It’s bad enough that the spelling of Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan’s name takes numerous forms, anyone of which is no more or less correct than the next, but throw in the similarly named Wat Umong Suan Puthatham – which is also in Chiang Mai – and it’s no wonder which is which and what wat is what causes confusion. Even Google wants to think when you search for info about Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan that what you really want are a website or two about Wat Umong. Which may not be a bad thing. There is a lot of info on the more famous of the two wats, the forest temple of Wat Umong. On Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan not so much. But then Buddhism is all about becoming enlightened, and in trying to ferret out the tiny amount of information about Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan that is available on the internet was, to say the least, enlightening. As was my first visit there.

There is a good reason the two Wat Umongs are so often confused with each other, besides having the same abbreviated name. In fact, several good reasons. Both are set in forested grounds amid a rustic tranquility full of pastoral charm. Both were built or finished by King Ku Na in or around 1367. And both were at least partially built for the highly revered monk, Phra Maha Thera Chan. (There are other wats in Thailand that use Maha Thera in their name too. It is an honorific to denote status when referring to a monk who has spent twenty years or more in the monkhood. Now consider yourself enlightened.)

Phra Maha Thera Chan was a favorite of King Ku Na, and the first abbot of Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan. The King often visited the temple to seek his advice. He is also the mentally deranged monk that the underground tunnel portion of Wat Umong Suan Puthatham was built for. Legend says that when he was in touch with reality, he stayed in town at Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan; when his mind slipped into lala land, he’d stay out at Wat Umong Suan Puthatham and wander about aimlessly, deep within a mental fog. Perhaps that’s why the forest temple of Wat Umong is the more popular of the two among touri. A crazed monk makes for a much better back story.

But then if you are headed for Wat Umong Suan Puthatham, you need to find a driver to take you there. It’s not far from town, but far enough you don’t wat to try walking there. Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan on the other hand is located within the Old City, close to the Three Kings Monument, and is frequently stumbled upon by touri out for a stroll. It is officially located on Ratchpakinai Road, but there is also an entrance onto the temple’s grounds off Inthawarorot Road. Just in case you were not already confused enough.

Not that channeling Phra Maha Thera Chan in his deranged state of mind is necessarily a bad thing when you’re wandering aimlessly and completely lost within Chiang Mai’s Old City. Which was probably close to my state of mind the first time I visited the wat. The temple’s ground’s peaceful and relaxing atmosphere, and the variety of trees lining its path created a pleasant and welcoming serenity amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s ancient crumbling brick stupa and Buddha statues surrounded by gardens were good for a few photographs. It’s sheltering trees provided some much needed shade. But when I left I had no idea where I’d just been.

On my second visit, after wandering around a bit and checking out the wat’s large flag draped wiharn, I realized it was ‘that wat with the electric Kool-aid acid test Buddha.’ Which no one ever seems to mention. The chedi in front of the small wiharn where it is located, with its niche where Phra Maha Thera Chan used to meditate, gets some play. And running across pictures of the mom flanking the wiharn’s stairway is pretty common too – even though the mythical creatures which are a speciality of Lanna Buddhist mythology are often mistakenly referred to as naga (‘cuz lizards and snakes are easily confused . . . as evidently are crocodiles as the mom at Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan are sometimes identified by travellers as makara too.) But the Amazing Smiling Buddha within the wiharn most touri miss out on. That’s why I have Noom.

On our first visit, a young monk was poking his head out of the wiharn’s doors watching the small handful of farang touri drift by. When he spotted Noom, a fellow Thai and someone who spoke his language, he began excitingly blabbering away. I asked Noom what he’d said. “We go see Buddha,” was his reply. Cool. I like Buddhas. And even though Noom had just spent 20 minutes conversing with the white one sitting under a tree just down the path, he is always game to state his case to another one too. Besides, this wasn’t just any Buddha statue. This was a magical Buddha statue.

Inside the tiny temple a Buddha with a serene Mona Lisa style expression sat. When the young monk flipped a switch turning electricity on to the array of statuary on the altar the bright garish lighting changed the Buddha’s smile into almost a grin. Having grown up watching flying pigs at Pink Floyd concerts the effect was less than magical to me, but Noom was suitably impressed. If I’d know then about Phra Maha Thera Chan and his deranged state of mind, I probably would have been more appreciative. There is a thin line between religious fervor and an altered state of consciousness thanks to some primo windowpane; the psychedelic light display was suitable for either.

A small group of four touri stuck their heads through the door, and now that he had a translator to use the young monk beckoned them in to perform his light switch trick for a new crowd. Noom provided commentary. “Buddha smile,” he pointed out while the lighting display was still off. Click. “Now Buddha have big smile!” The duo’s performance probably would have been more remarkable if any of the German tour group had spoken English.

Even if you don’t get to watch the Amazing Smiling Buddha, a visit to Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan is worth your time. The main wiharn out toward the street, while not massive, contains some nice murals depicting significant events in The Buddha’s life. And strolling through the wat’s shaded pathways is an enjoyable way to spend an hour or so. If you end up at Wat Umong Suan Puthatham by accident instead, it too is a cool temple.

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