Wat Phra That Doi Kham

Wat Phra That Doi Kham is a Buddhist temple on Doi Kham Mountain in Suthep, Thailand, standing roughly 200 meters above sea level in Mae Hia sub-district. The compound comprises several buildings, open halls and a gilded chedi that rises at the center of the grounds and can be seen from a distance.

Two princes named Chao Manthiyoth and Chao Ananthayoth, sons of Queen Chamthewi, founded the site in 1230. The queen ruled the Haripunjaya Kingdom and is regarded as the first monarch of this region in northern Thailand.

The name translates to »temple of the sacred relic on Mount Kham«, a hill once believed to shelter forest spirits. Monks reside here and worshippers arrive especially on weekends to light candles and place incense before the golden Buddha that towers above the entrance.

The site opens every day from eight in the morning until five in the afternoon and stands on the road from Chiang Mai to Hang Dong, where parking spaces sit near the entrance. Visitors can explore the buildings freely but should remove shoes when entering indoor spaces and cover shoulders and knees.

According to legend, two giants called Jita and Ta Khiao carried a hair relic of the Buddha from celestial beings and buried it beneath the stupa. The story links the idea of forest giants to the arrival of sacred objects in the hills around Chiang Mai.