🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Mention Tak and most people picture Thi Lo Su waterfall or the high mountains first, but the temple-and-culture side is just as strong, because the province overlaps two worlds. The eastern side is the old town of Tak along the Ping River, with traces of Sukhothai and an old Chinese community. Cross the mountains to the west and you reach Mae Sot and the border districts, where Shan, Burmese, and Karen people have lived side by side for generations. So you get Sukhothai, Lanna, Mon, and Burmese temple styles all mixed into one province. We've grouped them by zone to make stops easy to plan.
Shan and Burmese temples on the Mae Sot–border side
Mae Sot and the districts around it are where Burmese–Shan culture shows the clearest. Many temples were built by Burmese craftsmen — heavy gold, finely fretted detail — and they often have a "wish-granting deity" (Bo Bo Gyi) where people come to ask for blessings, just like in Myanmar.
Wat Thai Wattanaram (Wat Mae Tao Ngio / the Shan temple)
The most beautiful Burmese-style temple in Mae Sot, built around 1857 by Shan people. The highlights are the Maha Muni shrine modeled on the original in Mandalay, a gold nine-tiered Mon-style chedi, and a wish-granting deity to pay respects to.
Wat Chumphon Khiri (Wat Klang)
An old temple in central Mae Sot, over 200 years old and built around 1771. It has a Mon-style chedi and an ordination hall mixing Burmese and Lanna art. It's right in town and easy to walk to, perfect to pop into while exploring the market.
Wat Don Kaeo, Mae Ramat (marble Buddha)
North of Mae Sot toward Mae Ramat, this temple holds a marble Buddha in the subduing-Mara posture, brought from Yangon in 1922. The lap is about 1.3 metres wide, carved from a single block of marble — genuine Burmese craftsmanship.
Tips for temple visits on the border side
Burmese temples usually ask you to take off your shoes from outside the chedi courtyard, so long trousers or a long skirt covering the knees will feel more respectful. And if you make a wish to the wish-granting deity, the custom is to whisper one clear request once, then picture it coming true quickly.
Want more out of Tak? Book tours & activities
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Old temples of Tak town (the town side)
Cross back over the mountains to the Tak town side along the Ping River, and the mood shifts to Sukhothai–Lanna and Mon temple styles. There are several old bronze Buddha images that are hundreds of years old. You can do the rounds in the morning before heading into Trok Ban Chin.
Wat Phra Borommathat, Ban Tak
The town's landmark temple, set on the old town of Tak and named in the stone inscription of King Ramkhamhaeng. The octagonal gilded chedi was built in imitation of Shwedagon, ringed by 16 small chedis. It's the year-of-the-goat birth-year relic.
Wat Mani Banphot Worawihan (Wat Khao Kaeo)
The province's royal temple, set on a small hill beside Phahonyothin Road before you enter town. Formerly called Wat Khao Kaeo, it has a view over Tak from the rise — a good stop to pay respects while passing through.
Wat Bot Mani Si Bunruang
An in-town temple whose highlight is a Thai-style viharn joined to a gold Mon-style chedi. Inside sits Luang Pho Phuttha Mon, a Sukhothai-era bronze Buddha from around the 14th century, with beautiful proportions.
Wat Sitlaram (Wat Nam Hak)
An old temple in Tak town that received its name from King Rama VI in 1905. The grounds are shady and it's near the Trok Ban Chin area, so you can visit both in one easy stretch.
Heritage stops: King Taksin shrine + Trok Ban Chin
Beyond the temples, Tak has heritage spots that tell the town's story well. Two worth stopping for are the shrine of King Taksin the Great, deeply revered by Tak locals, and Trok Ban Chin, an old Chinese trading community along the Ping River that has come back to life.
Shrine of King Taksin the Great
A four-gabled pavilion hung with red Chinese lanterns out front. Inside are murals of King Taksin's life, and behind it stand statues of war horses and war elephants. Tak locals stop to pay respects before setting off on journeys.
Trok Ban Chin
A Chinese–Thai trading community along the Ping that fell quiet after World War II, until residents pulled together to restore the old wooden houses. It's now a lane for strolling and photos, with cafes and small bites.
Wat Phra Borommathat Museum
Keeps local antiques and amulets inside Wat Phra Borommathat in Ban Tak, so you can pair it with the chedi and understand the story of old Tak a bit more.
When it's especially lively
Wat Phra Borommathat in Ban Tak holds the Khun That ceremony in the ninth lunar month (around July–August by the lunar calendar), a big merit-making event for Ban Tak locals. If your timing lines up, you'll see local life as it really is.
A 3-day temple & culture route
If you want to cover both sides without rushing, three days is about right. Day one on the Tak town side, day two over the mountains to Mae Sot, day three through the border districts.
Old-town Tak + Trok Ban Chin
Over the mountains to the Burmese temples of Mae Sot
Border districts + the marble Buddha
Before you go temple-hopping in Tak
- Dress respectfully — cover your shoulders and knees, especially at Burmese temples where you take off your shoes from outside the chedi courtyard
- A car makes it easiest — the temples are spread across mountains and districts; public transport between Tak town and Mae Sot exists but isn't frequent
- Allow extra time for the mountain crossing — Highway 105 from Tak to Mae Sot is winding and takes longer than the distance suggests
- Avoid the midday sun — the gold chedi courtyards reflect harsh heat; going early or late afternoon is more comfortable
- Carry cash — donation boxes and the food stalls around the temples mostly take cash
Want a base for temple-hopping on both sides?
See the Top 10 hotels in Tak →