Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The truth is out there—somewhere.
The Truth Is Out There at the Dreamland Resort (or Should We Say ‘Area 51?’)
21 days ago
Edward Payson Weston
How the 6-Day Race Became an American Spectator Obsession
22 days ago
Alresford Spy Toilet
This Public Bathroom in a Sleepy English Village Was an Epicenter for Cold War Espionage
25 days ago
Manhattan Well
The Manhattan Well: How Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton United to Solve a Murder Mystery
25 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Thailand Sop Tia Wat Mok Khan Lan, Chom Thong Town (Temple of the Dinosaurs)

Wat Mok Khan Lan, Chom Thong Town (Temple of the Dinosaurs)

A unique Buddhist temple with strange statues, beehives, and dinosaurs.

Sop Tia, Thailand

Added By
evavoulg
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
  evavoulg / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

This Place Is a Stub

Help improve this place with additional information or photos.

Make an Edit

About

In Chiang Mai province, just south of the town of Chom Thong, lies this unique, strange temple surrounded by a lush garden and large statues.

Walking through the paths around the park you can discover several statues of Buddha and moments of his life, alongside almost Gothic-looking sculptures of animals and creatures. And why not, some dinosaurs, Godzilla, and King Kong.

At the top lies a huge reclined gold Buddha that you can see from the road, with plenty of beehives under his face.

Related Tags

Buddha Dinosaurs Temples

Community Contributors

Added By

evavoulg

Published

January 22, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://temple-thai.com/chiang-mai-province/wat-mok-khan-lan/
Wat Mok Khan Lan, Chom Thong Town (Temple of the Dinosaurs)
Sop Tia, 50160
Thailand
18.386182, 98.675285

Nearby Places

Wat Umong

Chiang Mai, Thailand

miles away

Wat Sri Suphan

Chiang Mai, Thailand

miles away

The World Museum of Insects and Natural Wonders

Chiang Mai, Thailand

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Thailand

Thailand

Asia

Places 135
Stories 14

Nearby Places

Wat Umong

Chiang Mai, Thailand

miles away

Wat Sri Suphan

Chiang Mai, Thailand

miles away

The World Museum of Insects and Natural Wonders

Chiang Mai, Thailand

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Thailand

Thailand

Asia

Places 135
Stories 14

Related Places

  • Thotagamuwa, Sri Lanka

    Aluviharaya Rock Cave Temple

    Ancient cave temple near a massive Buddha statue.

  • A medieval Buddha on an ancient coffin lid.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Sarcophagal Amitabha-Buddha

    Though not uncommon in western Japan, this Buddha cut out of an ancient sarcophagus is the only example in central Tokyo.

  • Funerary stelae and graves from past centuries (note that these are not the Bone Buddhas).

    Osaka, Japan

    Bone Buddhas at Isshin-ji Temple

    This temple is home to a group of Buddha statues made from thousands of bones and ashes of the deceased.

  • Kannon and their thirty-three avatars.

    Kamakura, Japan

    Thirty-Three Avatars of Kannon

    In the former treasury of a popular temple, a rare sculptural depiction of Kannon’s diverse avatars.

  • The facade of the temple.

    George Town, Malaysia

    Dhammikarama Burmese Temple

    This Theravada Buddhist temple is a peaceful oasis steeped in history.

  • The “ghost Buddha,” believed to be a Ksitigarbha.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Ghost Buddha

    The origin of this bizarre, ghostly idol is a local mystery, even to the temple it calls home.

  • Buddha at Seokguram

    Gyeongju, South Korea

    Seokguram Grotto

    Visiting this grotto is symbolic of a spiritual journey into Nirvana.

  • A worn statue of a Japanese monk picks his nose.

    Kawagoe, Japan

    Five Hundred Arhats

    Hundreds of statues of Buddha’s disciples meditating, napping, sneezing, and picking their noses.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.