Wat Lai Kaeo

Rating: 3.1/5 (22 votes)

Operating day: Daily

Operating time: 08.00 - 17.00

Wat Lai Kaeo Si Tia, Ban Hong, Lamphun. Wat Lai Kaew, affiliated with the Mahanikaya sect, occupies a land area of 8 rai and 50 square wah.

 

The temple was established in 1796 (B.E. 2339) by the faith of the local villagers, who worked together to build the temple. It was named after the village of Lai Kaew, which was the location where Queen Kaew, the consort of Phaya Chan, the ruler of Wiang Wai in Ban Hong District, passed away.

 

Phaya Chan, who misunderstood that Queen Kaew had been deceived by Phaya Kok and Phaya Yi at Wiang Nong Long, did not believe her when she returned to explain at Wat Doi Kom. Queen Kaew, unable to change his mind, went back to Wiang Nong Long to bring the royal servants as witnesses. She traveled back with great sorrow. Upon reaching this location, she became exhausted and passed away by the pond, where villagers later performed her cremation rites. They later erected a stupa known as the "Stupa of Nang Kaew" at the temple in her memory.

 

Wat Lai Kaew received the royal land boundary decree (Visungkamasima) on August 9, 1952 (B.E. 2495). The first abbot of the temple was Phra Athikarn Phrom, who served as abbot from 1796 to 1803 (B.E. 2339 - 2347). The temple has had successive abbots, with the 10th abbot being Phra Kru Intharatthanakhun, who served from 1939 to 1980 (B.E. 2482 - 2523) and greatly contributed to the temple’s development. Currently, Phra Athikarn Luechai Inthayoso serves as the abbot.

 

Wat Lai Kaew features several religious structures, including the ordination hall (Ubosot), sermon hall (Sala), monks’ quarters (Kutis), the Stupa of Nang Kaew, and a monument to Phra Kru Intharatthanakhun. The temple was historically significant and was once the site of the Phayathitthammakorn school for both general education and Pali studies.