Phra That Chom Wae

Phra That Chom Wae is one of nine sacred hilltop stupas known collectively as the “Chom” group, scattered across Chiang Rai province as a set of pilgrimage sites from the region’s early Lanna era. This one sits on Doi Chom Wae — formerly called Doi Sangkam — in Phan district, well inland in central Chiang Rai rather than anywhere near the province’s northern border with Laos or Myanmar.

Local accounts date the stupa to roughly 700 years ago, attributing its construction to Phraya Ngammuang, lord of Phukamyao (present-day Phayao) and a contemporary of the Lanna kings who founded Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. The legend holds that he climbed the hill — then known as Doi Sangkam — to survey his territory, and had the stupa raised there afterward, enshrining a Buddha relic along with gold and silver offerings placed inside at construction. The current abbot’s temple, Wat Phra That Chom Wae, maintains the site, and it remains an active place of worship for the surrounding Mueang Phan subdistrict rather than a purely historical monument.

The nine Chom stupas together form the basis of a local cultural route sometimes promoted as “Listening to the Legend of Phra That Kao Chom” — each hill has its own founding story, and Chom Wae’s tie to Phraya Ngammuang is one of the better-documented ones. Reaching the chedi itself means a walk up the hill from the temple grounds at its base; the climb is short rather than a serious trek, and paved sections make it manageable without hiking gear, though it’s still uphill in Chiang Rai’s daytime heat.

Insider Tip: This is a local devotional site more than a tourist circuit stop — go for the quiet hilltop setting and the history of the Chom stupa network, not for crowds or facilities.

Watch out: the site has basic amenities but no food vendors on the hill itself, so eat beforehand or bring water if you’re planning a longer visit.

Two other stupas from the same nine-Chom set are elsewhere in Chiang Rai province if you want to see more than one on a longer trip: Wat Phrathat Chom Kitti and Chom Chan Temple.