Renting a scooter or motorcycle and just seeing what’s out there might not always sound like a great use of a Sunday.
That was the plan, though — to fill it up with gas and see where the wheels took us. After perusing the map, we set upon an area northeast of Chiang Mai where we hadn’t been before.
As my wife kept an eye on the map to see what popped up (Google Maps shows a lot more detail and places when you’re zoomed in pretty far), she found something that was worth a look.
Claiming over 20,000 artifacts, the Wat Rong Meng museum was started in 1984 by Phra Khru Kowit Dhammasobhon (Sriphong Kovido) with his collection of artifacts. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a temple’s collection of artifacts (Wat Ket in Chiang Mai proper has a similar collection).
Thoughtfully marked with English, there’s more than enough to see, though you may need to resort to hands and knees to see it all. Each glass case, while dusty, is densely packed with a grab bag of everything…
An old school cash register, anyone? No telling how old this was, exactly, but at least a few decades old is my guess.
Here it is — the elephant drivers license. Dating from 2459 Buddhist era (1916 A.D.), it’s in surprisingly good shape despite being a century old and folded many times…
Not to be outdone as a valuable piece of paper, there’s currency from perhaps a few dozen different countries.
The first Miss Thailand, Ms. Kanya Tiansawang, from 1934.
Give you three guesses (answer’s at the very bottom of the post).
Next time you’re out and about from Chiang Mai, make this temple part of your travels. If the doors are closed, look for a bell to the left of the stairs. You’re about 10 kilometers from the creepiest, craziest Buddhist ‘hell temple’ (WARNING: NSFW) I’ve ever been to, and of course Chiang Mai has plenty to offer.
You’re going to want your set of wheels for this destination, as public transportation is rare to non-existent. Consider hiring a tuk-tuk or songthaew if you don’t yet feel comfortable on a scooter, or check out this post on how to rent a scooter in Thailand.
Name: Wat Rong Meng
Address: Tambon Nong Yaeng, Amphoe San Sai, Chiang Mai Province (GPS: 18.882706,99.100197)
Directions: From the northeast corner of Chiang Mai’s square, head east towards the river until the road comes to a T. Turn right, then cross the river at the first bridge to your left. This is Kaeo Narawat road, which will turn into route 118 — from the river, stay straight for about 11 kilometers. When you see the sign for the U-turn, get ready to turn left (about a 10 o’clock angle). Go for about 4 kilometers, staying along this main road as it twists and turns. Despite the English signage on the way there, the last sign you’ll need to see is in Thai only. Look for two large blue signs on the left as the road bends to the right — take the left before the blue signs and go another 200 meters.
Hours: 8:00am-5:30pm
Admission: free (donations accepted, as you’d expect)
Phone: 081–960–3698 or 053–255–182
Website: http://watrongmeng.5u.com (official) or http://www.sri.cmu.ac.th/~elanna/elanna_eng/public_html/museums/museum7.html (better information)
