Last Updated on April 10, 2020 by Dani
To call the The White Temple aka Wat Rong Khun ‘unconventional’ is the understatement of the century. Located just outside of Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand, this temple experience is the closest thing you could ever come to hallucinating sober. This is a modern temple, completely unorthodox and creatively crazy. Elements of pop culture merge with images of devils, aliens and the pits of hell show how inclusive the creator of the temple has attempted to be. Let me introduce you to the spectacular White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand:
Construction of the White Temple began in the late 1990s, but areas of the facade are still blank slates ready to be covered. No matter how that turns out, the white temple is unlike any Buddhist temple in the world. In fact, although worshippers come here daily, this is more of an elaborate art project than a devotion to the Buddha.
The temple was designed by popular contemporary Thai artist Chaloemchai Khositphiphat. Aware of how rare his project would be, Khositphiphat was prepared for the work to take years to finish, likening the project to Gaudi’s work in Spain. It’s been 14 years since the project started, so regardless of the comparison being slightly arrogant, it would appear to be true. Some of the work is beautiful, other aspects are disturbing to say the least.
At the entrance of the White Temple there are two โdemonsโ right and left depicting the sinful addictions of the human being: alcohol and cigarettes.
Before entering the actual temple complex, you must pass two trees with dozens of heads hanging down โ some just weird-looking, others creepy. (Jess saw this guy with the snake coming out of his eye in her dreams for a few nights after we were there!)
The temple is reached by a long ornate bridge with mosaics and two scary sculptures at the beginning of it:
Before you even get there though, your visit to the White Temple starts by crossing a little pond loaded with hungry fish, followed by what we found to be the most fascinating element of all – hundreds of clay hands desperately reaching out of the pit under the bridge, some holding skulls, others holding pots for alms. Known as the ‘Pit of Hell’ these hands represent people trying to escape. Not your average entrance to a Buddhist temple…
The bridge represents a crossing over to the Abode of Buddha from the cycle of rebirth. The semi-circle seen in the image below represents the human world. The fangs in the larger circle represent the mouth of Rahu, meaning impurities in the mind, a representation of hell or suffering.
Around the pond there are more creepy sculptures, like a fish eating a human hand…
The main temple building, the ubosot, is entirely white to symbolize the Buddhaโs purity, with white sculptures at the entrance and mosaics to decorate the figures on each side of the temple.
Pictures are prohibited once inside the temple, but let us paint you a picture: The Buddha faces the back wall, which is painted orange and depicts a bizarre combination of scenes straight from American life: Spiderman, Superman, Alien, Star Wars, cell phones, computers, McDonaldโs, Neo from The Matrix movies, Bin Laden and George W. Bush, plus the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers. Not what you would expect inside a temple! Even parts of the small main temple were unfinished, so we can only imagine what type of images will be added to mix!
Once through the temple out into the back part of the grounds, another pond and another white bridge leads to a bright white pagoda.
The gardens around the temple are filled with tiny details, such as these skulls that covered the fences:
A yet to be finished gazebo, also bright white, with fantastically detailed animal sculptures on top:
Once it is completely finished, there will be nine buildings: the ubosot, the hall containing Lord Buddhaโs relics, the hall containing Buddha images, the preaching hall, the contemplation hall, the monkโs cell, the door faรงade of the Buddhavasa, the art gallery and the bathrooms.
And look at these golden bathrooms โ have you ever seen such fancy toilets?!
How to visit the White Temple in Chiang Rai: The temple is located in Ban Rong Khun, about 13 kilometres south-west of Chiang Rai. Public buses (40 Baht) leave regularly from the bus station in Chiang Rai, just ask someone what gate the buses to Wat Rong Khun are leaving from. The ride takes around 20 minutes.
You could visit in an hour or so, but plan in some time to take in all the little details that you will see the closer and longer you look.

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Fantastic! Great photos. What a peculiar place to worship?!
Thanks, Cam! It’s definitely peculiar!!
This is so amazingly bizarre, I absolutely must see this when Tony & I make it to Thailand! After a while in Asia, you feel a bit “templed” out so this would certainly be a great palate cleanser!
Steph – yes, definitely go there! I don’t think there’s any other temple like the White Temple, and even if you’re templed out you will enjoy this one for sure ๐
Wow — that is one strange temple. Can you imagine seeing that when you were a kid? I think I would have nightmares for the rest of my life.
Kate – I think I also would’ve been pretty disturbed by that experience had I visited the temple as a kid ๐
Wow! I love your photos. It’s really beautiful but some of the statues were terrifying.
Thanks, Ashley.. yes I can totally see some of the kids having nightmares after their visit!!
How very interesting this is! I can see you’re comparison to Gaudi. This temple is rather macbre but so very interesting. it would take a long time to take in all the details.
Hi Debbie, the inside of the temple was definitely macabre (IMHO) – the drawings of Bin Laden and all that were quite disturbing. But I guess that’s what a modern interpretation of a Buddhist Temple is allowed to be..
This place looks amazing, I need to go! Thanks for sharing your pictures ๐
Thanks, Allison – I highly recommend a visit to Chiang Rai, not just for the White Temple ๐ We had a great time there.
I want to visit this place SO badly. I never tire of seeing photos of it – it’s just so weird!!
I am sure that you’d love it, Amanda, and take countless photos ๐ It is really weird, but beautiful at the same time!
Bizarre, unique and sometimes disturbing. Great stuff! Is everything covered in clay? Some marble? Stucco?
Lane – it’s mostly made of white stucco. I hope we’ll get to go back one day and see the temple when it’s finally 100 % finished.
This place is insane! I really wish I’d known about it when I was in Thailand. So many of those pictures are going to give me nightmares. You have to wonder how the hell a project like this gets approval!
Well, it definitely put Chiang Rai on the radar of many tourists who would’ve skipped it before the White Temple had opened ๐ I hope you won’t have any nightmares, Arianwen!
This is just so cool-looking, and it definitely makes for a refreshing change after seeing so many similar temples.
I want to visit this place so bad! I recently made a list of the things I want to see and do in Thailand, and visiting this temple is right up there. ๐
Awesome – it’s definitely worth being on a list of Must-See places in Thailand! Hope you’ll enjoy your time there, Audrey ๐
We just came back from Chiang Rai a few days ago…this place is definitely worth a visit!
Great posts & photos ๐
Thanks Sacha & Jmayel! Great to hear that you had a good time in Chiang Rai, too ๐
How wonderously bizarre! I would dearly love to see this for myself one day.
Kat – I hope you’ll get to see the White Temple one day, it is truly spectacular!
We currently are living in Chiang Mai and are yet to go to Chiang Rai….your pictures make me want to go today! Can’t wait to see the temple ourselves.
Oh it’s so worth a visit! Go sooner rather than later – before the blue skies disappear ๐ I think after February it’s more cloudy and the photos don’t turn out as great.