File photo : Chalermchai Kositpipat
When Chiang Rai proudly joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in October, much of the credit was rightfully handed to national artist Chalermchai Kositpipat.
Chalermchai, 68, has been an icon and a major inspiration behind efforts to transform the northern city, his hometown, into a hub of creative endeavor.
On October 31, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) named Chiang Rai as the second creative city in Thailand after Bangkok. The UNESCO website page devoted to Chiang Rai’s listing in the design category displays a stunning photograph of Chalermchai’s masterpiece, Wat Rong Khun, or the White Temple.
First designed around 1996, the exceptional structure represents Chalermchai’s tribute to both Buddhism and HM the late King Bhumibol the Great (King Rama IX).
“I hope this temple will one day…
