The boat ride starts off like any other through the ancient canals of Xochimilco. There's laughter in the distance, floating mariachi music, and the occasional splash of an oar. But then your trajinera turns away from the main path. The air gets still. The water darkens. The laughter fades. You're no longer headed toward a party—you’re heading into a ghost story.

Tucked away in the sleepy northern city of Lampang, far from the beaches and big-city buzz of southern Thailand, lies a temple wrapped in silence, legend, and shimmering gold. **Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao** may not be on every traveler's radar, but this quiet sanctuary once held one of the most revered objects in all of Southeast Asia — the Emerald Buddha.