What to know before visiting the temple
Dress modestly · Keep noise down in the temple
About 06:00–18:00
17:00
7 days ahead
When to go
this week
Tap a day card to see that day’s weather, rain, haze and hourly forecast
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day
Holiday — traffic on the way up and parking fills fast; leave early
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day
Holiday — traffic on the way up and parking fills fast; leave early
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day
Holiday — traffic on the way up and parking fills fast; leave early
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–14:00 Little rain
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–16:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Wat Khao Phlong
Wat Khao Phlong (Wat Pathom Thetsana Aranyawasi), Khao Tha Phra, Mueang Chai Nat.
- Cool
- Hot, no shade
- Evening light over town
Arrive 17:00
- Khao Phlong summitChai Nat viewEvening
- Naga stairsThe big BuddhaAfternoon
Good to know here
Steep, narrow; watch for oncoming cars
No shade
- Come in the evening before 17:30
- Use low gear
- Pair with Chai Nat Bird Park
Adults 0 THB · Time needed 45 minutes–1 hour
Weekend evenings
- Kids Yes
- Seniors Drive up
- Wheelchair Parts of the summit by car
- Pets Not recommended
- Chai Nat Bird ParkSnacks
- Chai Nat townRiver fish
- Dress modestly
- Keep noise down in the temple
- Steep road
- No shade on top
- Limited parking
Best months
Tap a month on the wheel to see weather, rain, haze and crowds from 10 years of records
Best time · Nov–Feb for clear skies · Jul–Oct green fields
Watch out · Mar–May very hot on top
21°Jan
22°Feb
25°Mar
27°Apr
27°May
26°Jun
26°Jul
25°Aug
25°Sep
24°Oct
23°Nov
21°Dec
Oct by the records 24–31°C · avg rain 221 mm (20 rainy days) · clear 3 days · avg PM2.5 11
The story of this place
Wat Khao Phlong's official name is Wat Pathom Thetsana Aranyawasi. It sits on Khao Phlong behind Chai Nat Bird Park in Khao Tha Phra, Mueang Chai Nat, beside Highway 1, about 3–4 km from town and 1 km from the bird park. It is in Mueang district, not Wat Sing or Hankha.
Read more 4 more paragraphs
Permission to build was granted on 27 September 1973, it was formally established on 29 March 1976 and received its royal boundary on 15 November 1976, according to LoveThailand. Its founder was Luang Pho Chuen Ariyathammo (1894–25 September 1978). One source dates the enshrinement of relics in the chedi to 1966, earlier than the founding, so that needs checking. The hilltop ordination hall holds likenesses of Luang Pho Chuen, Luang Pho Kop and Luang Pho Ophasi.
Its highlight is a large Sukhothai-style Buddha subduing Mara, named Phra Phuttha Ariyathammo after Luang Pho Chuen's monastic name — one source gives a lap of about 12.5 m and a height of about 17.5 m, or 19.6 m with the base — reached by a naga staircase from the road. The summit has a golden relic chedi, an ordination hall and a pavilion. No build year or step count has been published.
The summit looks over Chai Nat town, Highway 1, rice fields and the Chao Phraya, and many sources call it the best view of Chai Nat. Evenings are good for photos; it is breezy but has no shade. In the rains (July–October) the fields are vivid green.
It is open about 06:00–18:00 (Google says 09:00–17:00) and free. You can climb the stairs or drive the steep, narrow paved road — use low gear and watch for oncoming cars. Parking at the top and bottom is limited on weekend evenings, and the temple closes around 18:00, so a night view may not be possible. Dress modestly. It pairs well with Chai Nat Bird Park for a half day.
- 1894Luang Pho Chuen Ariyathammo born
- 1966Relics enshrined (single source)
- 27 Sep 1973Permission to build granted
- 29 Mar 1976Formally established
- 15 Nov 1976Royal boundary granted
- 25 Sep 1978Luang Pho Chuen dies
Check-ins & visitor photos
Arrived? Check in, collect a stamp and tell others what it is like right now
Check your location first, so you do not fill in the form for nothing
Location must be on and within 0.2 km · One check-in per place per day · come back on other days to check in again
Post photos from anywhere — no need to be here · Up to 20 photos at a time · JPG / PNG / WebP · GPS location data is removed automatically
How to get there
Steep, narrow paved road; use low gear
Highway 1 · Fuel
Highway 1 next to the bird park; steep, narrow hill road
Top and bottom (limited)
Chai Nat town
Good
About 06:00–18:00
around 4 km fromChai Nat town
Wat Pathom Thetsana Aranyawasi
0 THB
Stays near Wat Khao Phlong
Approx. nightly price for 2 adults (next week) · final price depends on your dates
FAQ
Before you goWat Khao Phlong
Answers travellers want before they go — a one-minute read
Are Wat Khao Phlong and Wat Pathom Thetsana Aranyawasi the same?
Yes
Can I drive up?
Yes; the road is steep and narrow
Is it Chai Nat's best viewpoint?
Many sources say so
What are the hours?
About 06:00–18:00
Is there a fee?
No
Can I combine it with the bird park?
Yes, they are next to each other
Who founded it?
Luang Pho Chuen Ariyathammo
Ready to go to Wat Khao Phlong?
Best day this week: Thursday 29 Oct · Check in when you arrive to collect a stamp