Admission to the “White Temple” of Chiang Rai is no more free..for foreign visitors

[webfact]

Admission to the “White Temple” of Chiang Rai is no more free..for foreign visitors

 

 

CHIANG RAI: -- Wat Rong Khun, or better known among foreign tourists as “the White Temple” of Chiang Rai will begin to collect admission fees from foreign visitors, beginning October 1.

 

Admission fee is only 50 baht.

 

Chalermchai Kositpipat, a Chiang Rai-born artist who built this unique Buddhism temple with his own fund, said throughout the past 19 years when the temple was first built, no admission fee was ever collected from both local and foreign visitors.

 

But now after the temple has a committee to manage the temple, all committee members agreed that admission fee should be collected so that the money will be used to improve all facilities at the temple to welcome a large number of visitors to the temple a year.

 

He said initially after he built the temple, he intended to make the temple the first tourist attraction where no admission be collected.

But after there is a temple committee, all agreed that admission should be collected and has a fund to run the temple once he no longer lives to take care of the temple, he said.

 

However he said local visitors won’t be affected and still can enjoy the free admission.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/admission-white-temple-chiang-rai-no-free-foreign-visitors/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-09-29

 

[canopus1969]

The 'committee' wants a salary   

[tracker1]

numbers wont drop people will just take photos from outside after all they are there to see the Temple bit hard hideing that from the people !

[fish monger]

Quote

 

Has anyone seen the amount of donations this place hauls in on a daily basis...? The cash boxes...? IT'S OBSCENE...I live 5 kilometers from this 'temple' and I know the money flows like water. I could live like a king, with what this guy makes in a day. Been there a dozen times in over six years and the place just expands in all directions. People don't PAY to enter a temple, as they are places of prayer and worship. Funny how I have NEVER seen a monk walking the grounds. I have NEVER seen anyone in prayer at that place. I only go to leave a gift in the most expensive toilet in Thailand. LMAO when he said that he couldn't afford the repairs after Phan had the earthquake and he was going to close the place down. He is nothing but a scammer. Just another cheap double standard of payment between 'farang' and the locals....! It's not a temple....It's a tourist trap; an expose for folks that do very fancy cement and stucco work.

Edited September 29, 2016 by fish monger

[Kasset Tak]

I wounder if they still charge you if you show up at the temple with one of these  These amulets are buy the artist himself and in today's market they are about 30-40,000 Baht. Sadly I don't own any of these amulets but I can borrow from my friend he has 20... 

[SoilSpoil]

Imagine a sign at the entrance of the Notre Dame in Paris that says: "free entrance for everyone, except for Asians who must pay 1 euro''.

The reactions would be strong.

 

[chiang mai]

12 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

Imagine a sign at the entrance of the Notre Dame in Paris that says: "free entrance for everyone, except for Asians who must pay 1 euro''.

The reactions would be strong.

 

 

Get your analogy right, the sign would have to read, "free entrance for all French citizens, everyone else pays 1 Euro". That would be acceptable I think.

[daoyai]

It is only natural to charge to enter a "Bahtist" temple is it not?

[villagefarang]

Sure you could Google someone else’s photo but it is more satisfying to go take your own.  We are talking about 50 baht from busloads of tourists who are not there for religious reasons.  I don’t see the problem.  Who is that walking around in my photo?

 

[arithai12]

How about admission free, toilets 50 baht. That was the issue with some "foreigners", right?

[andre47]

3 hours ago, fish monger said:

Funny how I have NEVER seen a monk walking the grounds. I have NEVER seen anyone in prayer at that place.

 This is not a real (Buddhist) temple. It is a  contemporary, unconventional, privately owned, art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Rong_Khun

 

The owner of this building is a private person and can do what he want (even collect fees). 

[Dexlowe]

27 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

How about admission free, toilets 50 baht. That was the issue with some "foreigners", right?

 

Chinese, to be precise. The owner was so fed up with the way the Chinese visitors were behaving, especially the filth they left in the toilets, that he closed the temple to all for a while. He eventually relented and reopened it, but only after building toilets specifically for the Chinese to use, and harsh rules were imposed on tour guides. 

 

Whether or not he's raking in the moolah, I think it's worth 50 baht a visit just to admire the craftsmanship. But like Wat Yan south of Jomtien, I won't go if I spot lots of tour buses.

[camble]

It's amazing that this private art exhibit was free for so long, it's well worth the 50 baht admission.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

Clearly, it is not a temple but simply just a business venture and an admission fee for farangs of 50 baht is not exactly a rip-off.  As such, surely the entrance fee could be applied to Thais as well.

[KBsinter]

Sounds good to me,this has to be the (one of) biggest attractions in Thailand,very beautiful.

[nakhonandy]

Not a big deal IMHO. Together with my Thai family we used to donate money anyhow as is common in a temple. I am sure most if not all Thai do the same. 

 

50 baht is not much for such a beautiful temple. 

[scorpio1945]

Big deal! Not a problem for me. He is an artist. His to do with as he wishes.

[Redline]

Thanks, but no thanks

[Rotweiler]

Seems Wikipedia has caught up already:

 

Wat Rong Khun (Thai: วัดร่องขุ่น), perhaps better known to foreigners as the White Temple, is a contemporary, unconventional, privately owned, art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997. It is NOT a religious temple, but rather a tourist attraction. It is open all year round. Admission for Thai nationals is free, foreigners must pay 50B.^[1]

 

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Rong_Khun)

 

[rijb]

Come all the way to Thailand and not visit this place.  That's just stupid.

[Jonmarleesco]

And no doubt most of the visitors are local, thus causing most of the wear and tear.

[moe666]

11 hours ago, fish monger said:

Has anyone seen the amount of donations this place hauls in on a daily basis...? The cash boxes...? IT'S OBSCENE...I live 5 kilometers from this 'temple' and I know the money flows like water. I could live like a king, with what this guy makes in a day. Been there a dozen times in over six years and the place just expands in all directions. People don't PAY to enter a temple, as they are places of prayer and worship. Funny how I have NEVER seen a monk walking the grounds. I have NEVER seen anyone in prayer at that place. I only go to leave a gift in the most expensive toilet in Thailand. LMAO when he said that he couldn't afford the repairs after Phan had the earthquake and he was going to close the place down. He is nothing but a scammer. Just another cheap double standard of payment between 'farang' and the locals....! It's not a temple....It's a tourist trap; an expose for folks that do very fancy cement and stucco work.

It is not a temple only in the mind of the artist who started it. it would have to be approved by the body that controls all temples in Thailand. One Buddha statue doesn't make you a temple.

[Torrens54]

Okay, it isn't the amount of money, just  another Rip-Off of the Ferang!

Unless the Genius who owns the place is going to build a Donny Trump-style Wall around it, who needs to go in and pay the fee, let alone make a Generous Donation as, many thousands have in the past? Might find there will also be a dramatic drop in what the "Filthy Ferang" spend on Trinkets and other stuff at his Silver, imitation Temple.

 

[moe666]

8 hours ago, Dexlowe said:

 

Chinese, to be precise. The owner was so fed up with the way the Chinese visitors were behaving, especially the filth they left in the toilets, that he closed the temple to all for a while. He eventually relented and reopened it, but only after building toilets specifically for the Chinese to use, and harsh rules were imposed on tour guides. 

 

Whether or not he's raking in the moolah, I think it's worth 50 baht a visit just to admire the craftsmanship. But like Wat Yan south of Jomtien, I won't go if I spot lots of tour buses.

There are no special toilets for the Chinese, they got rid of the squatters and added sitters

[Thechook]

My wife tells me it's not a real temple and monks don't live there.  Driven past it many times and have said why don't we go in for a look and she says why, it's just a building.

[rodney earl]

Just another case of ripping off the foreigner.

[sceadugenga]

Exactly what part of the complex requires a fee to enter?

I've been there multiple times with visitors and never actually entered the "temple" itself, I get to the bridge and can't be bothered taking my shoes off.

Most of the attraction is about the exterior.

 

Much ado about nothing.

 

 

[rijb]

My wife and I met the artist/owner earlier this year, in HomePro.  He bought 5 carts full of stuff, for repairs to the temple.

 

He talked about damages made by visitors.  And he was disgusted by what the Chinese do in the bathrooms.

 

The fee is for maintenance, not for sticking it to the foreigner.

 

[Keesters]

Should not be allowed to be called 'Wat' if it is not a temple.

 

Has it been

 

Temple consecration

An inauguration ceremony called "FANG LUUK NIMIT" (ฝังลูกนิมิต) is done to consecrate a temple. Some sacred marker spheres "LUUK NIMIT" (ลูกนิมิต) need to be buried in the temple compound.

 

 

[Keesters]

2 hours ago, rodney earl said:

Just another case of ripping off the foreigner.

 

aka racism.