Wat Pa Huay Lad is located on Highway 21, 15 kilometers from Phu Ruea National Park and 6 kilometers from Phu Ruea town. This relatively new temple boasts unique architecture and is surrounded by a lake, forest, and mountains. Its three-story ordination hall houses a large, seated Buddha statue made of white calcite, named Phra Samphanya Rujang Dansarmlok. Previously, two rows of gilded statues of important monks stood here; these are now grouped on the left side. The exterior is also worth seeing: from the parking area, one can see a large statue of the Chinese goddess Guan Yin, a tall Naga statue, and elephant statues. The temple is a popular subject for photographs and is easily accessible when traveling between Loei and Dansai.

Free admission. Open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There is no direct public transport to Wat Pa Huay Lad, but you can take a bus to Phu Ruea (or a bus between Loei and Dansai, or a bus from Loei to Phitsanulok that goes there) and get off at the Phu Ruea market. From there, you'll need to arrange your own transportation to the temple. The bus from Dansai to Loei can drop you off at the nearest intersection on National Route 21, but it's still a good kilometer's walk to the temple from there. And if you're not familiar with the area, finding another bus on the main road afterward isn't always easy. By the way, if you're coming to Dansai for the Phi Ta Khon Festival, you should definitely visit Wat Pa Huay Lad!

Wat Pa Huay Lad is a temple, and when visiting a temple in Thailand there are some rules to follow: appropriate clothing (knees and shoulders should be covered), take off your shoes when entering the building, be quiet, do not hug or kiss, do not point your feet at the Buddha statue, do not smoke.

How to get there

How do you get to Wat Pa Huay Lad? There is no direct public transport to Wat Pa Huay Lad. However, you can take a bus to Phu Ruea (or a bus between Loei and Dansai, or a bus from Loei to Phitsanulok that goes there) and get off at the Phu Ruea market. From there, you will need to find someone to take you to the temple. The bus from Dansai to Loei can drop you off at the nearest intersection on National Route 21, but from there it's about a kilometer's walk to the temple. It's also not always easy to find another bus on the main road afterward if you're not familiar with the area. By the way, if you're coming to Dansai for the Phi Ta Khon Festival, you should definitely visit Wat Pa Huay Lad!