Wat Inthrawat (Wat Tonkwen)

Wat Ton Kwen — officially Wat Inthrawat — is a wooden Lanna temple in Nong Khwai, Hang Dong district, about 10 km southwest of central Chiang Mai. Its 1858 viharn survives close to its original form, without the concrete resurfacing most old Chiang Mai temples have had, which is why film crews use it and why architects rate it among the region’s best-preserved wooden buildings.

The site takes its everyday name from a Ton Ba Kwen tree that once grew here; its formal name, Inthrawat, honours Kruba In, the monk-craftsman behind the viharn’s construction. Built during the reign of Chiang Mai ruler King Kawilorot Suriyawong, the hall carries a steep three-tiered Lanna roof, naga serpents flanking the entrance stairs, and carved wooden barge boards inlaid with coloured mosaic in Lanna floral patterns. Inside, a stucco Buddha image sits in the Maravijaya (subduing-Mara) pose, backed by an arched khong-style niche studded with metal votive tablets. An open pavilion called the Sala Bat wraps partway around the viharn, and a separate four-porch pavilion, the Sala Chatummukh, built around 1856-1869, is the only surviving structure of its type in northern Thailand — it once sheltered processions carrying the Phra Borommathat Si Chom Thong relic between temples in the Hae Phra Chao Khao Wiang ceremony, last re-enacted in 2016.

Insider Tip: The bare sand courtyard and dark aged timber photograph well in the low light of late afternoon — it’s also when the temple is at its quietest, after any morning tour groups have moved on.

Wat Ton Kwen was registered as a historic site in 1983 and named an Outstanding Conservation Building by the Association of Siamese Architects in 1989; the Fine Arts Department maintains it today. It remains an active monastery rather than a museum piece, so time your visit around ordinary temple hours rather than a festival if you want a quiet look at the carving.

Watch out: Because it’s still a working temple, some buildings close to visitors during merit-making ceremonies — check locally if you’re travelling any distance specifically to see the interior.

Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, and remove shoes before entering the viharn. Combine the visit with Baan Tawai Woodcarving Village or Ob Khan National Park, both a short drive away in the same Hang Dong district.