Sunday). Entry fee is 100 baht, free for retirees (60+).
Lanna Traditional House Museum - Chiang Mai university.
The Roitawarabarn Baan Devalai - Porter house.
Roitawarabarn Baan Devalai Museum is located at the bottom of Doi Suthep. Drive westward to the end of Suthep Road, (that's not the road to the top of Doi Suthep, which is Northwest), take a left and then a right and its then up a narrow alleyway right at the bottom of the forest. This is a house/private museum with large hand painted murals, facades, glass etchings and thousands of intricate and traditional Thai art pieces. The house is made of teak and hardwood, and there are also some large Ganesh statues. Still a work in progress, but open to the public.
GPS Coordinates: 18.793583, 98.947485
The McKean Senior Center is not a museum but an interesting and historic place. In 1905 Dr. James McKean got permission to establish a leprosy colony or leper asylum on a large island in the Ping river. Now the colony has been renamed to Dok Kaew Gardens and turned into a retirement home. The hospital, colonial houses, Santitham church and the many small dwellings for the leprosy patients are still there, between the many large trees, and surrounded by teak plantations.
There are plans to modernize the area, and create a McKean park, see the map on the right.
McKean is about 10km south of Chiang Mai, just past the ancient city of Wiang Kum Kam. Just south of McKean's entry gate you can drive past some quaint houses and the quirky Suebnathitham Church which seems to be protestant. The eastern moat is dry now, so the colony doesn't look like an island anymore.
McKean leprosy hospital in 1920
These leper colonies were often created on islands to quarantine people with leprosy, and sometimes they were a kind of prison. McKean was no prison, but a humane center for leprosy patients. One can still see the little cottages where the patients lived at the McKean Leprosy Hospital. Only in 1941 a cure was discovered for leprosy, and by the mid-1980s McKean began to adapt, and turned itself into a retirement center. When McKean retired, in 1931, there were more than 500 inhabitants at the center, of which 350 were leprosy patients. There were 143 buildings, including 116 cottages, 9 dormitories, a church, an impressive administration building, and a recreation center.
Let us finish this section on art museums with this entry to a billionaire's mansion, which is supposed to contain a lot of modern Chinese art. Unfortunately it is not open to the public. Thanks for watching this space!
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Botanical Gardens and Arboretums
Botanical Gardens - 2024
| Nr. | Botanical Garden | distance | entry fee
| | 1 | Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden | 25km | 150 Baht
| | 2 | Tweechol Botanical Garden | 12km | 85 Baht
| | 3 | The Royal Park Rajapruek | 11km | 200 Baht
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distance table of gardens and entry fees.
The Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden (QSBG) is in the Mae Sa valley, north of Chiang Mai, and on the "Samoeng loop" (see map on: Samoeng loop). It is a famous, international class arboretum and garden; the largest and best botanical garden in Thailand, set against a mountainside in a large forest. Within the park area are gardens, glasshouses, and trails through the rainforest.
The glasshouse complex and fountains of QSBG botanical Garden.
The large glasshouse complex on the top of the trail is a conservatory for a wide collection of tropical plants. The twelve greenhouses contain cacti, ferns, medicinal plants, orchids and other species. The Natural Science Building houses a natural science museum, which is aimed at students.
Since 2017 there is also a treetop walkway through the rainforest with a length of more than 400 meters. The botanical garden is quite large and situated on a steep mountainside. Walking up the steep road is possible, but it is more convenient to enter by car or motorcycle and take a short walk on the many side-roads and trails.
The map of QSBG below is an improved version of an old tourist map, which shows the nature trails better than the many official maps. The QSBG organization releases a new map every few years, and these give an impression of the garden roads and trails, but are not very accurate or practical. This map is a bit more rational, and has more emphasis on the nature trails. By the way, the trails do have signs in Thai and English.
QSBG / Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden map, Chiang Mai.
Showing the attractions and the nature trails.
Karte / Carte du QSBG Botanischer Garten, Chiang Mai.
Once in the garden a 3,6-kilometer loop road runs around the park. This road is on Google Street view; as well as some of the walking trails. There is an open-air bus service that runs within the garden.
The nature trails are:
- Banana Avenue, a short trail. There are 200 banana varieties on display.
- Herb trail, a short trail. There many herb varieties.
- Nature trail. A ginger garden, plants and herbs, 800 meters.
- Climber trail shows climber plants, about 800 meters.
The trails are unfortunately not circular, so you have to track back to get back to your vehicle.
QSBG entry fee: adult: 150 baht; children: 100 baht. Adults with a Thai ID card: 50 baht. Car (additional) 100 baht. Motorcycle: 30 baht. Bicycles: free.
Yellow flowering trees in QSBG Botanical Garden.
The Royal Park Rajapruek - A large, modern, park-like garden, 9 hectares of manicured gardens against a mountain back drop.
The park is situated to the southwest of the city off route 121 (canal road) and is adjacent to the Chiang Mai Night Safari. On arrival at the enormous empty car park, it can be a bit of a walk to find the entrance.
The downside of the park is that there is a long walk between exhibits because the park is oversized. Make sure to go in the cooler morning and take the free shuttle bus service. One can visit some of the country theme gardens. Several traditional recreated Lanna / Thai buildings are on display, but these are not the interesting, authentic and original houses at the Lanna Traditional House Museum but rather rough recreations.
The royal pavilion (Ho Kham Luang) in the middle of the park is a modern piece of architecture supposed to resemble a Lanna palace; from afar it seems an elegant building, somewhat oversized. From up close it is just a modern concrete building.
Unfortunately, it has absolutely nothing to do with how the real wooden Ho Kham Luang of the king of Lanna looked. It is a large, pompous building, whereas the original palaces of kings were much smaller, and fully made of wood. Nevertheless, most people visiting the park seem to enjoy it.
According to the folder the park wants to promote royal projects and their philosophy: the theory of sustainability, and it also promotes “biodiversity, arts and culture”. But it has no focus: it is not a proper botanical garden, the arts and culture are wishy washy, there are some buildings for education, but some are empty and some are falling apart. Some parts are rundown, buildings are empty, the international displays are unappealing, in short: it fails to impress. A quote from a visitor: “The wife and I both commented at how remarkable the place was for its lack of anything remarkable.”
Royal Park Rajapruek entrance fee: 200 baht. Rent a bicycle for 60 baht.
The royal pavilion (Ho Kham Luang) in the center of Rajapruek park.
Topiary Garden.
Tweechol Botanical Garden is a modern artificial garden and arboretum on a flat area, and thus very different from the QSBG garden which is set against the side of a hill. At about 0,25 square km it is one-tenth of the size of the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden; which has an area of more than 2 square km. Tweechol garden is walkable, whereas QSBG is so large that a vehicle is necessary to explore the area. One can visit Tweechol in about 2 hours, while it could take half a day to explore QSBG garden.
Tweechol is for a large part an artificial topiary garden: sculpted foliage in the form of deer, dolphins, dinosaurs, dragons and gorillas. There is also an arboretum, herb garden, a small petting zoo and a cactus garden. Tweechol Botanical Garden is part of the Horizon Village & Resort, about 30 minutes driving northeast on the 118 road toward Doi Saket.
Tweechol Botanical Garden entry fee: 85 baht. Bicycle rent is 75 baht.
Tweechol Botanical Garden has a topiary garden.
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The Suan Mai Thai Terracotta garden.
The Suan Mai Thai garden is a large sculpture garden, located just west of Lamphun. The garden is produced by a terracotta factory, also lccated here. This sculpture garden is decorated with larger-than-life terracotta copies of Khmer, Hindu and Thai gods. Shiva, Ganesh, Krishna, Khmer lions and many other statues from neighboring countries sitting peacefully side by side. Mr. Sutthipong Maiwan or Father Dang is the artist, who owns the garden and clay sculpture factory. It became a showroom of art and culture in the middle of an enormous garden of 200 Rai (55 acre) filled with fascinating sculptures.
The restaurant entrance at Suanmaithai garden (2023).
There is an upmarket restaurant at Suanmaithai garden, which is popular with Thai tourists. Apart from the usual dishes, they have cappucino, cakes, and a large selection of cocktails and mocktails.
How to get to the Terracotta art park:
The garden is not easy to find on google maps, but from Google Earth it looks like a resort with many ponds and moats, a bit like an Angkor temple, with a central temple in the center. On Open Street Map (OSM) it is also easily visible by the large moats and ponds.
Drive south on highway 106 to the town of Lamphun. In the center of Lamphun, just past the "Lamphun National Museum", turn right, and follow road 1015 westward. Turn north on 1030 before the Ping river. The nr. 1030 road is not well indicated, it's an intersection with a small road with traffic lights. Once northbound on the nr. 1030 road; pretty soon you'll spot a large entry gate and entrance road to the property. It is about 45km and an hour's drive south of Chiang Mai.
A Lamphun map is here.
Grand entryway to the Suanmaithai terracotta art park.
This large resort-like place is private property, but open to the public and has no entry fee. When you go all the way down there, it makes sense to combine it with a visit to Lamphun. Note that the Suanmaithai terracotta art park is a work in progress. In 10 or 20 years it may be a theme park, or still a private property.
More on their facebook page: facebook.com
Finally: Arboretums.
Don Yen arboretum - A private, hidden arboretum in Ban Pong Din, a small village on the highway number 118 past Doi Saket.
This arboretum is open to the public, and part of a low-key private bungalow resort: Pennys Cabins pennycabin.com. How to get there: follow the Takhrai loop.
And there are many more small arboretums, botanical gardens and specialized medicinal plant gardens around Chiang Mai.
And if you want to visit more nature, national parks, and arboretums, you can do the 4-day Mae Hong Son loop. Lots of nature and also a cultural experience; for example the closer you get to Burma, the more tribal people. No botanical gardens on the MHS loop though.
Dual pricing in Thailand.
Dual pricing systems are intended to make foreign tourists pay more than locals. In Thailand many museums and attractions use dual pricing, and foreigners also have to pay more than locals to enter a national park. The entry fees for locals are shown in Thai script, and thus not obvious to the western tourist.
The museums and botanical gardens often charge 3 or 4 times the normal price to foreigners. That is not as excessive as the national park fees, which can be 5 to 10 times the price for Thai nationals. Only a few museums do not use dual pricing and charge one price for everyone, for example the Dara Pirom Palace Museum, and the MAIIAM Museum.
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Visit Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai?
Between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai there are notable differences. Chiang Mai is renowned for its rich history, temples, and cultural heritage. Chiang Mai has about 40 historic temples in the walled town, a moat-surrounded old city, and a vibrant night market on sundays. The city is also a hub for traditional crafts, cooking classes, and wellness retreats.
Chiang Rai is a much smaller town, with only a few historic temples in town. It is famous for its unique modern temples, such as the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) and the Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten). The White Temple is a dazzling work of art, but not an historic temple.
Chiang Rai's stone walls and gates were dismantled in the years around 1920 on the advice of Dr. Briggs, an American missionary physician, who argued that the area along the wall and the moat was muddy and filthy and therefore a permanent source of all kinds of illnesses, and that the wall also obstructed the flow of fresh air. 1
A rare historic photo of Chiang Rai; showing the old town walls.(1910?)
Thus, Chiang Rai's walls have vanished and are not traceable. A small section of the wall on the east side has been symbolically restored, but it is not similar to the original wall.
The "White Temple" or Wat Rong Khun.
The "White Temple," also known as Wat Rong Khun, is truly a sight to behold—a magnificent "Bling-bling temple" that is well worth a visit if you find yourself in Chiang Rai. This privately-owned art exhibit, designed in the style of a Buddhist temple, showcases the contemporary artistic vision of Chalermchai Kositpipat. The interior of the temple is relatively small, often leading to queues. While photography is prohibited inside, you can search for the artist online to catch a glimpse of the mesmerizing murals.
If you're traveling from Chiang Mai, please note that the temple is located at least three hours away by car; thus a brief day trip would require six to seven hours of travel by bus and taxi. Although the White Temple is an impressive work of contemporary art, it may not justify a long bus and taxi journey.
To fully explore Chiang Rai, I recommend to visit at least one full day, and two nights. Arriving early is advisable to avoid the crowds at the very popular White Temple. While in the area, you can also visit the Blue Temple in town, the other famous temple attraction.
While in Chiang Rai, don't miss Chalermchai Kositpipat's other artistic creation: the clock tower spectacle, which occurs hourly at 7, 8, and 9 p.m. And, of course, make sure to visit the "Black House." All in all, Chiang Rai offers a a lot of contemporary art experiences.
A short history of Wat Rong Khun: remotelands.com
There is an entrance ticket to the White Temple for foreigners of 100 Baht, but it is free for Thai nationals. The opening hours are from 8:00 am to 17:00 pm.
The "Black House".
The "Black House" in Chiang Rai, also known as the Baan Dam Museum, presents a stark contrast to the White Temple. Instead of the bling-bling of the White Temple, it displays a different kind of art; a rustic, earthy art. The museum features dark wood, brown earth tones, and an abundance of buffalo skulls.
While the White Temple may be small in size, the centerpoint of Baan Dam is a large structure shaped like a Buddhist Wat, surrounded by approximately 40 smaller buildings and art installations. Interestingly, some local Thai people refer to the White Temple as heaven and the Black House as hell, emphasizing the stark difference between the two.
The compound consists of various small and large buildings, serving as both art pieces and exhibition spaces. With so much to explore, one can expect to spend at least an hour here. The Baan Dam Museum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, with a brief closure for lunch from 12 pm to 1 pm. The entrance fee for adults is 80 baht.
Comparing Chiang Mai to the tiny Chiang Rai.
People tend to visit Chiang Mai for the history, temples and the old town; and Chiang Rai only for the White temple and the Baan Dam Museum. Chiang Rai's main notoriety is a couple of gaudy temples popular on Instagram, the White and the Blue temple. Because Chiang Rai is tiny compared to Chiang Mai; there is not a lot to see in the area of history, temples, museums, culture.
| | Chiang MAI | Chiang RAI
| | Museums * | National Museum, Folkart Museum, City Arts and Cultural Centre, 2 art museums | Baan Dam Museum.
| | Temples | 40 Wats in the old town. | 9 Wats around town.
| | History | Remains of the moat, walls and bastions. Many temples, ancient houses. | Very little.
| | Old houses | Lanna House museum, Lanna Architecture Center and many heritage houses. | Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park.**
| | Markets | Saturday and Sunday market, a night bazaar and many more markets. | Saturday and Sunday.
| | Modern art | MAIIAM museum, CM art museum, art galleries. | White temple, Black house
| | Gardens | QSBG botanic garden, Tweechol garden, Ratchapruek. | None
| | Elephants | At least 30 elephant camps. | One or 2 elephant camps.
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* Only major museums are mentioned.
** This is not Mae Fah Luang Garden.
More walled cities in northern Thailand.
There used to be many walled cities in northern Thailand, however, most of these fortifications have been demolished and the bricks reused for houses and road building. Many smaller villages in the Siamese Shan kingdom had just a ditch with a bamboo palisade. Some pieces of the old walls of Nan remain and have been restored, but they are only a very small part of the old wall. Here are a few more suggestions of historic towns, some not far from Chiang Mai:
- Lamphun is the name of Hariphunchai, the old capital of a kingdom which predates Chiang Mai. Hariphunchai or Haripuñjaya was a Mon kingdom, existing from the 7th or 8th to 13th century CE. Lamphun is a mere 30-minute drive from Chiang Mai along the scenic but busy number 106 road.
Start east of the Ping river on the "Big Tree" number 106 to Lamphun; this old road is lined by majestic 30 to 40 meters high Yang trees (Dipterocarpus Alatus). The huge Yang trees line the road for miles, until about 12 km south of Chiang Mai, after that a few Wats and many lychee farms line the road. The trees were planted by Praya Surasee Wisithsak on 20 October 1882 and have grown very tall; of the 1500 planted Yang trees about 936 are still alive.
Lamphun map with temples, market, Hariphunchai museum, walking bridge.
karte von Lamphun, carte, plan
Located approximately half an hour south of Chiang Mai, on the banks of the Mae Kuang River, lies the town of Lamphun. Centuries before Chiang Mai’s famous Lanna Kingdom, northern Thailand was ruled by the Hariphunchai Kingdom, based in the modern town of Lamphun. Lamphun does retain some remnants of its former walls, including the moat. However, in 1939 and 1943, the local government destroyed the remaining city walls, filled in parts of the moat, and built modern roads around the old town. The "old walls" and gates that you can see now are nearly all modern reconstructions. Perhaps that's why Lamphun isn't as charming as the historic town of Chiang Mai.
Hariphunchai National Museum is very interesting if you like history, and more modern in some ways than the Chiang Mai National Museum. For example, there is a sophisticated multimedia display in the Museum showing the history of Lamphun town.
At the eastern side of Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, on the walking bridge, there is a nice riverside market.
Multimedia display in Hariphunchai National Museum.
- Lampang is a charming, laid-back town with a vibrant night market on Talad Gao Road every Saturday and Sunday. Known for its historical connection to the teak industry, Lampang is home to sites like the house of Louis Leonowens, a British teak trader and son of Anna Leonowens, the inspiration for Anna and the King of Siam. The house, now a small museum, sits on the grounds of the former Louis T. Leonowens Teak Company office.
Strolling along Talad Gao Road, the town’s famous walking street, you'll encounter stunning Gingerbread-style houses—architectural gems that add to the street’s unique charm.
Among Lampang’s notable attractions is Ban Pong Nak, a grand teak house that once served as a royal residence. Located within a military compound, visitors are often welcomed by army personnel eager to showcase the museum’s interior, including a display of WWII rifles and machine guns. Like many of Lampang’s museums, entry to Ban Pong Nak is free. Entry to the military compound is from highway 1.
For those interested in local history, Museum Lampang and Bhumi Lakon Museum offer small but insightful exhibits, primarily aimed at students. Bhumi Lakon, situated near the clocktower roundabout, has no entry fee, while Museum Lampang is also free to visit.
While Lampang has several beautiful temples, it doesn’t match Chiang Mai’s abundance of wats. However, there are still noteworthy sites, such as Wat Koh Walukaram, located behind Talad Gao Road on the riverside, which features an ancient vihara currently under restoration. Another highlight is Wat Si Rong Muang, a Burmese-style temple about a kilometer west of the clocktower.
The city's attractions are quite spread out, making exploration by car, motorbike or bicycle the best option. While the restored Pratu Ma City Gate lies farther northeast and isn’t easily walkable, the house of Louis Leonowens is within a comfortable walking distance. The iconic horse-drawn carriages provide an authentic form of tranport.
- Phrae: One of the prettiest old walled towns is Phrae, where most of the dirt walls, which are quite high, are still intact. Phrae never had a stone wall, since it was a small town, less important than Lamphun or Chiang Mai.
Phrae was the center of the teak industry in Northern Thailand, it has a teak museum in the old "East Asiatic Company" headquarters. The large, two-story Teak Museum was built on the original estate of the East Asiatic Company from Denmark. The permanent exhibition gives some idea of how the teak trees were cut down and transported to Bangkok and Europe. Entry is free.
There are also many, many teak mansions, a few of which are (private) museums like the Vongburi House Museum. Phrae is promoting tourism with its many fine teak mansions.
Baanthep Antique Homestay is a guesthouse and also a small private museum; the large house is put together of a number of salvaged traditional teakwood houses in the area.
- Nan is a nice place to visit, and is overlooked by tourists just like Phrae. There remains one original stretch of the old walls.
- Chiang Saen, a city on the Mekong river, has kept most of its brick and dirt walls intact. It was destroyed and abandoned during most of the 19th century. The modern Chiang Saen was repopulated in 1881, on the order of king Rama V. Chiang Saen has a very interesting museum, and lots of stupas (chedis) and temple ruins.
Monumental trees line the number 106 road to Lamphun over a 12 kilometer stretch.
There are about 1100 Yang trees, or Dipterocarpus alatus along this road.
The word "Yang" means latex, resin, or rubber.
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Literature.
www.asla.org - Creating a sustainable future for the Mae Kha Canal in Chiang Mai, by Louisiana State University, 2016
Food links.
Other links.
Travel information about Myanmar here:
myanmar.htm
Background: aboutme
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