Wat Huay Pla Kang vs Wat Rong Suea Ten (Blue Temple)
Two temples in Chiang Rai. Wat Huay Pla Kang has no online ticket listed; Wat Rong Suea Ten (Blue Temple) has no online ticket listed. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Wat Huay Pla Kang is free to enter and no ticket for it is sold online. The grounds, the pagoda and the halls are open to anyone; the one thing you pay for is the lift inside the great white statue of Guanyin, where a small fee or donation is collected at the base. Incense, flowers and candles for offerings are sold near the entrance.
The temple lies a few kilometres north-west of central Chiang Rai, so most visitors reach it by songthaew, tuk-tuk, Grab car or hired scooter, often on a half-day loop that also takes in the White Temple, the Blue Temple and the Black House.
There is no ticket for the Blue Temple and nothing to book for it alone: entry is free, the grounds have no gate fee and no timed slots, and a donation box stands inside the hall. Small stalls near the car park sell drinks, snacks and souvenirs, and wraps are available for anyone who arrives in shorts.
The temple sits in the Rong Suea Ten neighbourhood on the northern edge of Chiang Rai, about 3 km from the clock tower, so a tuk-tuk, a ride-hailing car or a rented scooter gets you there in ten minutes; cyclists can manage it easily on the flat roads. The most common way for international visitors to see it, though, is on a long day trip from Chiang Mai, about three hours' drive each way.
