# Blue Temple Chiang Rai (Wat Rong Suea Ten): What Nobody Tells You + VIP Bus Back

By Prashant & Sunaina · 19 November 2025 · https://www.psvlogs.in/blog/chiang-rai-blue-temple

> Our second day in Chiang Rai: a riverside resort we should've stayed longer at, the vibrant Blue Temple, oolong tea, a pure-veg restaurant near the bus terminal, and the VIP bus back for 315 baht.

Day two in Chiang Rai, and our one regret: **we should have booked two nights**.

Watch the vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VkaTn07gdA

## Our riverside resort
Breakfast with a view of the river and the boat pier, a pool overlooking the water, cottages, little ponds, a spa and our garden-view room. It's so calm that you could happily spend a whole day there. **Book at least two nights in Chiang Rai.**

## The Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten)
A Grab ride away (Grab is easy everywhere in Thailand). The temple stands where an **abandoned temple** once stood. The local community rebuilt it with the help of an artist, and today it's one of Thailand's most iconic, artistic temples. The **blues are incredibly vibrant**, inside and out. There's also a small museum.

It was very hot, so wear something light that still covers your shoulders and knees. Sunaina wore a dress she'd bought at the local market.

## Oolong tea
The Chiang Rai region is known for **oolong tea**. The shop let us taste a few, and we bought the **green tea**, which we preferred.

## Pure-veg lunch near Bus Terminal 1
In the **lane right behind Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 1** there's a vegetarian restaurant where you pick rice and your choice of vegetables, plus **mushroom fritters**. It's 100% veg and a paradise for vegetarians.

## The VIP bus back to Chiang Mai
After an uncomfortable regular bus on the way in, we took the **VIP class**: **2+1 seating**, big seats, screens and a **toilet on board**. At the terminal it cost **305 baht + 10 baht booking**, against roughly **550 baht online**. Buses leave **exactly on time**, so we nearly missed ours buying 7-Eleven toasties. The trip is about 4 hours.

Day 1: [White Temple, Big Buddha & Lalitta Café](https://www.psvlogs.in/blog/chiang-rai-white-temple) · Full plan: [5-day itinerary](https://www.psvlogs.in/blog/chiang-mai-chiang-rai-5-day-itinerary).

## FAQs

**How much is the VIP bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai?**
We paid 305 baht plus a 10 baht booking fee at the terminal. Online it was around 550 baht.

**Is there vegetarian food in Chiang Rai?**
Yes. We found a pure-veg restaurant in the lane behind Bus Terminal 1, a paradise for vegetarians.