Wat Umong
A forest wat about 700 years old on the edge of Chiang Mai, named for the tunnels dug into its hillside. Monks have meditated in these brick passages, lit by small shrines, and the wooded grounds around them are still quiet.
- Where
- Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Grade
- National monument
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 5 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 18.7837, 98.9534
Get the Wat Umong stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Wat Umong. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Chiang Mai volume with your photos and a note.
Near Wat Umong
Wat Suan Dok 1.6 km
A royal wat about a kilometre west of the old city moat, on ground that was once a Lanna king's flower garden. Its field of white chedis holds the ashes of Chiang Mai's royal family, set against the slopes of Doi Suthep behind.
Chiang Mai Zoo 2.9 km
Northern Thailand's first commercial zoo, opened in 1977 on Huay Kaew Road, just west of Chiang Mai University at the foot of Doi Suthep. Its 81 hectares of wooded slopes also hold an aquarium.
Wat Phra Singh 3.0 km
A royal wat in the old city of Chiang Mai that enshrines the Phra Buddha Sihing, one of the most revered Buddha images of the north. Among its Lanna buildings is the small Viharn Lai Kham, painted inside with old murals of northern life.
Wat Chedi Luang 3.5 km
A huge brick chedi in the middle of Chiang Mai's old city, still massive though it lost its upper part centuries ago. It once housed the Emerald Buddha, and its grounds join what were originally three separate wats.
Chiang Mai National Museum 3.9 km
A museum run by the Fine Arts Department, close to Wat Chet Yot in the northwest of Chiang Mai. It tells the history of the Lanna kingdom through sculpture, ceramics and everyday objects, with labels in Thai and English.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep 4.1 km
A golden chedi on the mountain above Chiang Mai, at 1,073 metres, reached by a long staircase lined with naga serpents. Legend says a white elephant carrying a relic of the Buddha climbed this mountain and chose the spot, and the city spreads out below the terrace.
Tha Phae Gate 4.2 km
The eastern gate of Chiang Mai's walled old city and the best known of them, its brick wall standing by the moat. What stands now was rebuilt in 1985 and 1986 on the old site, and the square in front is the city's meeting point for festivals and crowds.
Royal Park Rajapruek 4.8 km
Gardens at Mae Hia on the edge of Chiang Mai, laid out for Royal Flora Ratchaphruek, the international horticultural exposition of 2006 and 2007 held in honour of King Bhumibol. The grounds stayed on as a park of themed gardens and pavilions.
More national monuments in Chiang Mai
Questions
Where is Wat Umong?
Wat Umong is in Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Wat Suan Dok (1.6 km), Chiang Mai Zoo (2.9 km), Wat Phra Singh (3.0 km).
How do I get the Wat Umong stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Wat Umong and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Chiang Mai volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Wat Umong before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Chiang Mai volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.