Wat Udom Chai Rat (Khi Lek Noi)

Open Days: Daily

Opening Hours: 08.00 – 17.00

 

Wat Udom Chai Rat (Khi Lek Noi) is located in Moo 1, Ban Khi Lek Noi, along the Chiang Mai–Fang Road in Khi Lek Subdistrict, Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai Province 50180. It is a private Buddhist temple under the Maha Nikaya order and one of the long-established community temples in Khi Lek Subdistrict. The temple was officially permitted to be established in 1812, making it an old religious site with deep roots in Ban Khi Lek Noi and the northern Mae Rim area.

 

Wat Udom Chai Rat is best understood as a local village temple rather than a large tourist temple. Its value comes from its long history, its role in the community, and its connection with Buddhist practice in Ban Khi Lek Noi. The temple continues to serve as a place for merit-making, Buddhist ceremonies, Kathin offerings, community gatherings, and local religious activities. For travelers who want to see the quieter cultural side of Mae Rim, this temple offers a grounded view of how Buddhism remains part of everyday village life.

 

Ban Khi Lek Noi is part of Khi Lek Subdistrict, an area along the Chiang Mai–Fang route. This road connects Chiang Mai city with Mae Rim, Mae Taeng, Chiang Dao, and northern districts of the province. Temples along this route often function as spiritual centers for local settlements. Wat Udom Chai Rat belongs to this landscape, where temples, villages, roads, agriculture, and merit-making traditions remain closely connected.

 

The temple’s establishment in 1812 gives it a strong historical dimension. This was long before Mae Rim became widely known as a tourism district. Temples founded in this period were usually created through community faith, settlement growth, and the need for a Buddhist center close to village life. Wat Udom Chai Rat therefore reflects the older religious foundation of Ban Khi Lek Noi and the development of Buddhist communities in the Mae Rim area.

 

The name Wat Udom Chai Rat carries a positive meaning. “Udom” suggests abundance, virtue, and prosperity. “Chai” suggests auspicious victory, while “Rat” refers to the people. The name suits the temple’s role as a place of merit, blessing, and community unity. Like many Lanna village temples, Wat Udom Chai Rat is important not because of large-scale tourism, but because it supports the spiritual life of local residents.

 

Khi Lek Subdistrict contains several community temples, including Wat Inthararam, Wat Nong Pan Chiang, Wat Surin Rat, Wat Samakkhi Tham, and Wat Udom Chai Rat. This pattern reflects a typical Lanna community structure, where each village has its own temple as a religious and cultural center. Wat Udom Chai Rat is part of this wider Buddhist network and helps preserve the identity of Ban Khi Lek Noi.

 

Wat Udom Chai Rat has an ongoing connection with Kathin merit-making. In the 2025 Kathin schedule, the temple’s Kathin ceremony is listed for 27 October 2025 at 09.00, with 5 resident monks. Kathin is an important post-Buddhist Lent tradition in which laypeople offer robes and donations to support the temple and the monastic community. For a village temple, Kathin is also a moment when residents, former residents, families, and donors come together to maintain the temple.

 

The temple has also been associated with community efforts to restore and maintain religious structures. A Kathin event at Wat Udom Chai Rat was organized to collect donations for the restoration of deteriorated religious buildings. This shows how the temple continues to depend on community faith and support, and how local people help preserve the religious spaces used for merit-making and Buddhist ceremonies.

 

Wat Udom Chai Rat is also notable as the birthplace of two senior monks: Phra Thep Sitthachan, also known as Duang Kham Dhammatino, former Ecclesiastical Provincial Governor of Chiang Mai at Wat Samphao; and Phra Thep Koson, also known as Sangwan Phromwano, advisor to the Ecclesiastical Region 7 and abbot of Wat Sri Suphan, a royal temple. This connection gives the temple added importance in the history of Chiang Mai’s Buddhist monastic community.

 

Information on the temple’s abbots appears across different periods. Earlier temple information lists Phra Khru Suwan Chayodom Suwanno, while the 2025 Kathin information lists Phra Khru Samu Samphan Sirisuwanno as abbot. This reflects the continuing life of the temple across generations. Long-established village temples often pass through several periods of monastic leadership while maintaining their role in the community.

 

The main appeal of Wat Udom Chai Rat is its peaceful village setting. Visitors can stop to pay respect, make merit, and observe a local Buddhist temple that still serves the community. The temple is suitable for travelers who prefer quiet cultural routes, local history, and non-commercial Buddhist spaces. Its atmosphere is simple, calm, and closely connected with Ban Khi Lek Noi.

 

The important areas of Wat Udom Chai Rat include religious activity spaces, merit-making areas, the temple courtyard, and areas used for Kathin and community ceremonies. Detailed public information about individual structures such as the viharn, ubosot, chedi, or principal Buddha image is limited, but the temple’s role as an active religious site remains clear. Like many community temples in Khi Lek Subdistrict, its importance lies in regular religious use and village participation.

 

Visitors should dress modestly, speak quietly, and avoid disturbing monks or local worshippers. If a ceremony or merit-making event is taking place, follow the conduct of local residents and temple staff. Wat Udom Chai Rat remains a sacred community space, so respectful behavior is essential.

 

Wat Udom Chai Rat can be included in a community temple route in Khi Lek Subdistrict. Travelers interested in local temples can connect it with Wat Inthararam, Wat Nong Pan Chiang, Wat Surin Rat, and Wat Samakkhi Tham. This route helps visitors understand how village temples shape local identity across the subdistrict.

 

The temple can also be combined with wider Mae Rim attractions. Travelers interested in local culture can continue to Rainbow Rice Ban Sang or Pansuk Art Center. Those interested in important temples can visit Wat Pa Dara Phirom Phra Aram Luang. Nature-focused travelers can continue to Mae Sa Waterfall and Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden. This makes Wat Udom Chai Rat a meaningful cultural stop within a one-day Mae Rim itinerary.

 

Getting There is easiest by private car, rental car, or hired local transport. From Chiang Mai city, drive north toward Mae Rim via Chotana Road, then continue along the Chiang Mai–Fang Road into Khi Lek Subdistrict and Ban Khi Lek Noi. Search for “Wat Udom Chai Rat Khi Lek Noi” or the Thai name “วัดอุดมชัยราษฎร์ ขี้เหล็กน้อย” in a navigation app to avoid confusion with similarly named places.

 

Public transport is possible but less convenient. Travelers can take local transport toward Mae Rim or Mae Taeng, then continue to Ban Khi Lek Noi by local vehicle or hired transport. For visitors planning to see several places in one day, a private car or hired driver is recommended, especially if the route includes Wat Udom Chai Rat, nearby temples, local restaurants, and Mae Rim attractions.

 

The best time to visit is in the morning or late afternoon, when the weather is more comfortable and the temple atmosphere is quieter. During Buddhist holy days or the Kathin season, visitors should allow extra time and respect the ceremonial atmosphere. Wat Udom Chai Rat is best appreciated as a peaceful community temple with a long history and continuing local significance.

 

Overall, Wat Udom Chai Rat (Khi Lek Noi) is recommended for travelers interested in local Buddhist temples, Lanna community life, and the quieter cultural side of Mae Rim. Its importance comes from its establishment in 1812, its role as a private Maha Nikaya temple, its connection with Ban Khi Lek Noi, its Kathin activities, and its association with senior monks from Chiang Mai’s Buddhist history. A visit here adds depth to a Mae Rim trip by connecting the traveler with local faith, village identity, and the living Buddhist traditions of northern Thailand.

 

 

A: Wat Udom Chai Rat (Khi Lek Noi) is located in Moo 1, Ban Khi Lek Noi, Chiang Mai–Fang Road, Khi Lek Subdistrict, Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai 50180, Thailand.

 

A: Wat Udom Chai Rat is a private Buddhist temple under the Maha Nikaya order.

 

A: Wat Udom Chai Rat was officially permitted to be established as a temple in 1812.

 

A: It is a long-established community temple of Ban Khi Lek Noi and serves as a spiritual center for merit-making, Kathin ceremonies, and local Buddhist activities.

 

A: The 2025 Kathin information lists Phra Khru Samu Samphan Sirisuwanno as the abbot of Wat Udom Chai Rat.

 

A: Wat Udom Chai Rat, Ban Khi Lek Noi, is known as the birthplace of Phra Thep Sitthachan, also known as Duang Kham Dhammatino, and Phra Thep Koson, also known as Sangwan Phromwano.

 

A: From Chiang Mai city, travel north to Mae Rim via Chotana Road, then continue along the Chiang Mai–Fang Road toward Khi Lek Subdistrict and Ban Khi Lek Noi. A private car or rental car is the most convenient option.

 

A: Nearby places include Wat Inthararam, Wat Nong Pan Chiang, Wat Surin Rat, Rainbow Rice Ban Sang, Pansuk Art Center, Wat Pa Dara Phirom, Mae Sa Waterfall, and Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden.