Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan

Wat Phra Singh sits at the western end of Ratchadamnoen Road, the old city’s main street, and is the temple most locals will point you to first. King Phayu founded it in 1345 to hold his father’s ashes, and it grew into the spiritual heart of the Lanna kingdom. Today it’s a working monastery, a monks’ school, and the most visited temple inside the moat.

The temple takes its name from the Phra Singh Buddha (Phra Phuttha Sihing), the gilded image enshrined in the Viharn Lai Kham. Once a year, during Songkran in April, the image is paraded through the city so residents can bathe it for the new year.

The Viharn Lai Kham

The small assembly hall at the back of the compound is the reason to come. Its name means “golden-stencilled hall,” after the gold-on-red lai kham patterns covering its woodwork. Inside, early-19th-century murals wrap the walls — scenes of Lanna court life, dress, and the Sang Thong folk tale, painted with enough everyday detail that historians read them as a record of how the North actually looked two centuries ago.

Elsewhere on the grounds you’ll find a gleaming gilded chedi, the ubosot, and a raised teak scripture library (ho trai) decorated with stucco deities — one of the finest in the country.

Visitor Information

• Entry: Grounds free; around 40 baht for foreign visitors to the main viharns (Thai nationals free).
• Hours: Daily, roughly 06:00-20:00; the main halls open about 08:00-17:00.
• Dress code: Cover shoulders and knees. Sarongs are available to borrow at the entrance.

Getting There

Wat Phra Singh is at the western end of the old city on Singharat Road, a 15-minute walk from Tha Phae Gate or a short songthaew ride from anywhere in the centre. View on Google Maps.

Tips for Visitors

• Come early — before 9am the courtyards are quiet and the light on the chedi is best.
• Remove your shoes before stepping into any viharn, and sit with your feet pointing away from the Buddha images.
• If you visit during Songkran (mid-April), the Phra Singh procession is one of Chiang Mai’s most important festivals.
• Pair it with Wat Chedi Luang a few blocks east for an easy old-city temple walk.