Located about sixty kilometers from Chiang Rai, Wat Phra That Pha Ngao is in the city of Chiang Saen and is usually visited before or after a trip through the Golden Triangle. It is an ancient and sacred temple. According to legend, anyone who falls ill and prays to the relics of Buddha in this temple will be healed. I haven't tried it myself and therefore cannot confirm it. From the platform with the white chedi on a small hill, there is a panoramic view of the Mekong River and Laos on the opposite bank. The name "Pha Ngao" (or "Shadow Rock") comes from the huge rock on which the chedi stands. Inside the chedi are the ruins of the old brick chedi. Below, near the temple entrance, is the ordination hall to the right, containing the remains of a Buddha statue that, according to the monk present during my visit, is about 1300 years old. Some bricks from the old temple can also be found there. Perhaps the most impressive feature of the temple is the library, built beside a small pond where visitors can feed the fish. The Lanna-style interior, with its red and gold paintings, is beautiful. Inside, wooden boxes containing Buddhist texts from various countries are displayed, each decorated with a carving style symbolizing its country of origin.

Free entry. Open from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. A skywalk was opened at the end of October 2022, offering an even more spectacular view over the Mekong. It is open from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM (entrance fee: 40 THB).

If there are local buses or buses operated by the Green Bus Company connecting Chiang Rai and Chiang Saen, your local transportation options will quickly become limited unless you rent a scooter. Therefore, it's best to travel with your own means of transport.

Wat Phra That Pha Ngao 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 That Pha Ngao? While there are local buses or Green Bus Company buses connecting Chiang Rai and Chiang Saen, local transportation options are quite limited unless you rent a scooter. Therefore, it's recommended to travel with your own transport.