Wat Phra Phutthabat Huai Tom

Wat Phra Phutthabat Huai Tom, in Li district, Lamphun, is the largest temple in the district and the spiritual centre of Thailand’s biggest Pga K’nyau (Karen) Buddhist community. Entry is free, with the grounds typically open daily from around 06:00 to 18:00.

The temple takes its name — Phra Phutthabat, “Buddha’s footprint” — from a footprint shrine on the grounds, a devotional feature shared with other Phutthabat temples across Thailand. Its wider significance, though, comes from its founding abbot, Khruba Chaiyawongsa (also known as Khruba Wong), who led the temple from the time Karen families first settled here in 1971 until his death in 2000. He offered the community land on one condition: that they stop killing animals and eating meat. Most families in the surrounding village still hold to that commitment today, and a large statue of the monk stands at the temple’s entrance in recognition of it.

On Buddhist holy days, Karen villagers travel in from surrounding farmland, many in traditional dress, to make merit and hear dhamma teachings — a living community practice rather than a staged display for visitors. About 1.7 km north of the main temple stands Phra Mahathat Chedi Sri Wiang Chai, a 71-metre gold pagoda built in 1995 by Khruba Chaiyawongsa’s successor and ringed by 49 smaller chedis; most visitors combine the two sites in one trip.

Insider Tip: Buddhist holy days (wan phra) bring the most Karen villagers to the temple in traditional dress — check the lunar calendar before visiting if seeing that community life is the goal, since a weekday visit outside those dates can feel much quieter.

Watch out: Signs at the entrance ask visitors not to bring any meat onto the grounds — leave packed lunches or snacks in the car. Locals also remove their shoes well before reaching the base of the main chedi, not just at the building door, and visitors are expected to do the same.

Dress modestly, with covered shoulders and knees, and remove shoes before entering any building — and earlier than that near the main chedi, following local practice. The temple sits along local roads reachable by car or motorbike from central Lamphun, roughly an hour’s drive south. Wat Mahathat Chedi Sri Wiang Chai and the Ban Huai Tom Royal Project are both close by and worth combining with the visit.