Chao Mae Tomo Shrine

Chao Mae Tomo Shrine is a revered Chinese shrine located in the town of Su-ngai Kolok, Narathiwat Province, near the Thailand-Malaysia border. Dedicated to Chao Mae Tomo, a deity highly respected by Thai-Chinese and Malaysian-Chinese devotees, the shrine is known for its traditional Chinese architecture, ornate decorations and annual festival. It serves as an important spiritual and cultural centre for the local community and cross-border visitors.

Visitors can expect a traditional Chinese shrine complex with an ornate main hall housing the statue of Chao Mae Tomo, incense altars, offerings, and decorative Chinese motifs, lanterns and carvings. The setting is within the town centre of Su-ngai Kolok, surrounded by local shops and offering stalls. Visitors can observe prayer rituals, light incense, view devotional objects and experience a calm, respectful atmosphere, especially busy during festival days.

The shrine is dedicated to Chao Mae Tomo, believed by devotees to be a virtuous Chinese woman deified after her death. Established by the local Hokkien Chinese community in Su-ngai Kolok in the mid-20th century, it has grown from a small shrine to a major religious centre reflecting the history of Chinese settlement and cross-border cultural ties in the southernmost border town.

The shrine is a significant spiritual centre for the Thai-Chinese community in Narathiwat and for Malaysian-Chinese pilgrims from Kelantan and beyond. It plays a central role in local religious life, with daily worship and a major annual festival featuring processions, lion dances and merit-making that reinforces Chinese cultural identity and community cohesion in the border region.