Wat Si Khom Kham (Phrachao Ton Luang)

Wat Si Khom Kham sits on the shore of Kwan Phayao, the lake that defines Phayao town, and holds the largest Chiang Saen-style Buddha image in the old Lanna kingdom. Entry is free, and the grounds are open daily from roughly 06:00 to 18:30.

The temple’s real draw is the seated Buddha itself, known locally as Phrachao Ton Luang (“the great lord Buddha”) — 14 metres across the lap and 16 metres tall, cast in bronze between 1491 and 1524 during Phayao’s period as an independent principality allied to Lanna. It sits inside a large viharn built to the image’s scale, and it functions as much as Phayao’s civic symbol as its main object of worship: the image appears on temple donation boards and local signage across town. Wat Si Khom Kham itself carries the formal rank of a third-class royal temple, one of a small number in the province given that status.

Beyond the main hall, the temple compound spreads along the lakefront rather than clustering in one courtyard. An ubosot — the ordination hall where monks are formally admitted to the order — stands out over the water on the Kwan Phayao side, its interior painted with murals by Angkarn Kalayaanapong, a Thai National Artist known for blending traditional Buddhist iconography with a more expressive, modern hand. Locals still refer to the whole complex informally as “Wat Phrachao Ton Luang,” after the Buddha, rather than by its formal name.

Once a year, around Visakha Bucha (the full-moon day of the sixth lunar month, typically May), the temple holds a ceremony to pay respect to the image — an event significant enough locally that it draws visitors from across the province and briefly fills the grounds and the lakefront promenade outside.

Insider Tip: Arrive in the late afternoon and stay past sunset — the lake turns gold behind the viharn’s roofline, and the evening is markedly cooler than a midday visit in the dry season.

Watch out: As with any working temple, keep your head lower than any Buddha image when seated, and never point your feet toward the image or a monk — small etiquette lapses here draw notice quickly since the hall is compact.

Getting There

Wat Si Khom Kham (Phrachao Ton Luang) is located at 692 Mu 1, Phahon Yothin Road. View on Google Maps.