Lighting design is an important component which helps promote security and improve the image of a city at night time. Governments in many countries consider lighting as a part of their “City Beautification” policies to attract tourists. One important part is to plan about illuminating attractive or historically significant structures. Considered with those qualifications, Thai stupas achieve both the uniqueness of their forms and the importance of their cultural background. These factors make them worthy enough to be considered to be lit. The purpose of this study is to analyze characteristics of the surroundings together with the shape of stupas’ components to find out possible lighting techniques, based on the collected data of 30 stupas from royal monasteries in Bangkok. Research shows that the height of stupas in Bangkok varies from 8 meters to 94 meters. Based on the characteristic of visual elements, the components of the sampling can be divided in 7 types. The stupas which are higher than the surrounding environment can be seen well from main roads or rivers. The setting of luminaries can be considered in 4 groups of distance, which can cause different effects of light and shadows on the stupas. Lighting design approaches for non-festival days are proposed. Floodlighting and detail lighting techniques are suggested for stupas to help revealing the dominant characteristic of form. For the good distribution of light for major parts of the stupas, the detail lighting techniques should be considered. Stupas are generally designed to show the horizontal lines and steps, therefore uplighting technique can reveal the shadows of each step more than illuminating from the other directions. Installing luminaires closer to stupas cast sharper and longer shadow. Gradation of the light intensity on the surface of form is a factor that helps enhance its three dimensional effect. To promote the sense of peace and visual comfort ,the overall light on the stupa should not be too bright.
