At the foot of Doi Kong Mu, where Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu is located, and just beyond the Wat Muay gate, lies Wat Phra Non, literally translated as "Temple of the Reclining Buddha." Its hall, with a multi-tiered, Burmese-style metal roof, houses a colorful, twelve-meter-long statue dating from 1875. But for us, the most interesting feature of this temple lies behind this building: a long, collapsed stone staircase guarded by two Singha lion statues. To the left is a beautiful seated Buddha, along with other buildings featuring Burmese-style roofs and Buddha statues. The reclining Buddha is certainly not the most extraordinary in Thailand, but the grand stone staircase leading to the mountain's summit, and the two massive statues that watch over it, alone make a visit to Wat Phra Non worthwhile.

Free entry. Open from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Depending on where you're staying in Mae Hong Son, you can reach Wat Phra Non quite quickly. Otherwise, you'll need to hire a tuk-tuk (available at the bus station and the city market). Since the staircase has been renovated, there's now a path leading down from Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu to Wat Phra Non. This makes it easy to visit the two temples in your preferred order.

Wat Phra Non 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 Phra Non? Depending on where you're staying in Mae Hong Son, you can reach Wat Phra Non quite quickly. Otherwise, you'll need to hire a tuk-tuk (you can find them at the bus station and the city market). Since the staircase has been renovated, there's now a path leading down from Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu to Wat Phra Non. This makes it easy to visit the two temples in any order that suits you best.