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Roots Earth in Chiang Mai: audio stories about 46 places

Roots Earth has audio stories about 46 places in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in Asia. The Chiang Mai stories are in all seven Roots Earth languages: English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian. The app needs no account: open Chiang Mai, pick a place on the city's map of places and play. Download a city's audio, then it plays without a connection. The stories are written by local people.

The 46 places are listed below in the order the app shows them, and again further down with their coordinates. The lists were taken from the Roots Earth catalogue on 15 September 2026.

Published 16 September 2026. Markdown: chiang-mai.md

The 46 places in Chiang Mai with audio stories

In the order the app shows them.

  1. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
  2. Wat Chedi Luang
  3. Wat Phra Singh
  4. Wat Chiang Man
  5. Tha Phae Gate
  6. Three Kings Monument
  7. Wat Suan Dok
  8. Wat Umong
  9. Wat Chet Yot
  10. Wat Lok Molee
  11. Wat Phan Tao
  12. Wat Sri Suphan
  13. Wat Chiang Yuen
  14. Chiang Mai National Museum
  15. Bhubing Palace
  16. Doi Suthep–Pui National Park
  17. Doi Suthep
  18. Doi Pui
  19. Wiang Kum Kam
  20. Wat Chedi Liam
  21. Wat Phra That Doi Kham
  22. Sacred Heart Cathedral
  23. First Church of Chiang Mai
  24. Chiang Mai Zoo
  25. Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden
  26. Royal Park Rajapruek
  27. Doi Inthanon National Park
  28. Doi Inthanon
  29. Elephant Nature Park
  30. Chiang Mai Railway Station
  31. Chiang Mai International Airport
  32. Warorot Market
  33. Chiang Mai Night Bazaar
  34. Wat Ket Karam
  35. Suan Buak Hat Park
  36. Ping River
  37. Chiang Mai University
  38. Payap University
  39. Chiang Mai Rajabhat University
  40. Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital
  41. Bo Sang
  42. San Kamphaeng
  43. Mae Sa
  44. Mae Rim
  45. Hang Dong
  46. Saraphi

Is there an audio guide for Wat Phra That Doi Suthep?

Yes. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep has its audio stories in the Roots Earth app: a short introduction and a deeper story, in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian.

It is place 1 of the 46 Chiang Mai places in the app, at 18.80498, 98.92156. Every one of the other 45 places in the list above has the same two stories.

Roots Earth is not a guided tour: you choose the place on the city's map of places and play its story yourself.

How to use Roots Earth in Chiang Mai

Open Roots Earth and choose Chiang Mai. The city has its own map of places with all 46 of them on it. Tap the place you are standing in front of, or any other, and play its short introduction or its deeper story. You decide what to listen to and in which order.

You can listen in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian, and there is no account. Download a city's audio, then it plays without a connection.

In full

All 46 places in Chiang Mai, in the app's order, with their coordinates.

All 46 places in Chiang Mai, with coordinates

Every place below has a short introduction and a deeper story in the Roots Earth app, in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian. The names, the coordinates (latitude, longitude) and the one line descriptions are the app's own catalogue values of 15 September 2026; a place without a line here has none that this page can print.

1. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Coordinates
18.80498, 98.92156
In one line
High on a forested mountain above Chiang Mai, this gilded Lanna temple has guarded a Buddha relic since 1383. A long serpent staircase climbs to its golden chedi and sweeping views over the city.

2. Wat Chedi Luang

Coordinates
18.78694, 98.98639
In one line
Once the tallest structure in the Lanna kingdom, this colossal brick stupa rose in the fifteenth century before an earthquake toppled its crown in 1545. Its weathered ruin still towers over the old city alongside the revered city pillar.

3. Wat Phra Singh

Coordinates
18.78875, 98.98121
In one line
Founded in 1345, the old city's most revered temple shelters the famed Phra Singh Buddha. Its gilded Lai Kham chapel holds some of Lanna's finest murals, glowing beneath teak roofs and golden stucco.

4. Wat Chiang Man

Coordinates
18.79384, 98.98899
In one line
The oldest temple in Chiang Mai, founded by King Mangrai in 1297 as he built his new capital. Its elephant-buttressed chedi and two ancient Buddha images, one crystal, one stone, anchor the city's beginnings.

5. Tha Phae Gate

Coordinates
18.78778, 98.99333
In one line
The grand eastern gate of Chiang Mai's old walled city, first raised in 1296 and rebuilt in red brick in the 1980s. Beside its moat, the gate is the city's great gathering place for festivals and daily life.

6. Three Kings Monument

Coordinates
18.79024, 98.98733
In one line
A bronze tribute unveiled in 1984, depicting the three allied kings who founded Chiang Mai in 1296.

7. Wat Suan Dok

Coordinates
18.78822, 98.9677
In one line
Founded in 1370 in a former royal flower garden, this western temple holds a great bell-shaped chedi and a cluster of gleaming white mausoleums sheltering the ashes of Chiang Mai's royal family.

8. Wat Umong

Coordinates
18.78318, 98.95131
In one line
A forest monastery founded in 1297 at the foot of Doi Suthep, Wat Umong is famous for its brick meditation tunnels lined with Buddha niches, a weathered ancient chedi, and quiet wooded grounds around a fish-filled pond.

9. Wat Chet Yot

Coordinates
18.80908, 98.97165
In one line
Built from 1455 by King Tilokarat, Wat Chet Yot takes its name from the seven spires crowning its temple, a Lanna echo of the Mahabodhi shrine at Bodh Gaya. It hosted the Eighth World Buddhist Council in 1477.

10. Wat Lok Molee

Coordinates
18.79624, 98.98264
In one line
One of Chiang Mai's older temples, first recorded in 1367, Wat Lok Molee guards a massive bare-brick chedi from 1527 and a carved teak viharn. Several rulers of the Mangrai dynasty have their ashes interred within its grounds.

11. Wat Phan Tao

Coordinates
18.7878, 98.9878
In one line
Beside Wat Chedi Luang stands Wat Phan Tao, a rare all-teak Lanna hall built from 28 wooden pillars. Once a royal residence, the dark timber viharn is crowned by a gilded peacock gable above its main door.

12. Wat Sri Suphan

Coordinates
18.7787, 98.9834
In one line
Founded around 1500 in Chiang Mai's silversmith quarter, Wat Sri Suphan is known as the Silver Temple for its ordination hall sheathed in silver, nickel and aluminium repoussé work, crafted by the artisans of Wualai Road.

13. Wat Chiang Yuen

Coordinates
18.7964, 98.9884
In one line
North of the old city beyond the Chang Phueak gate, Wat Chiang Yuen blends Lanna and Burmese styles. Its whitewashed chedi carries Burmese guardian lions, and Lanna kings once paid homage to its Buddha before coronation.

14. Chiang Mai National Museum

Coordinates
18.8113, 98.97671
In one line
Opened in 1973 by King Bhumibol, the Chiang Mai National Museum occupies a two-story Lanna-style building near Wat Chet Yot. Run by the Fine Arts Department, it traces the history of the Lanna kingdom and northern Thai art.

15. Bhubing Palace

Coordinates
18.8059, 98.8977
In one line
Built in 1961 high on Doi Buak Ha, Bhubing Palace is the Thai royal family's cool-season mountain residence. Its stilted Central Thai pavilions sit among terraced rose gardens, ferneries, and a reservoir, opening to visitors outside the royal winter stay.

16. Doi Suthep–Pui National Park

Coordinates
18.80944, 98.91583
In one line
Established in 1981, Doi Suthep–Pui National Park spans roughly 257 square kilometers of forested mountain west of Chiang Mai. It shelters waterfalls, more than 2,000 plant species, Hmong villages, and the famed temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

17. Doi Suthep

Coordinates
18.81278, 98.89361
In one line
Rising 1,676 meters west of Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep is the sacred mountain that gives the city its western horizon. Named for an ancient hermit, its forested slopes hold the revered temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, founded in 1383.

18. Doi Pui

Coordinates
18.83161, 98.888
In one line
At 1,685 meters, Doi Pui is the highest summit west of Chiang Mai, a granite peak within Doi Suthep–Pui National Park. Its cool forested slopes hold the White Hmong village of Ban Khun Chang Khian, founded in 1955, and sweeping highland views.

19. Wiang Kum Kam

Coordinates
18.75409, 98.99556
In one line
Wiang Kum Kam is a ruined medieval city south of Chiang Mai, built by King Mangrai in the late 13th century as his first capital. Abandoned to repeated flooding by the Ping River, its temple ruins lay buried until rediscovery in 1984.

20. Wat Chedi Liam

Coordinates
18.754, 98.9958
In one line
Wat Chedi Liam is a living temple in old Wiang Kum Kam, built around 1287 in the early Lanna period. Its striking five-tiered chedi, lined with Buddha images and Mon Haripunchai in style, was renovated by a Burmese trader in 1908.

21. Wat Phra That Doi Kham

Coordinates
18.75949, 98.91885
In one line
Wat Phra That Doi Kham crowns a hill southwest of Chiang Mai, traditionally founded in 687 by sons of Queen Camadevi. Famed for its 17-meter seated Buddha, ancient relic chedi, and reputation for granting wishes, it draws pilgrims bearing jasmine garlands.

22. Sacred Heart Cathedral

Coordinates
18.7751, 99.0033
In one line
Sacred Heart Cathedral is the principal Roman Catholic church of the Diocese of Chiang Mai, standing on Charoen Prathet Road. First built in 1931, its present structure was inaugurated in 1999 beside a long-established Catholic school.

23. First Church of Chiang Mai

Coordinates
18.7878, 99.0039
In one line
First Church of Chiang Mai is a teak Gothic Revival church on the Ping River's east bank, built between 1889 and 1891. Founded by Presbyterian missionary Daniel McGilvary, it was northern Siam's first Protestant congregation.

24. Chiang Mai Zoo

Coordinates
18.809, 98.947
In one line
Chiang Mai Zoo spreads across roughly 81 hectares on the forested slopes below Doi Suthep. Begun in 1957 by Harold Mason Young, it houses over 400 species and once hosted China's famous loaned giant pandas.

25. Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden

Coordinates
18.8861, 98.8589
In one line
Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden covers 1,000 hectares in Mae Rim District. Opened in 1993 and renamed in 1994 for Thailand's queen, it was the nation's first botanical garden built to international standards, with twelve greenhouses and a famous canopy walkway.

26. Royal Park Rajapruek

Coordinates
18.7479, 98.9255
In one line
Royal Park Rajapruek in Mae Hia is an 80-hectare botanical park created for the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek exposition of 2006, held to honor King Bhumibol. Its Lanna-style Ho Kham Royal Pavilion crowns themed gardens from dozens of nations.

27. Doi Inthanon National Park

Coordinates
18.59222, 98.48667
In one line
Doi Inthanon National Park covers 482 square kilometers in Chom Thong District, crowned by Thailand's highest peak at 2,565 meters. Established in 1972, it protects cloud forests, waterfalls, twin royal chedis, and 383 bird species.

28. Doi Inthanon

Coordinates
18.5875, 98.48667
In one line
Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain in Thailand, a granite massif rising to 2,565 meters in Chom Thong District. Named for a Chiang Mai prince, its frosty summit holds his ashes, twin royal chedis, and a national observatory.

29. Elephant Nature Park

Coordinates
19.215, 98.86056

30. Chiang Mai Railway Station

Coordinates
18.78365, 99.01688
In one line
Opened in 1922 as the northern terminus of the line from Bangkok, this station on Charoenmueang Road was rebuilt in 1945 after wartime damage. A vintage steam locomotive stands out front beneath a portrait of King Chulalongkorn.

31. Chiang Mai International Airport

Coordinates
18.76667, 98.9625
In one line
Opened in 1934 as Suthep Airport, this gateway to the north grew from a 1920s airstrip into one of Thailand's busiest airports. Owned by the Royal Thai Air Force, it now handles more than nine million passengers a year.

32. Warorot Market

Coordinates
18.79022, 99.00066
In one line
Founded in 1910 by Princess Dara Rasmi, this sprawling market on Wichayanon Road is the north's largest and best known. Locals call it Kad Luang and crowd its aisles for sausages, chili pastes, dried fruit, cloth, and flowers.

33. Chiang Mai Night Bazaar

Coordinates
18.7859, 99.0007
In one line
Strung along Chang Khlan Road between the moat and the Ping River, this nightly market once owned by Chinese merchants draws crowds after dark for handicrafts, paintings, jewelry, and clothing. It ranks among the city's most popular attractions.

34. Wat Ket Karam

Coordinates
18.7924, 99.0029
In one line
Built in 1428 on the east bank of the Ping River, this temple anchors the old Ban Wat Ket quarter. Its small folk museum of antiques and photographs, gathered by the community, records the everyday history of Chiang Mai.

35. Suan Buak Hat Park

Coordinates
18.7821, 98.9793
In one line
Locals jog its 440-meter loop, train, and play sepak takraw, and the annual Flower Festival fills its grounds.

36. Ping River

Coordinates
18.79, 99.005
In one line
The Ping River curves through the eastern edge of Chiang Mai, a slow brown waterway that once carried teak rafts south. Today its banks hold riverside markets, old missionary churches, and quiet wooden bridges.

37. Chiang Mai University

Coordinates
18.80259, 98.95156
In one line
Chiang Mai University, opened in 1964 at the foot of Doi Suthep, was the first university in northern Thailand. Its forested campus, built among the trees around Ang Kaew reservoir, now serves nearly forty thousand students.

38. Payap University

Coordinates
18.79498, 99.03271
In one line
Payap University, founded in 1974 by the Church of Christ in Thailand, was the country's first private university. Its green Mae Khao campus east of Chiang Mai grew from a long Protestant missionary tradition rooted in the north.

39. Chiang Mai Rajabhat University

Coordinates
18.80722, 98.98667
In one line
Chiang Mai Rajabhat University began in 1924 as a teacher training college. Renamed Rajabhat by royal proclamation in 1982, it now teaches around thirty thousand students across four campuses, its emblem the King's own royal crest.

40. Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital

Coordinates
18.79029, 98.97407
In one line
Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, opened in 1941 near the Suan Dok Gate, was the first university hospital in the north and the first outside Bangkok. With 1,400 beds, it remains the region's main referral centre.

41. Bo Sang

Coordinates
18.76917, 99.08667
In one line
Bo Sang, a village east of Chiang Mai, is famed for its brightly painted handmade umbrellas and parasols. Settled by Tai Lue families from Yunnan, it celebrates its craft each January with an umbrella festival.

42. San Kamphaeng

Coordinates
18.74528, 99.12028
In one line
San Kamphaeng, a district east of Chiang Mai, is famed for its handwoven silk and cotton, its handicraft highway of workshops, and its mineral hot springs. The old weaving town anchors a long Lanna craft tradition.

43. Mae Sa

Coordinates
18.9033, 98.9494
In one line
Mae Sa is a green valley subdistrict in Mae Rim, north of Chiang Mai, set along the Mae Sa stream. Home to roughly 6,448 residents across six villages, it draws visitors with waterfalls, gardens, and forested hills.

44. Mae Rim

Coordinates
18.91389, 98.945
In one line
Mae Rim is a district just north of Chiang Mai, raised to full district status in 1914. Spanning about 443 square kilometers of hills and valleys, it holds the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden and part of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park.

45. Hang Dong

Coordinates
18.68694, 98.91889
In one line
Hang Dong is a district southwest of Chiang Mai, known for the woodcarving craft of Ban Tawai and as the birthplace of longan cultivation in Thailand. Restored to full district status in 1947, it now mixes orchards, workshops, and spreading housing estates.

46. Saraphi

Coordinates
18.71333, 99.03639
In one line
Saraphi is a district southeast of Chiang Mai, established in 1891 as Yang Noeng and renamed in 1927. Famous for its longan orchards, it also holds Wiang Kum Kam, the ruined early city where King Mangrai lived before founding Chiang Mai.

Roots Earth in short

Roots Earth has audio stories about 5,665 places in 130 cities, 25 countries and 6 regions, written by local people.

  • No account
  • Download a city's audio, then it plays without a connection
  • Audio stories in English and German in every city, and in Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian in 126 of the 130 cities

Roots Earth for Android is available on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rootsearth.app.