Wat Nantaram

Wat Nantaram is an all-teak temple in Chiang Kham district, Phayao province, built in Tai Yai (Shan) and Burmese style rather than the Lanna architecture more typical of northern Thailand. That distinction is the reason it’s often singled out as the most striking temple in the province: cascading multi-tiered roofs, teak walls, and fretwork carved into every window, gable, and veranda.

The current viharn dates to 1925, funded by Phor Thao Nanta, a devout local benefactor from the Wonganan family, after whom the temple was renamed — it started life as a simpler thatched structure known as Chong Kham. Burmese craftsmen worked the teak into elaborate cutwork patterns around the windows and eaves, and the result still draws visitors specifically for the woodwork rather than for any single relic. Inside, the principal Buddha image was carved from a single teak log and lacquered black and gold in the Mandalay style, seated on a mosaic-decorated wooden throne.

A small museum on the grounds holds a modest but genuine collection: old Thai banknotes, everyday tools, and manuscripts gathered over the temple’s near-century of use. It’s a low-key stop rather than a curated exhibition, and that’s part of the appeal — nothing here has been staged for tour buses.

Insider Tip: Photograph the viharn’s exterior fretwork in the mid-morning, when the sun angles across the carved gables and picks out the wood grain — direct midday light flattens the detail.

Watch out: As with any working temple, cover your shoulders and knees and remove your shoes before stepping onto the viharn’s raised floor.

Chiang Kham sits well off the standard northern Thailand circuit, so combine the visit with other Phayao stops. Kwan Phayao, the province’s large lake, and the town’s fresh market both make sense on the same day trip.

Base a trip around Phayao to combine the temple with the province’s lakeside town and hills.