The whole complex of temple buildings under a single name Wat Phra Kaew is situated on the territory of 10, 640 sq. m on street Trairat in the centre of Chiang Rai. Wat Phra Kaew is the center of the Buddhist community (Sangha) of Northern Thailand, there are educational monastic institution, and the Department of management.

Wat Phra Kaew is one of the oldest and most revered temples of Chiang Rai. The temple has great historical importance for Thailand. The exact date of its construction is not known.

Originally the temple had another name: Wat PA Yeah. That all changed in 1434, when the octagonal Chedi (stupa) on its territory split by lightning, revealing to the world the amazing beauty of the emerald Buddha statue. The name of the statue “Phra Kaew” and was named the temple.

Buddhists believe that the statue of the emerald Buddha is of divine origin, and treated her with great reverence. Its not just transported to a new location, many tried to claim the statue by force and power. The end point of travel of the statue Phra Kaew in 1778 became the current capital of Bangkok Thailand when King Rama I took it out of Laos. The statue of the emerald Buddha was installed in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok on 22 March 1784. Thais genuinely believe that the state exists as long as they remain the emerald Buddha.

Now in Wat Phra Kaew in Chiang RAE is stored artfully created a copy of the original statue of the emerald Buddha, made by special order in 1990. In 1991 copied the statue was a special consecration ceremony at Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok.

On the temple grounds is the Museum of Sangkae, built in 1995 in traditional style of Northern Thailand. It contains a rich collection of works of Northern Thai art. Detailed comments on each exhibit in Thai and English provide detailed information about each subject.