Friday 28 November 2025 Return to Wat Chedi Luang across the street There are about 30,000 Buddhist temples in Thailand. Of those, 34 are listed as “Royal Temples,” divided into classes: 1 in Special Class, 19 First Class, 6 Second Class, and 9 Third Class. The special Class temple is Wat Phra Kaew in the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Of those 34 temples, only 3 are in Chiang Mai: Wat Phra Singh (first class), Wat […]
Saturday 4 January 2025 Checking out the decorated Wat Chedi Luang I have visited and written about Wat Chedi Luang many, many times over the years. In many ways, it is my favorite temple. I used to sit at the base of the large chedi every morning for a short meditation. [I stopped when they started charging foreigners 50 baht to enter the temple grounds.] The King of Thailand, Vajiralongkorn or King Rama X, the […]
Saturday 23 November 2024 Revisiting a favorite temple Wat Chedi Luang Wat Chedi Luang is a very old and important temple to the Thai people. The 3-Sis guesthouse where I stay is directly across the street from Wat Chedi Luang, so I see busses of tourists, many Thai, arriving every day while I am eating breakfast. In years past, I would do my morning meditation at the base of the large chedi before breakfast. When […]
Tuesday 30 January 2024 Wat Chedi Luang Wat Chedi Luang is an old and historically important Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai. Wat Chedi Luang History The construction of Wat Chedi Luang began in 1391 by King Saen Muang Ma to hold his father’s ashes. The chedi was not completed until 1475, much of its completion was managed by King Saen Muang Ma’s wife, the queen after the king passed away. It was finally completed under […]
James the Intrepid Pilgrim 