Statue of Queen Chamadevi

The bronze statue of Queen Chamadevi stands in Nong Dok Public Park in central Lamphun, behind Nong Dok Market and about 1km from the provincial hall. It’s free to visit, unveiled on 2 October 1982 in a ceremony presided over by then-Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Chamadevi was the founding ruler of the Hariphunchai Kingdom, brought from the Lopburi region in the 7th century to head the new Mon city-state that grew into modern Lamphun. Thai and Mon accounts credit her with establishing Buddhism in the area and governing as both administrator and military leader in a period when the region was still being settled. The statue depicts her standing, cast in bronze, on a plinth at the edge of the park — a civic monument rather than a temple shrine, though flowers and small offerings collect at its base from locals paying respects on the way past.

Insider Tip: Pair the visit with Wat Cham Thewi across town, the temple traditionally linked to her burial, rather than the larger Wat Phra That Hariphunchai — the statue and Wat Cham Thewi tell her story directly, while Hariphunchai’s temple has its own separate history.

Watch out: There isn’t much shade around the monument itself in the middle of the day. Nong Dok Park has some tree cover nearby, but the statue’s traffic-island setting means midday sun is unavoidable if you want a clear photo.

Lamphun town is compact enough to see on foot or by bicycle, and the statue works well as a five-minute stop on a walk that also takes in the weekend walking street and the town’s old city moat. Early morning or late afternoon avoids both the heat and the worst of the midday glare on the bronze.