Wat Suan Dok, also known as Wat Buppharam, was established within the grounds of Suan Dok, a royal park during the Mangrai Dynasty. In 1914, King Kue Na, the sixth monarch of the Mangrai Dynasty, graciously ordered the construction of this temple as a "royal monastery" for the residence of Phra Maha Thera Suman, who was responsible for the establishment of the Lankavamsa school of Buddhism in the Lanna Kingdom. A pagoda was built to enshrine one of the two relics brought by Phra Maha Thera Suman from Sukhothai in 1912; the other relic is housed in the pagoda at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. During the Mangrai Dynasty, Wat Suan Dok thrived significantly. However, after the dynasty's decline and the subsequent Burmese occupation, the temple fell into disrepair and became abandoned. It was not until the reign of King Borom Raja Kavilha, of the Tiphakachathirath dynasty (also known as Chao Jet Ton), that Wat Suan Dok was restored. Continuous efforts to maintain the temple have been supported by Northern nobility and the local people of Chiang Mai ever since.