Fortune Cookies in a Different Way - A Visit to Wat Phra Singh

Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan, as the temple is called by its full name, is a first-class royal temple and one of the most visited temples in Chiang Mai’s old town.

A visit to Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai’s old town

You can find out first-hand where Wat Phra Singh is located in Chiang Mai’s old town, what to expect during a visit and how much it costs to enter.

How to get to Chiang Mai

Since Chiang Mai is a popular tourist destination in Thailand, you can reach the city by airplane, bus, train or minivan. You can even take international flights to Chiang Mai e.g. from Singapore, Doha, Seoul, Beijing and more.

You can also fly to Chiang Mai from many locations within Thailand. This starts with short flights of 45 minutes e.g. from Mae Hong Son, continues with flights from the capital Bangkok and the south with Phuket or Surat Thani. All connections for a good overview are best found at Skyscanner.

Furthermore, there is a train connection from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, but it usually takes 12 hours or more to arrive. Bus and minivans also drive from many different cities to Chiang Mai such as Pai, Chiang Rai, from the Isan, Bangkok and more. For an overview and to book tickets we can recommend our partner 12go.asia.

Accommodation in Chiang Mai – our hotel tip

The T-Heritage Hotel is located in the heart of Chiang Mai, more specifically in the Old Town. From there you can explore the area wonderfully. Particularly noteworthy is the decor of the rooms in the traditional, but still kind of modern style. We are sure that you will feel comfortable in this small oasis in the middle of the city.

Find more hotels in Chiang Mai here.

1. How do I get to Wat Phra Singh?

Wat Phra Singh is located in the old town of Chiang Mai, at the intersection between Ratchadamnoen Road, Samlarn Road and Singharat Road. You can’t miss it. You can either walk to it through the old town on foot, with a rented scooter or with the red shared taxis (Songthaews) for 20 baht within the old town of Chiang Mai.

If you don’t want to visit the temple on your own, you can do so on one of the guided tours to the temples of Chiang Mai, where Wat Phra Singh is also a stop.

2. On the temple grounds of Wat Phra Singh

Founded in 1345 to lay the ashes of a king in a Chedi, Wat Phra Singh was originally known as Wat Lichiang. In 1367 the famous Phra Sihing Buddha statue was erected here and the name was changed to Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan.

After the Burmese occupation, a new Ubosot was built in 1782 and the Chedis were expanded on behalf of King Kawila. His successors then built the Wihan Lai Kham and the Hor Trai library. The fact that some of the buildings look very new today is due to recent renovations in order to keep Wat Phra Singh in good condition.

You can explore all of the buildings today on site at Wat Phra Singh and get your own impression of the first-class royal temple. Definitely one of the highlights of temples in Chiang Mai! Don’t miss the golden Buddha statue in the back or the Ubosot, where you can see an image of the Emerald Buddha from Wat Phra Kaeo in Bangkok.

3. Buddhist wisdoms in the Wat Phra Singh

Who does not know them? The wisdoms from the fortune cookies in the Chinese restaurants and if you explore the grounds of Wat Phra Singh, you will find many Buddhist wisdoms on the trees to the right of Wihan Luang, the main hall. While this is of course not the same thing, it reminds a little of it.

Here you also have a few seating options in the shade, you can relax or look at all the wisdoms. You can find a small selection of these in the following photos:

4. The Wihan Luang of Wat Phra Singh

When entering the temple area of Wat Phra Singh, you will see the Wihan Luang first, because it stands directly at the roundabout of the entrance. The original Wihan Luang (built in the 14th century), the main and largest building of the temple, was replaced in 1925 with the current form.

Not as impressive from the outside as the rest of the temple grounds, locals in particular come here to pray. Inside the Wihan Luang is the large, seated Buddha statue Phra Chao Thong Tip. It is highly revered by the Thais and was cast already in 1477.

5. Entrance fee and opening times of Wat Phra Singh

Wat Phra Singh is open to visitors daily from 5.00 A.M. to 8.30 P.M. in the evening. You can visit the temple grounds for free. However, if you want to go to the Wihan Luang with the large golden Buddha statue, an entrance fee of 40 baht per person will be charged.

Note: Of course, you should always pay attention to the basic rules for clothing in a Thai temple. This means that your shoulders and knees should be covered and you always have to take off your shoes before entering any of the buildings.

Chiang Mai: Tours and Tickets

Do you prefer to travel with a guide who knows the area very well? Then we recommend a guided tour with a local. This way you can get to know Chiang Mai in a completely different way. GetYourGuide offers a wide selection of exciting tours for Chiang Mai.

Have you ever visited Wat Phra Singh? How did you like the grounds of the temple? Give us feedback in the comments.