Wat Mae Ho Phra

Operating day: Daily

Operating time: 08.00 - 17.00

 

Wat Mae Ho Phra is a local Buddhist temple at No. 14, Moo 5, Ban Mae Ho Phra, San Sai-Phrao Road, Mae Ho Phra Subdistrict, Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai Province 50150. It is a community temple under the Mahanikaya order and serves as a spiritual center for Ban Mae Ho Phra. The temple was built in 1907 and occupies 2 rai and 2 ngan of temple land, with an additional monastic land plot of 20 rai.

 

Wat Mae Ho Phra is suitable for travelers who want to make merit, pay respect, and experience a local Lanna village temple in Mae Taeng. It is not a major commercial tourist attraction. Its value lies in its role as a living community temple, its long local history, its sacred objects, and its continuing relationship with the surrounding village.

 

Mae Ho Phra Subdistrict is an important community area of Mae Taeng District. It includes rural villages, agricultural areas, local roads, schools, community temples, and natural attractions such as Bua Tong Waterfall and the Seven-Color Spring. Wat Mae Ho Phra therefore belongs to a landscape shaped by Buddhism, education, village life, agriculture, and nature.

 

The temple stands in a meaningful community location. To the north, it borders Cho Lae-Mae Ho Phra Road. To the south and west, it borders local homes. To the east, it borders Mae Ho Phra Witthayakan School. This setting shows how closely the temple is connected with village homes, local roads, and education. Wat Mae Ho Phra is not an isolated sacred site; it is part of the everyday structure of the community.

 

The temple’s establishment in 1907 gives it strong historical weight at the village level. In northern Thai communities, temples traditionally served not only as religious centers, but also as places of learning, social gathering, moral guidance, and ceremonial life. Wat Mae Ho Phra continues this role as a long-standing temple of the local community.

 

The name “Mae Ho Phra” carries strong cultural significance because it is the name of the village, the subdistrict, and the temple. The phrase “Ho Phra” suggests a place connected with sacred Buddhist presence. A temple bearing this name becomes both a religious site and a marker of local identity. For visitors, Wat Mae Ho Phra is a direct entry point into the cultural memory of the area.

 

Important temple structures include the viharn, sermon hall, monks’ residences, and sala bat. These buildings reflect the functional structure of a Lanna community temple. The viharn is used for worship and ceremonies, the sermon hall supports communal religious activities, the monks’ residences support monastic life, and the sala bat is connected with merit-making and offerings to monks.

 

The temple’s important sacred objects include Phra That Mae Mai and a Sing Sam-style Buddha image. Phra That Mae Mai gives the temple a distinct devotional focus, while the Sing Sam-style Buddha image reflects the wider artistic and religious tradition of northern Thailand. Visitors should begin with respectful worship in the main temple area and take time to appreciate these sacred objects with proper temple etiquette.

 

The abbot of Wat Mae Ho Phra is Phra Khru Siriwichayangkun Sujitto. In a community temple, the abbot has an important role in guiding religious practice, maintaining the temple grounds, coordinating with local devotees, and preserving the relationship between the temple and the village. This role is essential for a temple that continues to support local Buddhist life.

 

The temple has a long line of former abbots, including names such as Phra Potha Ho Wiman, Phra Siri Bin Kaew, Phra Inthachak Ta Nan, Phra Chanta, Phra Inta Lao Kafeng, Phra Inson Ta Than, Phra Bunthueng, Phra Phunphon Katchayano, Phra Inthon Yanawiro, and Phra Anan Ratanapanyo. This succession shows the continuity of religious leadership at Wat Mae Ho Phra across generations.

 

Wat Mae Ho Phra also had an educational role through Dhamma study and a village reading area. This is important in the context of Lanna temples, where temples often supported both monastic learning and community knowledge. The temple’s educational role adds another layer to its importance beyond religious ceremonies alone.

 

As a Mahanikaya community temple, Wat Mae Ho Phra supports the everyday Buddhist life of local residents. It serves as a place for worship, merit-making, Dhamma listening, family ceremonies, offerings, ordination-related activities, funerals, and community events. It is both a sacred place and a social anchor for Ban Mae Ho Phra.

 

The main things to appreciate at Wat Mae Ho Phra are the viharn, Phra That Mae Mai, the Sing Sam-style Buddha image, the sermon hall, the temple courtyard, and the way the temple sits within the surrounding community. Its appeal comes from quietness, continuity, and the close relationship between temple and village.

 

The area around Wat Mae Ho Phra shows another side of Mae Taeng. Instead of the busier activity-based tourism zones, Ban Mae Ho Phra has the atmosphere of a working community with homes, a school, local roads, agricultural surroundings, and routes leading toward natural attractions. A visit to Wat Mae Ho Phra is best understood as a slow cultural stop rather than a quick sightseeing point.

 

Religious activities at Wat Mae Ho Phra follow the Buddhist calendar and Lanna village traditions. These include Buddhist holy days, Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asalha Bucha, Buddhist Lent, the end of Buddhist Lent, forest robe offerings, and Kathin offerings after Buddhist Lent. These events help maintain the temple, support monks, and strengthen the relationship between the temple and local residents.

 

Kathin and forest robe offerings are especially meaningful for village temples. These events allow villagers, relatives, and supporters to contribute to temple upkeep and support monastic life. For Wat Mae Ho Phra, such merit-making occasions also reinforce community unity and the long-standing bond between the temple and Ban Mae Ho Phra.

 

Mae Ho Phra Subdistrict has several community temples spread across its villages, including Wat Ban Phueng, Wat Mae Na Pak, Wat Pa Lao, Wat Phra That Sunantha, Wat Hua Fai, Wat San Na Meng, Wat Phu Din, Wat Lao Kong, and Wat Thep Nimit Nantharam. Wat Mae Ho Phra is part of this local temple network, showing how Buddhism remains closely embedded in village life throughout the subdistrict.

 

Wat Mae Ho Phra can be combined with Bua Tong Waterfall and the Seven-Color Spring, the most notable natural attraction in Mae Ho Phra. Bua Tong is a limestone waterfall with a grippy mineral surface that allows careful climbing, while the Seven-Color Spring is a clear cool spring that feeds the waterfall system and shows rainbow-like colors when sunlight hits the water. Combining the temple with these natural attractions creates a balanced route of culture, village life, and nature.

 

A useful travel route begins at Wat Mae Ho Phra for merit-making and a quiet temple visit, then continues to Wat Phra That Sunantha, Wat Ban Phueng, Wat Mae Na Pak, or Wat Pa Lao. Travelers can then continue to Bua Tong Waterfall and the Seven-Color Spring. This route is suitable for a half-day or full-day trip, especially for visitors who want both local Buddhist culture and Mae Taeng’s natural scenery in one journey.

 

Getting to Wat Mae Ho Phra is easiest by private car or rental car. From Chiang Mai city, take Chotana Road or Highway 107 toward Mae Taeng, then continue toward the Chiang Mai-Phrao route through Mae Ho Phra Subdistrict and Ban Mae Ho Phra. The route is generally more accessible than deep mountain routes, but careful driving is still recommended in rainy weather or on wet roads.

 

Travelers planning a half-day route can begin at Wat Mae Ho Phra, visit nearby community temples, and finish at Bua Tong Waterfall and the Seven-Color Spring. A full-day route can include a local meal, cafe stop, or overnight stay around Mae Ho Phra, such as Baannai Homestay & Flower Tea or Bua Tong Resort. This makes the trip more relaxed and gives visitors more time to appreciate the area rather than treating it only as a waterfall stop.

 

Wat Mae Ho Phra is best suited to travelers interested in community temples, local Buddhist practice, Lanna sacred objects, and less crowded cultural routes. It may not be one of Chiang Mai’s most famous tourist temples, but it has strong local importance. Its long history, Mahanikaya status, village setting, sacred objects, and relationship with Ban Mae Ho Phra make it meaningful within the religious geography of Mae Taeng.

 

Visitors should dress modestly, speak quietly, avoid disturbing monks’ residential areas, and respect any ongoing religious activity. If a ceremony or merit-making event is taking place, follow the guidance of monks or local residents. Proper etiquette helps preserve the calm atmosphere of Wat Mae Ho Phra and shows respect for the community that continues to use the temple.

 

Overall, Wat Mae Ho Phra is a meaningful community temple in Ban Mae Ho Phra, Mae Ho Phra Subdistrict, Mae Taeng District. With its construction in 1907, 2 rai and 2 ngan of temple land, 20 rai of monastic land, viharn, sermon hall, monks’ residences, sala bat, Phra That Mae Mai, Sing Sam-style Buddha image, and continuing community role, the temple is a valuable cultural stop for travelers who want to understand the village-based Buddhist life of Mae Taeng.

 

 

A: Wat Mae Ho Phra is located at No. 14, Moo 5, Ban Mae Ho Phra, San Sai-Phrao Road, Mae Ho Phra Subdistrict, Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai Province 50150.

 

A: Wat Mae Ho Phra is a community Buddhist temple under the Mahanikaya order.

 

A: Wat Mae Ho Phra was built in 1907 and has served Ban Mae Ho Phra as a long-standing village temple in Mae Taeng.

 

A: The abbot of Wat Mae Ho Phra is Phra Khru Siriwichayangkun Sujitto.

 

A: Important sacred objects include Phra That Mae Mai and a Sing Sam-style Buddha image.

 

A: It is suitable for travelers interested in merit-making, quiet community temples, Lanna Buddhist culture, and a Mae Ho Phra route that combines temple life with nature.

 

A: Nearby places include Wat Phra That Sunantha, Wat Ban Phueng, Wat Mae Na Pak, Wat Pa Lao, Bua Tong Waterfall, and the Seven-Color Spring.

 

A: Take Chotana Road or Highway 107 toward Mae Taeng, then continue toward the Chiang Mai-Phrao route through Mae Ho Phra Subdistrict and Ban Mae Ho Phra. Private car or rental car is the most convenient option.