Rating: 3.7/5 (6 votes)

Open Days: Daily (recommended to reconfirm before traveling)

Opening Hours: Recommended 08.00–17.00 (daytime is the most comfortable for walking around)

 

Teak Wood Buddha Image, Phra Phuttha Kantharach, Wat Thep Prasit (Pang Sak) is the kind of landmark that makes a “Fang trip” feel like more than just passing through. This place deliberately turns “faith” into something you can see and feel through a large-scale teakwood carving that many visitors want to witness with their own eyes. The highlight is the principal image known as “Phra Phuttha Kantharach (khan-tha-ra-rat),” said to represent the very first Buddha posture in the world and linked to a legend about the first Buddha image created in the ancient land of Kantharach in the old Jambudvipa region. What makes this destination special is the blend of “story + craftsmanship + the real experience of arriving,” which can instantly make a Northern Thailand journey feel more meaningful.

 

Put simply, “Kanthan/Kanthanrat” is a name Thai people often recognize from beliefs surrounding Buddha images connected with rain and rain-invoking rituals, and it also ties into the idea of “Gandhara,” an important region in historical Buddhist art that absorbed notable Greco–Roman influence. Art-historical discussions frequently refer to the “Gandharan-style Buddha image” as one of the early Buddha-image traditions shaped by Western artistic forms, blending them into a distinct identity and becoming a key reference point for studying Buddhist art across South Asia and Central Asia.

 

From a traveler’s perspective, what makes Wat Thep Prasit (Pang Sak) worth a stop is not only the “large Buddha image,” but also the temple atmosphere along a main route, making it easy to access and convenient as a comfortable break on the road. Visiting here often happens naturally in the rhythm of onward travel—for example, heading into central Fang, or planning to go up into the mountains or explore nature around Fang–Mae Ai–Chai Prakan. Many visitors describe the feeling as “one stop, but the image stays vivid,” because teakwood carries a texture and mood that is clearly different from Buddha images made of other materials. Especially when sunlight falls on the surface, the wood grain and the depth of the carving become even more pronounced.

 

Getting There From Chiang Mai city, take Highway 107 (Chiang Mai–Fang) northbound, passing Mae Rim–Chiang Dao before entering Fang District. The destination is Wat Thep Prasit (Pang Sak) in Mae Sun Subdistrict, Fang District, Chiang Mai. The main route is straightforward and is one of the key highways in Northern Thailand. If you are driving from the Chiang Dao side toward “Fang,” watch for the Mae Sun area and roadside communities along Highway 107; the temple sits along an accessible travel corridor (recommended to use navigation apps for certainty).

 

For a smooth visit, it’s recommended to dress modestly, speak softly, and leave space for worshippers to perform their rituals comfortably. If you want to take photos, try not to block walkways and avoid intruding into areas used for ceremonies. Quieter times are usually weekdays or early mornings, while long holidays may see more stop-in visitors because the temple lies on a major travel route.

 

If you want to extend the trip and make the most of the day, the Fang area offers plenty of nature and notable sites that can easily fill “a full day,” such as Fang Hot Springs (within Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park) and the national park itself, a favorite for mountain scenery and cool-weather travel, as well as the route up to Doi Ang Khang and the Ang Khang Royal Agricultural Station, which are widely known landmarks in the North.

 

 

A: It is enshrined at Wat Thep Prasit (Pang Sak) in Mae Sun Subdistrict, Fang District, Chiang Mai, along the Highway 107 corridor.

 

A: Take Highway 107 (Chiang Mai–Fang) northbound via the Chiang Dao area, then enter Fang and continue into Mae Sun Subdistrict before navigating to the temple.

 

A: In Thai contexts, it is familiar from beliefs related to rain-invoking rituals, and it also connects conceptually to “Gandhara,” a major historical center of Buddhist art that influenced early Buddha-image forms.

 

A: Fang Hot Springs and Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park are highly recommended, as well as the route to Doi Ang Khang and the Ang Khang Royal Agricultural Station, which are key highlights of the Fang area.

 

A: Published information lists 053-453-517 ext. 8 (recommended to call and reconfirm before traveling).