Chalermchai Kositpipat is a highly successful Thai artist. Having made a pile of cash, he thought it would be a good idea to turn his artistic talents to the design of a temple. And everyone else thought it was a good idea too, because Wat Rong Khun is like no other temple in the world.

You realise you are in for something different when you see this near the entrance:

SWMBO advises me that the sign says something like “no drunks allowed in the temple”. That’s Jock banned then.

The entrance to the temple is flanked by a pair of horns:

And two pits of hands, presumably reaching out from somewhere unpleasant:

One of the fingernails, on one of the hands, is painted red:

Then there is a walkway up to the main temple:

Unfortunately, you are not allowed to photograph inside the temple, which is a shame but understandable; because the rear walls are covered in the most astonishing graphics which include the twin towers, Osama Bin Laden and assorted technology. If you could photograph it there would be a crowd of people with their back to the Buddha snapping away. It’s well worth the trip just to look at the wall designs.

So instead I will just subject you to more photos of the building. Personally I prefer the black and white images, your feelings may be different. The temple has already been under construction for thirteen years, and more buildings are on the way. It’s going to be a stunning complex once it is complete. Even now, it is a place to linger and appreciate. We arrived just before sunset for the first visit, and went back again when the temple opened in the morning. It’s just south of Chiang Rai on the main road.