Day 5 – Heaven, Hell & the Hands at the White Temple | Thailand Travel Diary

Sunday, Nov 2 – Day 5, Chiang Rai
Location: Bangkok → Chiang Rai (White Temple → Blue Temple → Toke-Tong Restaurant → Heritage Chiang Rai Hotel)
Mood: Tired but grateful — equal parts awe and temple fatigue

4:30 a.m. Wake-Up Call

Another pre-sunrise start. We were up at 4:30 a.m. for our flight from Bangkok to Chiang Rai with Thai Airways, and honestly, I’m still impressed that any of us are still functioning with the sleep deprivation this trip is serving up so far (in the best way possible). The flight itself was short (1 hour, 10 minutes) and adorable — they handed out purple breakfast wraps in little branded bags that looked like something from a Pixar film. 10/10 for presentation.

When we landed, our new guide Masa (her nickname is “Rainy” but no idea why) was waiting for us at the gate. Side note, I have this “thing” where I don’t love using nicknames that people have given themselves for tourists because they’re trying to make it easier on us so I always learn people’s names and pronounciations.  Just a weird quirk of mine.  She’s lovely — calm, organized, and somehow radiates patience while wrangling a bus full of sleepy, overheated tourists. Our first stop: Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple.

The White Temple — Heaven, Hell & Yes… Apparently Penises

You’ve definitely seen this place on TikTok or Pinterest — a blindingly white temple that looks like a snow-covered castle dropped in tropical heat. Designed by Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, it’s technically an art exhibit built in the style of a Buddhist temple. Every inch is symbolic: the white represents purity, the mirrors represent wisdom reflecting out to the world, and the entire walk through the temple is meant to take you from hell to heaven — literally.

You start by crossing a bridge over a pit of reaching hands, representing human desire and suffering. It’s haunting and beautiful… and, apparently, also anatomical. When I looked back through my photos later, I spotted a few unmistakably phallic shapes among the sculpted hands. I thought it was a TikTok myth. It is not. Somewhere, an artist was having a very cheeky day at work.

The temple itself is mesmerizing — gleaming white against the bright blue sky — but being surrounded by hundreds of tourists taking selfies does make it harder to feel that spiritual weight. The temples we visited on Day 1 felt more authentic — less polished, more lived-in. To answer my own question, yes, some of these temples are still functioning places of worship, while others (like this one) are hybrid art-meets-tourism projects designed to attract visitors. Beautiful, yes — spiritual, not so much.

If you want proof of the penis situation, take a peek.  Truth: I wish I’d known about this before we went — I would have taken a LOT more photos!  This was the only snap I got but if you zoom in and take a look around, you’ll see some very distinct shapes.

Lunch, Crowds & Mango Sticky Rice

After the White Temple, we stopped for another buffet lunch — and at the risk of sounding dramatic, I might revolt if I see another serving pan. Buffets make sense for tour groups, but there’s something about standing in line with 200 other sweaty, hungry people that just feels… wrong.

Still, I can’t complain too much, because this was the day I tried mango sticky rice for the first time — and I get it now. Sweet, sticky rice, warm mango, and that drizzle of salty coconut cream? Elite combo.  I’m already chomping at the bit to get a non-buffet version of this from a street food vendor.

The Truck Moment

Some of my favourite memories here happen between stops. Today’s was on the highway: a pickup truck carrying a motorcycle in the back, and on either side, two kids flopped inside giant plastic tubs like laundry. Just chilling. Legs and arms dangling outside the bins.  No seatbelts, no helmets, no stress. It’s wild to us, but here it’s just Tuesday.

Arrival & The Blue Temple

We checked into the Heritage Chiang Rai Hotel, which (like every hotel so far) is lovely — chic, clean, with a pool that looks straight out of a luxury resort brochure. We haven’t tested it yet, but if we can carve out even an hour tomorrow, we’re diving in.

We celebrated arrival with butterfly pea welcome juice (the purple one that changes colour when you add lemon — I’m obsessed) and then found a library bar that actually served wine. If you’ve spent any time in Thailand, you’ll know how rare that is. Drinking culture here is very different from home — many Thais don’t drink at all, and alcohol sales are restricted between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Finding a proper bar open in that window felt like a personal victory.

Then it was back on the bus for our final stop of the day: Wat Rong Suea Ten, a.k.a. the Blue Temple.

If the White Temple is ethereal, the Blue Temple is electric — deep sapphire walls, swirling gold detail, and a Buddha that glows from within. It’s stunning, but very much built for tourists, not monks. With the lights and the fog machines, it felt more Disney than Dharma.

One redeeming moment: coconut ice cream with blue sticky rice, served inside a coconut shell. It was as extra as it sounds, and yes, I loved it.

Dinner, Dance, & A Dose of Honesty

Dinner was at Toke-Tong Restaurant, a traditional northern Thai spot with live music and dance performances. The food was delicious — spicy, fragrant, and beautifully presented — but I’d be lying if I said we weren’t running on fumes. Mom and I also have to double-check everything for shrimp (we’re both allergic), so “buffet” now means “mini heart attack at every spoonful.”

By this point, we were all fighting to stay upright. I know it’s not glamorous to admit that in a travel diary, but this is the real version. The unfiltered version.

Little Things We’re Noticing

Every day here, something new catches my eye — some tiny cultural detail that makes me stop and go, huh.

• Left-hand driving: total mind-f*ck. It feels like we’re driving into oncoming traffic half the time, but somehow it works. No honking, no rage, just calm chaos. A lesson, maybe, in letting go.

• Shoes off, always: You remove them before entering temples, and often before certain shops and homes.

• Barefoot workers: I’ve seen cleaning staff, landscapers, and even a guy wielding a pickaxe — all barefoot.

• Drinking culture: Alcohol isn’t a big part of Thai life. Between cultural norms and legal restrictions, it’s just not the same as home. (Not judging, just adjusting.)

• Language check:

  • “Good morning” — Sawasdee ka (women) / Sawasdee krub (men)

  • “Thank you” — Khop khun ka / Khop khun krub
    The “ka” and “krub” endings depend on gender — polite and melodic, just like the people who say them.

It’s these little things that stick — not the sights, but the subtleties.

WTF Moment of the Day

Spotting actual penises among the hands at the White Temple. Somewhere, an artist is giggling — and now I can’t unsee it.

End of Day

The heat here is no joke — the humidity sits on you like a wet blanket — but today was a bit more forgiving thanks to some cloud cover. The forecast has called for 100% chance of rain every day, but for the record: that doesn’t mean it’ll rain all day, just that it’ll rain at some point. So far, we’ve managed to dodge almost every shower. Rain jackets: still untouched.

We’re heading to bed now (it’s 9:52 pm here) for a morning adventure tomorrow — the Golden Triangle and a river cruise near the Laos border are on the agenda, though we don’t know exactly what to expect yet. And we’ve been agonizing over how to spend our one free day in Chiang Mai, that’s coming up soon— bamboo rafting, an ethical elephant sanctuary (but how do you actually know if they’re ethical?), or waterfall chasing. Stay tuned — that debate’s ongoing.

Photo of the Day:
📸 The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun), Chiang Rai
“Heaven, hell, and apparently penises — Thailand, you continue to surprise me.”

👉 Day 1 – The Uber Ride from Hell
👉 Day 2 – The Lounge Life & the Struggle Bus
👉 Day 3 – Hot, Hotter, & Really F*ing Hot
👉 Day 4 – Floating Markets, Boat Noodles & the Great Coke Zero Explosion

✈️ Travel Tip of the Day

A 100% chance of rain in Thailand doesn’t mean “bring a poncho.” It means “at some point today, somewhere nearby, it’ll probably pour for 10 minutes.” Don’t plan your day around it — just embrace the chaos.

Talk to Me

These diaries are the unfiltered version — sweat, sarcasm, and all.
If you’ve been to Thailand (or want to go), tell me:

👉 What surprised you most?
👉 What would you do with one free day in Chiang Mai?

Drop it in the comments — I’m actually reading them all (wine in hand).