Wat Lok Moli, Chiang Mai

Wat Lok Moli, as known as Wat Lok Molee, is located just outside the northern most section of the old walled city of Chiang Mai.

Wat Lok Moli is open to visitors every day from 06:00 t0 17:00 and admission is free.

About Wat Lok Moli

Wat Lok Moli is believed to have been founded during the late 14th Century as a home base for a group of Burmese monks invited to come to Chiang Mai to teach Buddhism. The only part of the original temple which remains intact is the large chedi, which was constructed in 1527. The stone bases of long since destroyed temple buildings are also visible.

The chedi at Wat Lok Moli was commissioned by the then king of the Lanna Empire, Phra Kaew Muang. His ashes and the ashes of several other member of the Mengrai Dynasty are entombed within the chedi.

The chedi itself is impressive. Each side of the upper section of the chedi has a recess in which there is a Buddha statue, and each Buddha statue is flanked on both sides by reliefs of celestial beings.

The impressive wooden assembly hall at Wat Lok Moli is a modern addition to the temple, completed in 2003.

The assembly hall has been built in a traditional Lanna style, believed to be very similar to the type of temple which would have been constructed at the time the temple was founded.

The woodwork in the assembly hall at Wat Lok Moli is superb. The thick supporting beams of the temple are visible on the inside and the intricate wooden carvings and ornamentation inside the hall suggests that thousands of hours of painstaking were carried out by skilled carpenters to complete this beautiful reconstruction of a traditional Northern Thai style temple.

Location of Wat Lok Moli

• Wat Lok Moli is located 1.9 km walking distance from the Tha Phae Gate.