Wat Suan Dok was founded in 1370 CE by King Kue Na of the Lanna Kingdom for the monk Maha Sumana Thera. It was built at the centre of Wiang Suan Dok, a walled settlement of the Lawa people that predates the establishment of Chiang Mai itself. Traces of this earlier settlement are still visible today: the outlines of the fortifications can be identified on satellite images, and remnants of earthen walls remain north of Suthep Road. The area had once been King Kue Na’s flower garden (suan dok mai), from which the temple derived its original name, Wat Buppharam.