Three Kings Monument

Three Kings Monument

Three Kings Monument
3.5
Points of Interest & LandmarksMonuments & Statues
About
Three Kings Monument is located in the center of Chiang Mai, in the area where palaces used to stand. The sculpture of the three kings is a symbol of Chiang Mai. Before leaving the square, check out the nearby Chiang Mai City Art & Cultural Center.
Duration: < 1 hour
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Three Kings Monument
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

3.5
3.5 of 5 bubbles656 reviews
Excellent
92
Very good
192
Average
329
Poor
39
Terrible
4

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

ぴろーしき
Seto, Japan9,441 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Solo
It is a square located slightly north of the old town. It is quite large, but there is not much shade, so it was hot and there were not many people. I didn't know this at all, but the statues of the three kings, who are important to Chiang Mai, were quite dignified and I liked it.
Google
Written 23 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Suratrichard
Surat Thani, Thailand2,674 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
Very popular tourist attraction with good photo opportunities but really need to combine visiting here with other attractions of which there are several in the immediate area. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that the nearby museums and gallery are closed on Mondays!
Worth visiting but don’t go on a Monday!
Written 31 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

macedonboy
Glasgow, UK1,86,190 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Friends
A very nice monument that commemorates kings of 3 Northern Thailand Kingdoms who founded and developed Chiang Mai. The monument depicts the three kings standing in solidarity. The monument also stands directly in front of Chiang Mai City Art & Cultural Center and is a nice landmark to visit before or after the museum.
Written 18 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Suratrichard
Surat Thani, Thailand2,674 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Couples
Before you visit, it’s worth reading up on the part the three kings played in establishing the old city. It is a monument to commemorate the founding of Chiang Mai. Whilst it only takes a few minutes to look at it, there are several interesting places to visit in the vicinity like the City Arts and Cultural centre situated immediately behind the monument.
Quite a good wet weather activity.
Written 13 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Leonhkny
Hong Kong, China23,468 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Family
The Three Kings Monument is the de facto city center of Chiang Mai. The statues of three kings united is a key moment in Thai history. It is also a major gathering place among locals.
Written 23 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

amanda5805
Duncan, Canada7,560 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
The three kinds monument is found close to the centre of the walled City. This sculpture is of the founding fathers of Chiang Mai Kings Mengrai, Ramkamhaeng and Ngam Muang.

There was a local kids dance event happening in the square in front of it when we were there in January. Tons of proud parents. It was pretty cute! No entrance fees. Good photo Op. Spent maybe 2 mins here.

Nice short stop if you are in the neighbourhood.
Written 3 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chris B
Kimberley Region, Australia86 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2014 • Solo
At first look this is simply a city square complete with the compulsory monuments BUT just hang on a bit ... there is so much more to this "navel of the city".
There's actually THREE world class Thai cultural expositions within a hop from the Three Kings Monument that most people appear to have overlooked!
Firstly it has to be said that the 3 Kings actually celebrate the establishment of the 'new' Chiang Mai way back in 1296 AD. These three Kings formed an alliance in those days that secured the Lanna Kingdom's rise to one of the preeminent cultural influences over most of northern Thailand and parts of Laos and Myanmar (Burma).
The story is that King Mengrai brought the other two together after one had seduced the wife of the other and the three of them then held sway, in alliance, over a vast area of Northern Thailand.
It is also recorded that the three Kings travelled together around this area looking for a desirable site for the new city due to the old one (3 or 4 kms south) being too flood prone. (The ruins down there are well worth a visit too).
When they decided on the area, due to "seven auspicious signs", they camped overnight on the ground where Wat Chiang Man is today before establishing the city boundaries and starting construction.
The original centre of the city was right about here, in fact, the nearby temple on the road beside the 3 Kings Square, was established where the "City Pillar" (which has sacred, ceremonial and supernatural affiliations) was situated, being the Sadue Muang or navel of the city.
The sacred pillar harks back to way before King Mengrai's days to an ancient Lua tradition. The pillar is called Inthakhin, which is a reference to the Hindu king of the gods, Indra.
Legend says that Indra gave a pillar to an ancient Lua city for safety, protection, good luck and prosperity. The Lua people eventually took the pillar for granted and strayed from decent living and so Indra took the pillar back. Catastrophe ensued and the city fathers petitioned Indra to return the pillar and his protection. Indra refused his own pillar as punishment but gave instructions for the people to construct their own pillar including dimensions, rituals for maintenance etc so that the people could thus be protected.
There is a belief amongst some scholars (and a legend from the Lua people) that the Inthakhin Pillar was actually found where the city was later built because it marked the centre of the ruined ancient Lua city of the legends. It should be known that similar pillars are to be found in most traditional Lua towns and villages as this tradition was not confined to Chiang Mai alone.
So in this small area we have the origins of Chiang Mai but also legends that extend way back into the mists of time.
Indeed the Hindu & Brahmanism influences persist to this day in many and varied rituals and ceremonies also beliefs and superstitions of the Thai people. The amazing intermingling of the ancient 'nature religions' and hill tribe animism, of Brahmanism and of Buddhism is a dramatic feature of the Lanna culture so evident in the north of Thailand.

Back to the present, behind the 3 Kings Monument stands the Chiang Mai cultural centre. The building was once the royal residence of Chiang Mai royal family. It then became the administrative centre of the city, or City Hall before being restored to accommodate the amazing collection of displays covering the city's history and culture from ancient times to the present.
THIS is the place to come when you first get to Chiang Mai and Lanna territory. This is a MUST SEE !
Opposite the 3 Kings on the other side of Ratchadamnoen Road is the Lanna Folklife Museum which is in itself an amazing presentation of all things of Lanna culture that haven't been covered in the arts & cultural centre. Don't be fooled, this is well worth going and immersing yourself in it's exquisite presentations and displays. This is also a MUST SEE !
In the grounds of the Lanna Folklife Museum is one of the best café cum coffee shops around. Given the great park-like surroundings this is a place you should relax in and maybe have lunch during your investigation and enlightenment of the heritage of the Lanna people and their culture.

Once rejuvenated you can stroll back across the road to the beautiful Inthakhin Saduemuang Temple (now you know what the name means). This is a MUST SEE both during the day and at night when it sparkles like a fairy palace. Yet there IS more ... during the day the museum here is outstanding. It is found in the grounds of the temple and should not be missed at any cost.
The typical class and attention to detail of the Thai people is so well presented in these three great museums and cultural centres that you can easily spend a full day just covering this three and that's not including the Historical Centre.

I, for instance, spent 5 hours in the cultural centre alone and then another 3 hours at the Lanna Folklife Museum. I had to return as I have done several times to really get to know the temple and the two other centres. I can completely recommend this to everyone and especially to people with an interest in culture, religion and society in this very special city.
Written 20 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CaseyOng2014
Singapore, Singapore907 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Solo
my apologies if this offends anyone but if its meant to be a tourist spot, please have some english or multi language literature else to me its just 3 men, ok Kings.

nothing much to see and it took me less than 1 minute to take a picture, bow and leave. i mean they are Kings right, so i bow to offer respect.

If you are passing by, well, ok, have some snapshot. Else, don't waste your time making the trip there.
Written 10 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Margaret
Guelph, Canada43 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
I really liked the long ribbons hanging from the ceiling. It is best viewed at night during the walking street bazaar. Bring insect repellant due to the still water.
Written 20 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Joshua Seth Liew
Singapore, Singapore72 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2018
one of the spots you should check out if you're temple hopping. this is the monument which commemorates the three kings who founded, and developed chiang mai.

good place to snap a few photos and move onto the next site.
Written 2 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 354
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

THREE KINGS MONUMENT (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

All Chiang Mai HotelsChiang Mai Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Chiang MaiHotels near Three Kings Monument
All things to do in Chiang Mai
Day Trips in Chiang Mai
RestaurantsFlightsHoliday homesTravel StoriesCruisesCar Hire