Wat Si Sai Mun (Mae Faek)

Operating day: Daily

Operating time: 08.00 - 17.00

 

Wat Si Sai Mun (Mae Faek), also historically known as Wat Mae Tae, is an old local Buddhist temple under the Mahanikaya order in Ban Mae Tae, Mae Faek Subdistrict, San Sai District, Chiang Mai Province. Established in 1871, the temple is closely connected with the history of Mae Tae community, the Chiang Mai–Phrao route, local irrigation canals, the Ping River, and the rural Buddhist way of life in northern Thailand. It is not a large tourist landmark, but it is meaningful as a living community temple that preserves local memory, religious faith, and Lanna village identity.

 

The temple is located at No. 77, Ban Mae Tae, Mae Faek Subdistrict, San Sai District, Chiang Mai 50290, Thailand. It stands within the northern part of San Sai District along the Chiang Mai–Phrao corridor, a route that connects Chiang Mai city with Mae Jo, Mae Faek, Mae Faek Mai, and Phrao. Wat Si Sai Mun serves as a spiritual center for local villagers, supporting merit-making, Buddhist holy days, sermons, Kathin, robe-offering activities, and community religious events.

 

The temple land covers 3 rai, 3 ngan, and 65 square wah. Its northern boundary adjoins an irrigation canal, the southern boundary adjoins a pathway, the eastern boundary adjoins another pathway, and the western boundary adjoins a public canal and the Ping River. These boundaries reveal the temple’s close connection with water, farmland, village pathways, and the local agricultural landscape. Wat Si Sai Mun is therefore best understood as a temple embedded in the everyday life of a rural Lanna community.

 

The land for the temple was donated by Ror Or Or Chao Suriwong Sirorot in 1871. This act of donation established the foundation of the temple as a shared sacred space for the community. In Lanna society, donating land for a temple was an important act of merit and public benefit. A temple was not only a monastic site but also a center for social life, religious education, funerals, festivals, and collective memory.

 

Wat Si Sai Mun was originally known as Wat Mae Tae. The name came from villagers of Mae Tae and Buak Khang in San Kamphaeng District who migrated and settled in this area. As the new settlement developed, the villagers used the name Mae Tae for both their village and their temple. Later, the monastic authorities changed the temple name to Wat Si Sai Mun. The old name, Wat Mae Tae, remains important because it preserves the story of migration, settlement, and memory within the temple’s identity.

 

The temple received its Wisungkham Sima on November 4, 1966, and the consecrated boundary was formally tied on September 16, 1997. This is significant because the boundary allows the temple to perform important monastic rites in accordance with Buddhist discipline. It also confirms Wat Si Sai Mun’s status as an active and complete Buddhist temple serving the Mae Faek community.

 

One of the temple’s most important sacred structures is its chedi. The chedi was built as an offering to the Buddha by Chao Mae Mu Sirorot on June 3, 1967, which corresponded to the full moon day of the northern ninth lunar month, a Friday. In Lanna Buddhist culture, building a chedi is a major act of merit. A chedi functions as a symbol of remembrance of the Buddha, a focus for worship, and a visible sign of community faith.

 

The chedi is therefore one of the first points visitors should respectfully observe. It represents the continuing devotion of the local community after the temple had already received its consecrated boundary. Visitors can pay respect to the chedi, walk calmly around the temple grounds, and appreciate how this sacred structure serves as the spiritual center of the temple courtyard.

 

Wat Si Sai Mun also contains worship areas, a temple courtyard, a sala, and spaces used for community merit-making activities. Its character is that of a working village temple rather than a purpose-built tourist attraction. This makes the temple suitable for travelers who want to understand the authentic role of Buddhist temples in rural northern Thai communities.

 

The temple’s location near irrigation canals and the Ping River gives it a strong geographical and cultural context. Mae Faek is an old agricultural area where water management, canals, farmland, and riverside settlement shaped daily life. The temple’s western boundary adjoining a public canal and the Ping River shows how temple, water, agriculture, and community life developed together.

 

The role of Wat Si Sai Mun in local life has several layers. First, it is a place of worship where villagers make merit, listen to sermons, and observe Buddhist holy days. Second, it is a community space for Kathin, robe-offering activities, funerals, ordination events, and village gatherings. Third, it is a historical marker of Mae Tae community, because its former name and foundation story preserve the memory of migration from Buak Khang in San Kamphaeng.

 

Recent Kathin activity records list Wat Si Sai Mun as having 5 resident monks, with Phra Khru Palat Kiattisak Kalyanadhammo as the abbot. Older temple information connected with Mae Faek also mentions Phra Khru Niwit Thiratham in relation to the temple’s past care. This continuity of monastic leadership shows that the temple remains active in the religious life of the community.

 

Kathin is one of the most important annual merit-making activities at Wat Si Sai Mun. It allows villagers and devotees to support the monks, maintain temple buildings, and strengthen the relationship between temple and community. Kathin is not only a ritual offering of robes but also a collective act that brings people together to preserve the temple.

 

Robe-offering activities and other merit-making events throughout the year are also important. These activities support temple maintenance, religious ceremonies, and community cooperation. At a village temple such as Wat Si Sai Mun, the temple is maintained not by monks alone but by the shared faith and effort of the whole community.

 

In Lanna cultural terms, Wat Si Sai Mun is important because it grew from migration, settlement, and shared devotion. The old name Wat Mae Tae reflects the memory of the villagers who brought their identity from San Kamphaeng into a new settlement. The later name Wat Si Sai Mun places the temple within the official monastic system, while the older name keeps the local story alive.

 

The atmosphere of the temple is calm and local. Visitors should not expect a large tourist complex, but rather a quiet community temple where the value lies in history, continuity, and everyday devotion. The temple is suitable for travelers interested in village temples, local history, rural Buddhism, Lanna culture, and less crowded cultural routes in San Sai District.

 

The main things to see are the chedi, the worship areas, the temple courtyard, the sala, and the surrounding village context. Visitors should take time to notice the temple’s relationship with pathways, canals, nearby settlements, and the broader agricultural landscape. These details help explain how a Buddhist temple functions as the center of a village, not merely as an architectural site.

 

Getting There is convenient by private car or motorcycle. From Chiang Mai city, take Highway 1001 or the Chiang Mai–Phrao road toward San Sai and Mae Jo. Continue into Mae Faek Subdistrict and then proceed to Ban Mae Tae. The temple can be included in a cultural route with Wat Si Ngam, Wat Rom Luang, Wat Phra That Chom Kitti, Wat Ban Pong, and Wat Nong Ma Chap.

 

A connected temple route through Mae Faek allows visitors to understand several types of local Buddhist sites in one area. Wat Si Ngam and Wat Rom Luang represent old community temples; Wat Phra That Chom Kitti offers a hilltop relic temple; Wat Ban Pong is connected with an ancient wooden boat and Ping River history; and Wat Nong Ma Chap links temple life with community tourism. Wat Si Sai Mun fits naturally into this route as the old temple of Ban Mae Tae.

 

Visitors should dress modestly, keep their voices low, avoid entering monks’ residences without permission, and photograph sacred areas respectfully. Wat Si Sai Mun remains an active Buddhist temple for the local community, so visitors should treat the space primarily as a place of worship and village faith.

 

Overall, Wat Si Sai Mun (Mae Faek) is an old and meaningful temple of Ban Mae Tae. Its strongest value lies in its foundation in 1871, its old name Wat Mae Tae, the land donation by Chao Suriwong Sirorot, the granting of Wisungkham Sima in 1966, the formal boundary ceremony in 1997, and the chedi built as a Buddhist offering in 1967. For travelers seeking a quiet, authentic, and historically grounded temple in northern San Sai, Wat Si Sai Mun is a worthwhile cultural stop.

 

 

A: Wat Si Sai Mun is located in Ban Mae Tae, Mae Faek Subdistrict, San Sai District, Chiang Mai Province, along the Chiang Mai–Phrao travel corridor.

 

A: The temple was originally called Wat Mae Tae, named after villagers from Mae Tae and Buak Khang in San Kamphaeng who migrated and settled in this area.

 

A: Wat Si Sai Mun was established in 1871, when Ror Or Or Chao Suriwong Sirorot donated the land as the temple site.

 

A: The main highlight is its identity as an old Ban Mae Tae community temple, its chedi built as a Buddhist offering, and its quiet Lanna village atmosphere near irrigation canals and the Ping River.

 

A: Wat Si Sai Mun received Wisungkham Sima on November 4, 1966, and the formal boundary ceremony was held on September 16, 1997.

 

A: The chedi was built as a Buddhist offering on June 3, 1967, by Chao Mae Mu Sirorot.

 

A: From Chiang Mai city, take Highway 1001 or the Chiang Mai–Phrao road toward San Sai and Mae Jo, continue into Mae Faek Subdistrict, and proceed to Ban Mae Tae.

 

A: Nearby places include Wat Si Ngam, Wat Rom Luang, Wat Phra That Chom Kitti, Wat Ban Pong, Wat Nong Ma Chap, and The Royal Chiang Mai Golf Resort.