"Inside, the dark theme persists in Thawan’s choice of artworks like dead cow skulls, black tusks, crocodile hides and eerie sculptures that form the furniture of the home. Yet, despite the imposing elements, I still feel at peace here like I did at Wat Rong Khun.”

Wang Rong Suea Ten

“Our third stop, Wang Rong Suea Ten, is the ‘youngest’ addition to Chiang Rai’s artistic and religious landscape. To be honest, I thought I’ve seen enough temples to impress me so far but Wang Rong Suea Ten still captivated my attention. Its walls and pillars are painted in vivid sapphire blue, featuring kaleidoscopic images of Buddhist lore. I spent a long time looking at every detailed painting, marvelling its beauty."

Singha Park

"I had a wonderful time at Singha Park, a beautiful piece of land owned by Boon Rawd Brewery, the company behind Singha Beer. As an agro-tourism destination, there’s a lot to learn about the plants and flowers growing in the area. Our favourite spots are the tea plantation and the rubber estate. The rubber estate looked like it was snapped from a postcard, with bare branches and golden leaves on the ground!"

ICYMI: Florence's travel diary from another land of happiness and spirituality—Bhutan

Wat Pha That Doi Wao

“On the last day of our trip, we travelled to Mae Sai in the north. There, we visited two more temples. The first was the Wat Pha That Doi Wao. After their rescue by international divers last year, the Wild Boar footballers (who survived being trapped in a cave for two weeks) embarked on a spiritual odyssey here in this temple. The boys had expressed their intent to enter into the Buddhist monkhood as a way of paying tribute to former Navy Seal, Saman Kunan, who died during the rescue operation. The boys will train as novices and will donate their merit to the memory of Saman, which is the highest honour in Buddhism. As I listened to the story of their rescue, I prayed for the brave souls involved in this ordeal.”

Wat Hiranyawat

“Our final stop in Mae Sai is Wat Hiranyawat, the home of Phra Sing San Chana Man, the biggest bamboo woven Buddha statue in Thailand. To create this statue from scratch, the craftsmen and monastery went through a spiritual journey to cultivate purity of body, spirit and mind before partaking in the project. I was humbled to listen to this inspiring tale of devotion. I carried this warm feeling back home with me all the way to KL, eager to return to Chiang Rai again one day with my family.”

Also read: Thai Airways' general manager lists his 5 recommended places to see in Bangkok