Wat Rong Khun (White Temple).

In a 2012 interview Chalermchai said he had already spent more than 440 million baht on the temple over 15 years, and expected the whole work to take about 60 years, including training successors to carry it on after his death. He has also declined the monthly stipend and medical benefits that come with being a National Artist.

The bridge of rebirth, one way to the ubosot · Photo: Hans-Jürgen Neubert

What sets Wat Rong Khun apart is that it is entirely white. White stands for the Buddha's purity, and the mirror glass set all over the buildings for his wisdom shining across the world and the universe. The stucco blends Lanna art with the artist's contemporary imagination — which is why visitors call it the White Temple.

The way into the ubosot is a bridge over a pond. Beneath it, hundreds of sculpted hands reach up from below, representing human craving and suffering, so crossing the bridge is like crossing the cycle of rebirth towards enlightenment. Past the bridge you walk through a gate guarded by figures of Death and Rahu before entering the ubosot. The bridge is one-way — no turning back.

The golden building, representing the body and material things · Photo: Welcome to Thailand

Inside the ubosot, the murals mix Buddhist stories with today's world: flames and demon faces, film and pop-culture characters, war, terrorism and oil pumps, reflecting the desires of modern people. Photography is not allowed inside, so it is for your eyes only.

The gleaming golden building not far from the ubosot is the toilet block. The artist chose gold to represent the body and material things people cling to, the opposite of the white ubosot that stands for the mind. There is also a gallery of paintings by Chalermchai, who was named a National Artist in visual arts (painting) in 2011.

Inside the gallery of Chalermchai's work · Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada

On the evening of 5 May 2014, at about 18:08, an earthquake centred in Mae Lao district, Chiang Rai, damaged the temple's buildings. The next day Chalermchai announced he would demolish it and not rebuild, but after engineers found the structures sound, he changed his mind and promised to restore it to its original state. The outdoor areas reopened to visitors on 8 May 2014.

Wat Rong Khun became a world-class attraction that lifted business across Chiang Rai. Before COVID-19 it drew about 3,000–4,000 Chinese visitors a day, around 70% of its foreign visitors; when China began locking down cities in January 2020, that fell to 1,000–1,500 a day within days.

Wat Rong Khun is still unfinished. The plan has nine buildings — among them the ubosot, a relic hall, the art gallery, a meditation hall and monks' quarters — with completion expected around 2070. Chalermchai has said that only death can stop his dream, but not the project. Since 1 January 2026, admission for foreigners is 200 baht, including the Art Cave; Thais still enter free.