Northern Thailand Adventure: Day 1 Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai Clocktower at Early Morning (2016)

Darkness has already fallen when I arrived in Chiang Rai, the first city in my 2-week Northern Thailand itinerary. The climb from Chiang Mai was relatively smooth, and I was asleep the whole time because I only had a few winks the night before with my red-eye flight from Iloilo to Hong Kong.

Getting Off the Bus Station

Chiang Rai has 2 bus stations, Terminal 2 is a few kilometers to the south of downtown Chiang Rai and Terminal 1 (Arcade Terminal) which is downtown. Buses from Chiang Mai passes both terminals. Having gotten off Arcade Terminal, tuktuk drivers approached us asking where we were going. I got one who charged me B80 (US$ 2.25), I know that's a lot, but look, when you haven't had sleep the night before and you arrive a place you know nothing of, I don't think you'll still have the energy to bargain. All I wanted was to get to my hotel and sleep, which is exactly what I got!

My Room in B2 Chiang Rai Hotel

B2 Chang Rai Hotel 

Normally I peg my hotel accommodations in Southeast Asia at US$ 20/night excluding breakfast. Seriously, I don't find hotel breakfasts appetizing at all. Besides I am a foodie traveller I feel that eating breakfasts at hotels take a way the experience of eating like the locals in places where they eat. B2 provided me exactly that, a steal at US$ 16/night, the room was spacious and clean. It is centrally located and in a good neighbourhood. It actually felt sad bidding good bye to it at the end of my stay. I highly recommend this to anyone visiting Chiang Rai soon.

The study and TV in my room.

Distance Information of B2 Chiang Rai Hotel

To Arcade Bus Station - 5-min by songthaew / tuktuk
To Clocktower - 5-min walk, about 4-5 blocks
To Wat Phra Kaew - 5-min walk
To City navel Monument - 15-min walk
To King Mengrai Monument - 20-min walk

B2 Chiang Rai can be booked via Agoda.com (where I got it) or Booking.com

Wat Phra Kaew

Wat Phra Kaew

In my first full day in Chiang Rai I did my early morning walk and found out that my hotel was close to Wat Phra Kaew, at 8AM the temple was already open but no tourists were in sight yet except for some 10 early birdies. We basically had the temple all to ourselves.

Wat Phra Kaew is the legendary site where the Phra Kaew (Emerald Buddha) was found. This is the most revered image of the Buddha in all of Thailand and is currently housed in the temple of the same name at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. The Phra Kaew since its discovery in the 15th century has resided in various cities and has stayed its longest in Vientiane, Lao PDR (219 years). Siam invaded Vientiane sometime in 1778 and regained the image. Since then the image has stayed in its present residence in Bangkok.

A replica of the Phra Kaew in residence at the Chiang Rai Wat Phra Kaew (the original image is already at the Grand Palace in Bangkok)

The Wat in Chiang Rai is an exemplar of Lanna architecture. They bear a lot of resemblance to the the architecture of Lane Xang in Luang Prabang, after all these cultures have been interrelated and their histories have for countless times met and exchanged influences.

Ordination Chapel part of the Wat Phra Kaew complex

A guardian naga of the temple.

The chedi here is a reconstruction of the original Chedi which in 1434 was struck by lightning revealing a plaster image of the Buddha. Later the plaster began to disintegrate revealing an image of the Buddha in carved jade thus the term Emerald Buddha because of the green colour.

Information about Wat Phra Kaew

Attraction Fee - none
Attire - clothing must not reveal knees and shoulders.
Time - 30-min

There is a museum beside the temple, it also has no attraction fee.

A replica of the Phra Kaew made of Canadian green marble reposed in the Museum beside the Wat.