Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep or Phrathat Doi Suthep Temple is probably the most famous temple in Chiang Mai Thailand. Tourists flock on this place to pray if they are Buddhist believer or a tourist just like me. Just visiting places for sight-seeing. It is located at 9 Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai for google map click here. It is more than an hour to travel by car or 1 and 30 minutes to travel by motorcycle. It lies in the mountain of Chiang Mai. So coming here the road is steeper.
I notice that the road coming up to the mountain has 2 lanes and 1 lane for the road going down. Which is favorable for the drivers. It is my first time seeing this kind of road and it is really a good idea. To get to the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, you can rent a motorcycle or car and get there by yourself. If you want to go on tour, ask the hotel information desk for tour packages. I've seen a lot of two-decker bus there.
To get to the top you can go by the long stairs or take a left for 20 baht round trip. This place is free of charge for Thai but for foriegners they collected 30 baht each for entrance. Be sure to wear something decent. Wearing short, mini-skirt, sleeveless and spaghetti strap dress is prohibited. If you come here wearing these clothes, don't worry you can buy some t-shirt or long trousers in the shop nearby. There are a lot of shops across the street or within the temple premises. You must minimize your voice here, they are asking for tourist to pay respect and observe the silence in the temple premises.
Going to the top, we used the stairways with 309 steps going up. We meet these cute and adorable kids wearing the colorful traditional Chiang Mai dress along the way. You can take a photo with them and give them any amount in return. You must give money to each one of them. Like this photo above. My husband photographed with these 3 adorable kids so we give money to each one of them.
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep is located at the top of the mountain, so at the back of the temple, they have a wide terrace that overviews the city of Chiang Mai. You can watch the plane leaving and arriving at the Chiang Mai International Airport from here.
The structure inside the main temple which is the main attraction of this place the ancient Pagoda which is so ornate and it was covered with gold. Truly magnificent and pleasing in my eyes (refer to the main picture above). Entering here you must leave your shoes outside. There are photographers here with a very high-end camera which you can ask for their service for 100 baht. They will just transfer your photo in Line App.
Fact about Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep which I read somewhere in the temple;
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, with its full name Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Rajaworawiham is on of the most important and sacred temples in northern Thailand, and this temple is a major pilgrimage destination during Buddhist holidays such as Makhabuja, Wisakabuja and Songkran Days etc. The importance of Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep owes much to the legend of how it was built. The 6th King of Mangrai Dynasty. King Kuena, established the pagoda in 1919 B?E (AD 1373). Thereafter, it had been maintained and restored multiples times by several kings of the Mangrai Dynasty.
Don't miss this place when visiting the Chiang Mai Thailand. Although this place is so crowded with tourists, the place is very beautiful with ancient history. Worthy to visit and if you come here late in the afternoon, don't forget to bring mosquito repellent.
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