Wat Umong

Wat Umong Suan Phutthatham was founded in the 1290s under King Mangrai and is a forest monastery rather than a city temple - the compound is wooded, quiet and used for meditation practice rather than tourism. Its distinguishing feature is the umong themselves: a set of brick-vaulted tunnels cut into a mound below the chedi, built according to tradition for a monk the king valued who wandered while meditating, so the tunnels gave him somewhere enclosed to walk. They are dim, cool and still used, with Buddha images in alcoves and fragments of very old mural painting on some ceilings. Around the grounds are broken and weathered Buddha images collected from ruined temples and left among the trees rather than restored, a lake with turtles and fish, and trees hung with painted Dhamma sayings in Thai and English. Meditation courses and talks are offered. It is genuinely quiet and free.

What you actually see

• The tunnels - brick-vaulted passages with images and traces of old murals.
• The broken Buddhas - weathered fragments left among the trees.
• The forest setting - a working meditation monastery rather than a tourist temple.
• The Dhamma trees - sayings hung through the grounds in Thai and English.

When to go

November to February. Mornings are quietest. An hour or two covers it. Meditation talks and courses run on a schedule posted at the temple.

Honest expectations

A working meditation monastery - quiet is expected and large groups are out of place. The tunnels are dim, low in places and can be damp. Free with donation boxes. Temple dress code applies.

Nearby

Wat Suan Dok is east; Doi Suthep and Wat Pha Lat are up the mountain.