# Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai > Wat Phra Singh is one of Chiang Mai's main temples, founded in 1345 in the western part of the Old City. It houses the revered Phra Buddha Sihing image, and its 19th-century Viharn Lai Kham is a model of Lanna architecture. The grounds are free; the viharn costs about 20 baht (unofficial). It's open roughly 6:00–18:00. Web page: https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-phra-singh - City: [Chiang Mai](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai), Thailand - YesGo score: 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Entry: grounds free; Lai Kham ≈ 20 baht - With kids: Fine with kids - Grounds: Free - Viharn Lai Kham: About 20 baht for foreigners - Hours: Daily, roughly 6:00–18:00 - Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered; shoes off at the hall doors - Songkran: In April the Phra Singh image is paraded through the city - Where: The west end of Ratchadamnoen Road; 20 minutes on foot from Tha Phae Gate - Coordinates: 18.78875, 98.98121 - Facts checked: 08.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1345** — King Phayu of Lanna founded the temple to enshrine his father's ashes (source: English Wikipedia) - **1400** — the Phra Buddha Sihing image arrived — and gave the temple its name (source: English Wikipedia) - **1815–1821** — Viharn Lai Kham was built — 30 × 8 m, a model of Lanna architecture (source: English Wikipedia) - **Murals** — in Lai Kham tell the tales of Sang Thong and Suwannahongse (source: English Wikipedia) - **1924** — the main viharn was built — 56 × 24 m, with a teak roof (source: English Wikipedia) - **1935** — the temple became a first-class royal temple (source: English Wikipedia) - **Lee Chiang Phra** — the temple's former name, after the market in front of it (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 600 m** — to Wat Chedi Luang — 5–10 minutes on foot (source: OSM) ## What is Wat Phra Singh? **Wat Phra Singh** is a temple in the western part of **Chiang Mai's Old City**, at the end of Ratchadamnoen Road. **King Phayu** of Lanna founded it in **1345** to enshrine his father's ashes in a stupa. It was first called Wat Lee Chiang Phra, after the market in front of it. In **1400** the revered **Phra Buddha Sihing** (Phra Singh) image was brought here, and the temple took its present name. The image sits in **Viharn Lai Kham** (1815–1821), a small Lanna-style hall with gilded lacquer carving and murals of the tales of Sang Thong and Suwannahongse. Since **1935** Wat Phra Singh has been a first-class royal temple. ## Entry, hours and rules The temple grounds are **free**. According to guides, foreigners pay **about 20 baht** to enter **Viharn Lai Kham**. The temple is open **daily from about 6:00 to 18:00**. There's no official website — check on site. **Cover shoulders and knees** and take your shoes off at the hall doors. Don't use flash inside Lai Kham — the murals are old and fragile. Don't sit with your back to Buddha images. > **Songkran and the Sunday market** At Songkran, Thai New Year in mid-April, the Phra Singh image is carried out of the temple and paraded through the city, and people splash it with water for luck. On Sunday evenings a big walking market runs along Ratchadamnoen Road from Tha Phae Gate to the temple. ## What to see - **Viharn Lai Kham** — the Phra Buddha Sihing image, gold carving and Lanna murals. - **The gilded stupa** with elephants at its base. - **The main viharn** of 1924 — 56 m long, with a teak roof. - **The scripture library** on a tall white base. - **Carved gables** with gold and mosaic. - **The temple courtyard** — quiet, with trees and bells. ## How to get to Wat Phra Singh 1. **From Tha Phae Gate** — about 20 minutes west on foot along Ratchadamnoen Road. 2. **From Wat Chedi Luang** — about 600 m, 5–10 minutes on foot. 3. **By red songthaew, Grab or tuk-tuk** — to the west end of Ratchadamnoen Road. 4. **From Chiang Mai airport** — 15 minutes by taxi. 5. Enter from Ratchadamnoen Road; Lai Kham is a small hall deeper in the grounds, beyond the main viharn. ## How long do you need, and when to go? Allow **45 minutes to an hour**. The best times are **morning**, when the monks finish their rituals and there are no groups yet, or **near sunset**, when the stupa's gold glows. On a Sunday evening, combine the temple with the walking market. Wat Phra Singh fits easily into one route with **Wat Chedi Luang** and **Wat Chiang Man** — all three in the Old City. ## Is Wat Phra Singh worth visiting? Yes: it's one of the north's most revered temples, and Viharn Lai Kham with its murals is the finest example of Lanna art in Chiang Mai. The YesGo take: the main viharn and stupa resemble many other temples; the real treasure is little Lai Kham, which is easy to walk past. Make sure you go in. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered - [ ] About 20 baht in change for Lai Kham - [ ] Remember to visit Lai Kham - [ ] No flash inside - [ ] On Sunday — the walking market nearby ## Chiang Mai temples: compare and choose Chiang Mai temples rated by YesGo. - [Wat Chiang Man](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-chiang-man) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free - [Wat Umong](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-umong) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · free - [Wat Chedi Luang](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-chedi-luang) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ 40–50 baht - [Wat Sri Suphan (Silver Temple)](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-sri-suphan) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · ≈ 50 baht - [Wat Phra Singh](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-phra-singh) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · grounds free; Lai Kham ≈ 20 baht - [Wat Phra That Doi Suthep](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/doi-suthep) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 30 baht, funicular ≈ 20 ## Chiang Mai's Old City in half a day Wat Chiang Man, then Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh — all three in the Old City. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Wat Chiang Man](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-chiang-man) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free 2. [Wat Chedi Luang](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-chedi-luang) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ 40–50 baht 3. [Wat Phra Singh](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-phra-singh) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · grounds free; Lai Kham ≈ 20 baht ## Good to know Chiang Mai's Wat Phra Singh is in the Old City. There's a temple of the same name in Chiang Rai. The Phra Buddha Sihing is also venerated in Bangkok, where another version of the image is kept. ## Tips - Lai Kham is a small hall beyond the main viharn and easy to miss. - The best stupa shot is from the east, in the morning. - No flash — the murals are fragile. - On Sunday evenings the market starts by the temple gate. - Nearby: [Wat Chedi Luang](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-chedi-luang), 5–10 minutes away. ## Questions ### How much is entry to Wat Phra Singh? The grounds are free; Viharn Lai Kham costs about 20 baht (according to guides). ### What are the temple's opening hours? Daily, roughly 6:00 to 18:00. ### When was Wat Phra Singh founded? In 1345. ### What is the Phra Buddha Sihing? A revered Buddha image, kept here since 1400. ### What is the dress code? Shoulders and knees covered; shoes off at the hall doors. ### How do I get there? About 20 minutes on foot from Tha Phae Gate along Ratchadamnoen Road. ### What happens at Songkran? The Phra Singh image is paraded through the city and splashed with water. ### How long do you need? 45 minutes to an hour. ## How we checked There's no official website. History, buildings and dimensions are from English Wikipedia; in line with YesGo policy we don't go into the period of foreign rule in the 16th–18th centuries. The 20 baht Lai Kham fee and 6:00–18:00 hours come from guides and are marked unconfirmed. The Songkran procession is a well-known tradition; we don't give an exact date. The distance to Wat Chedi Luang is from OSM coordinates. ## Sources - English Wikipedia — Wat Phra Singh: founding in 1345, the Phra Buddha Sihing, Viharn Lai Kham and the main viharn, 1935 royal status - 2026 travel guides — Lai Kham fee, hours (unofficial) - OSM — temple coordinates - YesGo general facts for Thailand — payment, transport --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.