Wat Banden

Wat Banden — formally Wat Densali Si Mueang Kaen — is a large modern Lanna temple complex on 80 rai in Mae Taeng district, on the Highway 107 corridor that runs north toward Chiang Dao and Doi Luang. Entry is free, and the grounds are open daily from 09:00 to 16:00.

The site began in 1894 as a small village temple called Wat Ribunrueang, built on a low hill above a cave that villagers already treated as sacred — the hill gave the temple its common name, Banden. It stayed modest for a century. The transformation into today’s elaborate complex started in 1991 under the monk Kruba Thueang Natsilo, who rebuilt it in ornate Lanna style and expanded the grounds well beyond the original village temple’s footprint.

What’s on the grounds now reflects that rebuild: an ubosot (ordination hall), a ho trai (scripture hall) raised on stilts, a teak Lanna-style kuti for the resident monks, a drum tower, and a separate wihan built specifically to house the temple’s own Inthakhin (city-pillar-style) shrine — a different structure from the well-known Sao Inthakhin inside Chiang Mai’s old city, despite the shared name. Stupas dedicated to the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac sit around the site, along with a reclining Buddha and a dark-toned chedi visually similar in style to Doi Suthep’s.

Insider Tip: Because the complex spreads across a hillside rather than one central courtyard, budget more time here than at a typical village wat — an hour is realistic if you want to see the main halls and the zodiac stupas rather than just the entrance building.

Watch out: dress rules are the standard Thai temple code — covered shoulders and knees for both halls and the outdoor shrine areas. There’s little shade across parts of the grounds, so midday visits get hot fast.

To reach it, follow Highway 107 north from Chiang Mai past the Mae Malai junction to Mae Taeng town, then take the turn toward Mae Ngat Dam — the same route used for Mae Ngat reservoir and the Chiang Mai-Fang road. It works as a stop on the way toward Chiang Dao rather than a Chiang Mai city detour.