Phuket's best-known temple, home to the Luang Por Chaem hall
Photo: Guille Sánchez · Unsplash License · source
Why go
Wat Chalong, officially Wat Chaiyatharam, is a community temple with deep local roots. Its memory centres on Luang Por Chaem, a monk known for meditation, herbal medicine and bonesetting, who during the unrest of 1876 gave villagers prayer cloths to strengthen their courage. King Chulalongkorn later granted him an ecclesiastical title. The temple has been a place for ceremonies, teaching and gathering ever since, and it feels like it.
The visit is easy and free. Wander the open grounds, step into the hall that holds statues of Luang Por Chaem, Luang Por Chuang and Luang Por Kluem, and step inside the pagoda to see Buddha images, murals of the Buddha's life and a space to venerate relics brought from Sri Lanka. Allow an hour, dress modestly and keep your voice low.
Gallery
Photo: Guille Sánchez · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Niels Steeman · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Dmitriy Soloduhin · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Syed Ahmad · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Kenzie Kraft · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Arkady Lukashov · Unsplash License · source
Highlights
This is the most visited hall. It houses statues of Luang Por Chaem, Luang Por Chuang and Luang Por Kluem, and visitors come to pray, apply gold leaf and make offerings. Watching how local worshippers pay respect here tells you more about the temple than any plaque, so stand back, keep quiet and let the ritual unfold without getting in the way.
The temple's most notable building is a tall pagoda decorated in gold, red and white. Inside are Buddha images, murals of the life of the Buddha and a space to venerate Buddha relics brought from Sri Lanka. It is the visual highlight of Wat Chalong and the reason many visitors come, so leave yourself enough time to look closely at the murals as well as the exterior.
The ordination hall, or ubosot, is used for monastic ceremonies. Visitors should dress modestly and remove their shoes before entering. Look at the architecture from the steps and enter quietly if the hall is open. Remember that this is a place of worship first and a sight second, so keep conversation to a whisper.
A designated zone in the grounds is where people set off firecrackers to thank Luang Por Chaem after their prayers are answered. It can be noisy, and it is a vivid sign that Wat Chalong is a living temple. Keep to the marked area, expect sudden bangs, and do not set anything off outside the designated zone.
Wat Chalong holds a large annual fair with merit-making, folk performances, food and product stalls, films, nang talung shadow puppetry, manohra dance and concerts. The 2026 fair was scheduled for 16–22 February, so it falls outside a November visit, but the dates for later years are worth checking if you want to see the temple at its busiest.
Practical information
From the official website:
Daily 7am to 5pm.
Free; donations and offerings are welcome.
Checked in November 2026. Hours and fees can change: check on the day before you go.
Getting there
By car or taxi, about 15–20 minutes from Phuket Old Town; the temple is about 8 km from Phuket Town.
By car or taxi, about 25–30 minutes from Patong.
By car or taxi, about 45–55 minutes from Phuket International Airport.
The temple grounds include parking and restrooms. Wat Chalong is on Chao Fah West Road in Chalong, close to Chalong Bay.
Insider tips
The temple's website asks for modest dress: shoulders, chest and knees covered, and no sleeveless tops, short skirts or bare midriffs. Remove your shoes before entering the halls, and carry a light scarf to be safe.
The temple is open from 7:00 to 17:00. Arriving soon after opening gives you cooler air and softer light for photographs of the gold, red and white pagoda, and leaves the rest of the day free.
This is a living temple. Keep your voice low, be discreet with your camera near people who are praying, and follow the example of local visitors who light incense, apply gold leaf or make offerings in the Luang Por Chaem hall.
Plan on 45 to 60 minutes for the halls, the pagoda and the grounds. The temple is about 8 km from Phuket Town and pairs easily with a stop at Chalong Bay or the Big Buddha later in the day.
Nearby
From the Phuket City Guide, each with its own Holiplanet page. Straight-line distances.
Hotel · 1.2 km
Family-run guest house in a tropical garden south of Wat Chalong
View hotel →Hotel · 2.4 km
Thirty safari-style private pool villas on a forested hillside above Chalong
View hotel →Hotel · 6.0 km
Former seaside home of the architect Mom Tri on the headland above Kata Noi Beach: 42 suites
View hotel →Hotel · 6.0 km
Beachfront resort along an 850-metre stretch of Kata Noi Bay
View hotel →All hotels on the Phuket map → All things to do on the map →
Questions
Wat Chalong is open daily from 7am to 5pm. Admission is free, and donations or offerings are welcome. Plan your visit within those hours and enter quietly if a ceremony is under way.
No. Entry is free, and visitors can make merit or donate as they wish. Remember to dress modestly and remove your shoes where asked before entering the halls. Donations are voluntary, and the temple's own listing says visitors may make merit as they wish. Opening hours are 7:00 to 17:00 every day.
The temple's website asks visitors to cover shoulders, chest and knees, and to avoid sleeveless tops, short skirts and midriffs. Take off your shoes where asked before entering the halls, and keep your voice low inside the temple grounds, as this is a place of worship.
Luang Por Chaem was the monk most closely linked to Wat Chalong. He was known for meditation, compassion, herbal medicine and bonesetting, and in 1876 he gave villagers prayer cloths during the Ang Yi unrest. King Chulalongkorn later granted him an ecclesiastical title.
Allow about 45 to 60 minutes to see the Luang Por Chaem hall, the pagoda and the grounds. The temple is about 8 km from Phuket Town, so most visits combine it with Chalong Bay or the Big Buddha later in the same day.
