Wat Cham Thewi

Wat Cham Thewi — known locally as Wat Ku Kut — holds what tradition says are the ashes of Queen Chamadevi, the first ruler of the Hariphunchai Kingdom, inside a five-tier brick chedi on Chammathewi Road in Lamphun. The chedi, Suwan Chang Kot, is the reason to come: 21 metres tall, each of its five receding square tiers carrying three Buddha niches to a side — 60 standing Buddha images in total, hands raised in the abhaya gesture of reassurance. It’s one of the oldest intact chedi forms left in northern Thailand, and unlike the gilded, restored stupas elsewhere in Lamphun, it still reads as an old building rather than a polished monument.

Local legend has it that Chamadevi’s sons, Chao Anantayot and Chao Mahantayot, built the chedi in 755 to enshrine her remains after she abdicated the throne, was ordained, and died in old age. The chedi was originally sheathed in gold leaf, long since gone, leaving the bare brick and stucco visible today — weathered, but structurally intact enough that you can walk the full circuit at ground level and look up into each tier of niches. The site fell into disuse for centuries; the Fine Arts Department credits the monk Kruba Srivichai with restoring the temple complex in 1936, and it’s been an active, maintained site since.

A second, smaller structure stands to the right of Wihan Phraya Sanphasit: the octagonal Rattana Chedi, about 11.5 metres tall on a 4.4-metre base, each face pierced with its own Buddha alcove. It became a place of particular reverence after 1938, when Kruba Srivichai’s funeral was held here — his statue now stands inside.

Insider Tip: Arrive before 9 AM. There’s no shade over the main chedi courtyard, and by mid-morning the flat brick paving throws back the heat. Early light also picks out the niche carvings far better than the flat midday sun.

The compound is quiet compared to Lamphun’s other big Hariphunchai-era site, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, a short ride away in the same town — worth pairing the two if you’re spending a morning on Lamphun’s temple history. The nearby Hariphunchai National Museum holds artefacts from both sites and gives useful context before or after visiting. There’s also a modern statue of Queen Chamadevi elsewhere in town for anyone tracing her story further.

Dress modestly (covered shoulders and knees), remove your shoes before entering any roofed structure, and keep your head below seated Buddha images and monks out of respect. Parking is available on site, and it’s an easy stop to combine with Wat Phra That Hariphunchai and the Hariphunchai National Museum for a half-day of Lamphun’s temple history.