Wat Phra That Khing Kaeng

A single octagonal chedi rises from a two-tiered base on a low hill above Ban Khing Kaeng, in Chun District roughly 30 km northeast of Phayao town — not, despite an older version of this page, on the shore of Phayao Lake. Wat Phra That Khing Kaeng’s stupa is registered by the province as a historical monument: temple records describe it as holding a Buddha hair relic and a right foot-bone relic, and its niches on all four sides hold Buddha images in the classic Lanna style, with touches of Tai Yai (Shan) ornament in the tiered spire above.

Local legend explains the name and the demon statue standing guard at the shrine: as the Buddha passed through the old Lanna kingdoms, a hungry yaksha tried to catch him but couldn’t keep pace, until the Buddha pressed a footprint into stone and the demon converted on the spot. Records place the temple’s founding in 1927, with its formal ordination boundary consecrated in 1985 — a working community monastery under the Mahanikaya order, not an ancient ruin. A large ubosot sits in front of the chedi, and behind it the stupa itself dominates the hilltop, visible from Ban Khing Kaeng below. Once a year, on the 15th waxing-moon day of the 5th lunar month by the northern Thai calendar, the temple holds a water-pouring ceremony for the relics — worth timing a visit around if you want to see it active rather than quiet.

Most days it’s a quiet hilltop wat: a scatter of local visitors making merit, a caretaker monk or two, birdsong replacing traffic once you’re past the parking area. The naga staircase up to the chedi is the traditional route; a paved vehicle path alongside it works for anyone who’d rather not climb, and there’s a rest pavilion with drinking water partway up.

Insider Tip: Combine the visit with Nam Chun Reservoir, a few kilometres away in the same district — it’s a quieter, cooler stop if you’re already out this way and want a break from temple-hopping.

Getting here means your own transport — a rented motorbike or car from Phayao town, since there’s no direct public bus route to the gate. The parking area handles tour buses, and there are separate restrooms for men and women. Bring water; most of the hilltop is exposed to full sun outside the shaded pavilion.

If you’re building a Lanna-temple day around Phayao, pair this stop with Nam Chun Reservoir in the same district, or with Wat Si Khom Kham back by the lake if you want the contrast between a quiet district shrine and Phayao’s best-known Buddha image.