Worship guide
The chanting, offerings and etiquette used by Thai Buddhists at the monument of Kruba Srivichai.
Kruba Srivichai (ครูบาศรีวิชัย) is the Northern Thai monk honoured for leading the building of the road up Doi Suthep. People come to his monument on Huay Kaew Road to pay respects, ask for blessings and give thanks. The monument is a public roadside shrine: free of charge, open 24 hours, with no resident monk and no fixed ceremony — so you can follow the standard Thai Buddhist practice below at your own pace.
Recite at your own pace. Thai Buddhists traditionally begin with the opening homage repeated three times.
Nothing is required — this is a free public shrine. These are customary Thai Buddhist offerings, sold at stalls along Huay Kaew Road.
The number Thai devotees commonly use to honour a revered monk; three sticks is also widely used.
Yellow and gold are the colours associated with Kruba Srivichai; marigold garlands are the offering you will see most often.
Usually one or two, lit together with the incense.
A lighter everyday alternative to garlands.
Shoulders and knees covered; take off your hat when standing in front of the statue.
The base of the monument is a shrine platform — leave your shoes at the step if you walk up onto it.
Thai devotees circumambulate the base keeping the monument on their right, following the Buddhist custom of keeping the sacred object to the right.
Never sit with the soles of your feet towards the statue, and do not climb on the base.
There is no photography ban. Just avoid blocking people who are praying, and keep your voice low.
Some Thai Buddhists follow the tradition of not touching monk statues directly. Nobody will ask you to follow it — it is a personal choice.
The chanting above is standard Pali used across Thai Buddhism, and it is what Thai devotees recite at shrines of revered monks such as Kruba Srivichai. We have deliberately not reproduced a “Kruba Srivichai katha” (คาถาบูชาครูบาศรีวิชัย): the versions circulating on blogs and video platforms differ from one another, and none can be traced to an authoritative temple or monument publication. Publishing one would risk presenting an unverifiable text as authentic. If you hold a text issued by the monument or by a monastery, please send it to us — we will check it and add it with attribution.
Practical details — exact coordinates, plus code, the songthaew route from the old city, parking and opening hours — are on the main guide.