In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.
After hanging out with my friends in Khao Koh, Petchabun, I made my way northwards. I had plans to meet with my friends Mamie, Sasha-Noel, Mayumi and Yee in Chiang Mai for Songkran, or the Thai New Year celebration. Last year, I spent Songkran in my village, honoring the elders and playing with the kids. But before heading to Chiang Mai, one of the biggest Songkran celebration spots in the country, I stopped over in Chiang Rai to explore the temples there.
Wats of Chiang Rai
I stopped at all the major temples in town: Wat Klang Wiang, Wat Phra Singh and Wat Phra Kaew.
Wat Klang Wiang has a ‘modern Lanna’ style to it and a rather intricate chedi.
Wat Phra Singh houses a replica of the famous Buddha image that resides in Chiang Mai and has a gorgeous, gleaming chedi. The carved doors to the buildings are intricate and beautiful.
Wat Phra Kaew probably has the most interesting history of the wats in Chiang Rai. According to legend, the Emerald Buddha was carved out of jade around 234 B.C.E. in India, and was later moved to Sri Lanka. Upon its attempted return, the boat was swept to Cambodia and moved from Angkor to Ayutthaya, Lopburi and Kaempaeng Phet in Thailand. In 1390 C.E., the king of Chiang Rai took the image and placed it inside a chedi at Wat Pa Yiah. In 1434, lightning struck the chedi, breaking it open to reveal the Emerald Buddha, and thus the temple’s name was changed to Wat Phra Kaew.
After moving around northern Thailand for just over a century, it was taken by Laos for over two centuries, from 1553-1778 and now currently lives in Bangkok. An almost exact replica was made in 1990 to stay in Chiang Rai; the only difference between the replica and the original is that the replica is 1 mm smaller in both height and width. There is also an impressive museum there. The chedi was being restored while I was there, so I expect that it looks most beautiful now.
I also took a chance to explore some of the more modern examples of Thai art that are near Chiang Rai: Wat Rong Khun, also known as The White Temple, and Baan Dam, or the Black House. Designed and being constructed by two different artists, they are not related nor meant to be flip sides of a coin, though they are often interpreted that way. Both places have a very surreal feeling to them and evoke a variety of emotions as you explore them.
Songkran in Chiang Mai
After getting my fill of temples in Chiang Rai, I bopped on over Chiang Mai and met up with my friends to celebrate Songkran, or the Thai New Year. To Thais, the playing water and splashing people is done to wash off the bad of the past year and go into the new year cleansed and free. Farangs see it as a time to get into a three-day, no-holds-barred water fight.
Overall, it was a blast and I am so glad to have had a chance to celebrate with my friends and see another version of Thailand. The Thais were so welcoming and accommodating and seemed just generally happy to have us as a part of the celebration. The smiles that would creep across their faces as they took in our Songkran shirts and gentleness of playing water was a real treat.
