Wat Phantao

Wat Phantao is distinguished by its dark, weathered teakwood hall, which stands in stark contrast to the gilded stone temples nearby. Built in the late nineteenth century as a private chapel for the Chiang Mai royal family, the structure rests on foundations that date back to the fourteenth century. When King Inthawichayanon decided to renovate his palace, he reused the teak walls from his former residence to construct this assembly hall, leaving the original wood grain exposed to the humid mountain air.