Wat Phra That Khun Kon

Open Days: Daily

Opening Hours: 08.00 – 17.00

 

Wat Phra That Khun Kon is a local non-royal Buddhist temple under the Mahanikaya order, located in Moo 4, Ban Tin That, Pa Nai Subdistrict, Phrao District, Chiang Mai Province. The temple was officially permitted to be established in 1907 and is one of the important sacred places of Pa Nai Subdistrict. Its central sacred monument is Phra That Khun Kon, also known as Phra That Mae Kon, an old relic monument deeply respected by local people in Phrao. The temple is both a community temple and a significant point in the Buddhist cultural landscape of Pa Nai.

 

Ban Tin That is Moo 4 of Pa Nai Subdistrict. The village name itself is closely connected with the sacred relic monument, as “Tin That” suggests a settlement located at the foot or near the base of a relic site. This relationship between village name, temple name, and sacred geography makes Wat Phra That Khun Kon more than an ordinary village temple. It is a place where local identity, sacred landscape, and Buddhist devotion are closely intertwined.

 

Pa Nai Subdistrict is a rural Lanna area of Phrao District, shaped by villages, temples, farmland, watercourses, reservoirs, and mountain scenery. The subdistrict includes several villages such as Ban Pa Nai, Ban San Yao, Ban Lao, Ban Tin That, Ban San Klang, Ban San Po Thong, Ban Muang Thoi, Ban Lo Pu Loei, Ban Muang Kham, and Ban San Ta Phap. Wat Phra That Khun Kon is part of this wider network of village temples and sacred sites, each of which preserves a different layer of local Buddhist memory.

 

Phra That Khun Kon is also known locally as Phra That Mae Kon. In earlier local memory, people in Phrao called the chedi “Phra That Chao Hua Mueang,” a name that suggests a relic monument of broader civic and spiritual importance. Although the exact founding period of the relic is not clearly known, its long-standing presence in local tradition shows that it has been revered for a very long time. The relic monument is the heart of the temple and the main reason Ban Tin That is recognized as a sacred village landscape.

 

One of the most important stories associated with Phra That Khun Kon concerns rainmaking rituals in the past. When seasonal rains failed and drought affected the community, the ruler of Phrao would lead people, attendants, villagers, and monks from various temples in the district to the relic site to conduct a rain-requesting ceremony. This story shows that Phra That Khun Kon was not only a personal place of worship. It was a communal sacred site connected with agriculture, seasonal rainfall, and the well-being of the wider Phrao community.

 

This rainmaking context gives Wat Phra That Khun Kon a deeper cultural meaning. In an agricultural society, rain was essential for rice fields, crops, livestock, and village survival. Gathering at the relic monument during drought was therefore an act of faith, social unity, and emotional resilience. Phra That Khun Kon became a place where Buddhism, local belief, community leadership, and agricultural life came together.

 

The temple was officially established in 1907, making it more than a century old as a formally recognized temple. The sacred relic itself is remembered as older, but the establishment date confirms the temple’s institutional status in the early 20th century. Across generations, Wat Phra That Khun Kon has been maintained by monks and villagers as a place for worship, merit-making, ceremonies, and local Buddhist activities.

 

Wat Phra That Khun Kon is also connected with Thai forest-practice history. Luang Pu Rian Worralapho is remembered as having stayed and practiced meditation at the viharn in front of the relic monument after the end of Buddhist Lent in 1938, together with Phra Achan Niam. This association adds another layer to the temple’s significance. It is not only a village temple and relic site, but also a place connected with meditation practice and respected monastic memory.

 

The setting of Wat Phra That Khun Kon is also distinctive. The temple stands on a small elevated hill or raised area in Ban Tin That, surrounded by village life, fields, a small stream, and the rural landscape of Pa Nai. The elevated position gives the relic monument visual presence and symbolic meaning. It allows the temple to serve as a visible sacred point within the community landscape.

 

The main sacred feature to see and worship is Phra That Khun Kon or Phra That Mae Kon. Visitors should approach the relic with respect, move quietly around the temple grounds, and understand it as a living sacred place rather than a simple photo stop. The value of the site lies in its long memory, local devotion, and its role as a spiritual center for Ban Tin That and the wider Phrao area.

 

The temple also includes areas used for worship, merit-making, Buddhist ceremonies, and local community activities. Publicly available information does not provide a full inventory of every structure inside the temple, but the local history specifically mentions the viharn in front of the relic monument. Visitors should give importance to the relic area, worship area, temple courtyard, viharn or ceremonial space, and monastic residential areas, while avoiding private zones unless permission is given.

 

Phra Khru Sarakittiwimon, also known as Phra Baidika Kittichai Kittisaro, was an important former abbot of Wat Phra That Khun Kon. He remains associated with contemporary local memory of the temple and is respected by the community and disciples. A current abbot is not included in this article because no sufficiently verified current source was found after the former abbot’s passing. This avoids presenting outdated information as current.

 

Wat Phra That Khun Kon plays several roles in the local community. Spiritually, it is a place where villagers pay respect to the relic, make merit, listen to Dhamma, and take part in Buddhist ceremonies. Socially, it is a gathering place for Ban Tin That residents. Culturally, it preserves the stories of Phra That Chao Hua Mueang, the rainmaking tradition, the meditation stay of Luang Pu Rian Worralapho, and the sacred identity of Ban Tin That.

 

The temple is connected with Buddhist calendar activities and local Lanna traditions, including relic worship, Kathin, Pha Pa, Buddhist holy day merit-making, Buddhist Lent, candle offerings, the end of Buddhist Lent, and seasonal merit-making. In the past, the relic was also linked with rain-requesting ceremonies during drought. These traditions show how the temple continues to hold both spiritual and social meaning for local residents.

 

Wat Phra That Khun Kon is suitable for travelers interested in sacred relics, village temples, Lanna cultural history, and quiet religious routes in Phrao District. Visitors can pay respect to the relic, make merit, observe the temple atmosphere, and learn how a local relic monument can shape the identity of a village. It is not a mass-tourism temple, but a place whose value lies in faith, memory, and local continuity.

 

The access route to Wat Phra That Khun Kon is also important because Pa Nai Subdistrict Municipality has continued to work on the road leading up to the temple in Ban Tin That, Moo 4. This reflects the temple’s ongoing role in the community and its continued importance in local public infrastructure. Travelers should still drive carefully because the route enters a village area and leads toward a raised temple setting.

 

Wat Phra That Khun Kon can be included in a Pa Nai temple route. A meaningful route can begin at Wat Phra That Khun Kon in Ban Tin That, then continue to Wat Pa Nai, Wat Ban Lao, Wat Doi Phra Chao, Wat Lo Pu Loei, Wat Muang Kham, Wat Muang Thoi, Wat San Klang, and Wat San Ta Phap. This route shows the density of Buddhist heritage in Pa Nai Subdistrict and helps visitors understand how each village temple serves its local community.

 

Travelers can also add natural attractions to the route, especially Mae Kon Reservoir and the Doi Mon Lan route. Combining Wat Phra That Khun Kon with Mae Kon Reservoir gives both sacred and natural dimensions to the trip. The temple represents community faith and relic worship, while the reservoir reflects rural water landscapes and the agricultural context of Pa Nai Subdistrict.

 

Getting There is easiest by private car, rental car, or local hired transport. From Chiang Mai city, travel toward Phrao District, then continue into Pa Nai Subdistrict and Ban Tin That, Moo 4. Before departure, search for “Wat Phra That Khun Kon, Pa Nai, Phrao” or “Phra That Khun Kon, Ban Tin That” in a map application. Since the temple is located within a community area with a specific access road, navigation should be prepared in advance. A private vehicle also makes it easier to visit nearby temples, restaurants, accommodations, and natural attractions on the same trip.

 

The best time to visit is in the morning or late afternoon, when the weather is more comfortable and the temple atmosphere is calm. Travelers planning to explore Pa Nai Subdistrict should allow a half-day or full-day route. The late rainy season and cool season are especially suitable for cultural travel in Phrao because the rural landscape, fields, hills, and village roads are more pleasant for slow exploration.

 

Visitors should dress modestly, speak quietly, respect monks and local worshippers, and avoid entering private monastic areas without permission. Around the relic monument, visitors should behave respectfully, avoid climbing or touching sacred structures inappropriately, and be mindful when taking photos. If a ceremony or merit-making activity is taking place, local participants should be given priority.

 

Overall, Wat Phra That Khun Kon is one of the most meaningful sacred sites in Pa Nai Subdistrict. It preserves the status of a Mahanikaya community temple established in 1907, an old relic monument known by several names, stories of rainmaking rituals, a connection with Luang Pu Rian Worralapho, and an active relationship with Ban Tin That, Moo 4. Its value lies in the depth of local faith rather than large-scale tourism, making it a quiet but important destination for understanding Phrao through relic worship, village temples, and Lanna community life.

 

 

A: Wat Phra That Khun Kon is located in Moo 4, Ban Tin That, Pa Nai Subdistrict, Phrao District, Chiang Mai 50190, Thailand.

 

A: Wat Phra That Khun Kon was officially established as a temple in 1907. It is a Mahanikaya community temple of Ban Tin That and is centered on the old sacred relic monument known as Phra That Khun Kon or Phra That Mae Kon.

 

A: Phra That Khun Kon is an old sacred relic of Phrao. It was formerly known as Phra That Chao Hua Mueang and is remembered in local tradition as a place for rain-requesting ceremonies during drought.

 

A: Luang Pu Rian Worralapho is remembered as having stayed and practiced meditation at the viharn in front of the relic monument after Buddhist Lent in 1938, together with Phra Achan Niam.

 

A: Wat Phra That Khun Kon is open daily from 08.00 to 17.00.

 

A: The temple is best reached by private car, rental car, or local hired transport from Chiang Mai toward Phrao District, then into Pa Nai Subdistrict and Ban Tin That, Moo 4.

 

A: It is suitable for travelers interested in sacred relics, local temples, Lanna Buddhist culture, meditation history, and quiet cultural routes in Phrao District.

 

A: Nearby places include Wat Pa Nai, Wat Ban Lao, Wat Doi Phra Chao, Wat San Klang, Wat Ban Lo or Wat Lo Pu Loei, Wat Muang Kham, Mae Kon Reservoir, and Doi Mon Lan.