SuwanKiri Temple (Wat Na Muang)

SuwanKiri Temple — formally Wat Suwannakhiri Wihan, known locally as Wat Na Muang — is one of Ranong’s oldest temples, rebuilt on Chat Chaloem Road by order of King Chulalongkorn after the original site near the town stadium fell into disrepair. Entry is free and the grounds sit on flat ground in the town centre, with no hillside climb involved.

The centrepiece is a gilded, Burmese-style chedi roughly 10 metres tall, built about a century ago — local records credit it to a Burmese court astrologer’s family who settled in Ranong, a nod to the province’s long trading ties across the Andaman to Burma. Three tiers of lotus-form bases step up to the bell-shaped body, with small niches set into each of the four sides. Behind the chedi stands the ordination hall (ubosot), holding a decorated standing Buddha image and a belfry carved with a feline motif; the hall is often locked outside of merit-making days, so what you see mostly depends on timing.

The temple functions as a working place of worship rather than a polished tourist stop. Monks go about daily routines, and local residents drop by to light incense and make small offerings. It’s a quieter, more modest experience than Ranong’s more visited sites — worth 20 to 30 minutes on a walk through town rather than a dedicated half-day trip.

Insider Tip: Combine the visit with the Governor’s Residence, a short walk away in the same old-town cluster — both give a sense of Ranong’s history as a 19th-century tin-trading town under the Na Ranong family.

Watch out: The ordination hall is frequently closed to visitors outside of religious observances — don’t plan the trip around seeing the interior. The chedi and grounds are the reliable part of the visit.

Getting there is easiest by tuk-tuk or motorcycle taxi from central Ranong; it’s walkable from the town centre if you don’t mind the heat. Dress modestly — covered shoulders and knees, shoes off before entering any building — and keep visits brief and quiet since this remains an active place of worship, not a museum piece.