FESTIVALS
The Phra That Cho Hae Fair
,held in around March, involves a procession to carry robes to cover the Chedi. The procession follows the Lanna style. All participants are decked out in traditional Lanna attires.
The Kin Salak Fair
is an old Buddhist merit-making event. Villagers prepare offerings and carry them in procession to present to the monks. The fair is held around September yearly.
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Welcome to Phrae
Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand
General
An old and important community of Northern Thailand, Phrae was founded after Chiang Mai had been established as the capital of the Lanna Thai kingdom. With one of the largest reserves of teak forests in the country, it is located on the banks of the Yom River, 555 kilometres from Bangkok.
Covering an area about 6, 538 square kilometres and surrounded on all sides by mountains with level plains in the middle, Phrae is administratively divided into the following districts: Muang, Sung Men, Den Chai, Long, Wang Chin, Song, Rong Kwang and Nong Muang Khai.
Attractions
Ban Pong Si
Ban Pong Si at Tambon Thin of Mueang district is a village which collects and exchanges second-hand household utensils for daily use. It also sells silver products.
Ban Rong Fong
Ban Rong Fong specialises in making metal agricultural tools using traditional production method. The village can be reached by taking Highway No.101 (Phrae-Nan) with a turn into Highway No. 1101 leading to Rong Fong.
Ban Thung Hong
About 4 kilometres away on Highway No. 101 (Phrae-Nan) is Ban Thung Hong , a village noted for the making of products made from Mo Hom material. It is a local cotton fabric dyed in blue which is used in making native and modern wears.
City Pillar Shrine of Phrae
The City Pillar Shrine of Phrae , situated on Khum Deom Road in town centre, features an inscription stone with ancient Thai scripts of the Sukhothai period describing the construction of a temple in the town.
Folklore Museum
The Folklore Museum , in the same compound as the Ban Fai garden restaurant three kilometres from town on the Phrae-Sung Men road, is made up of several buildings and wooden structures displaying exhibits on the local way of life. The different types of wooden houses demonstrate the different statuses of the local people. There are also market and shophouses of the past.
Hua Dong Market
About 9 kilometres to the south of town on Highway No. 101 in Sung Men district is the Hua Dong Market . It is the centre of products made from wood and rattan, mostly household furnitures and decorative items.
Nam Tok Mae Khaem
A small, 2-level waterfall, Nam Tok Mae Khaem is located at Tambon Suan Khuan. To reach it, go on the Pa Daeng-Thung Hong road for 4 kilometres. Then turn left and continue for another 12 kilometres. There is another fall, larger and with three levels, in the vicinity. It is Nam Tok Tat Mok , which is about 22 kilometres from town.
Phae Muang Phi
About 12 kilometres out of town, and with a further 6 kilometres after a right turn, is the Phae Mueang Phi , a wide area with no large trees. Because of subsidence and erosion of the soil, the harder elements remain and are formed into the shapes of exotic-looking mushrooms.
Phraya Chaiyabun Memorial
The Phraya Chaiyabun Memorial is about four kilometres from the Phrae townhall on Highway No. 101. Governor of the town during 1897-1902, he was slain by rebelling Shan tribemen when he refused to cede the town to them. After the rebellion was put down by government troops, King Rama V ordered a memorial erected in his honour.
Wat Chom Sawan
Just one kilometre from the townhall on Yantrakit Koson Road is Wat Chom Sawan , a Burmese architectural style temple. The building which combines the hall for conducting religious rituals and monk's living quarters is beautifully decorated both in its interiors and exteriors. The over-lapping roofs are adorned with fine fretworks. Antiquities found here include marble Buddha statues, statues made of woven bamboos coated with lacquer, and Buddha statues made from ivory, as well as ivory scripture slabs with Burmese scripts.
Wat Phra Bat Ming Mueang
Wat Phra Bat Ming Mueang , located on Charoen Nakhon Road near the townhall, was built in 1955 by combining two ancient temples. There is an old Chedi containing a replica of the Holy Footprint inside.
Transportation
Bus
Transport Co. Ltd. operates regular buses to Phrae at 10 a.m. and 10.30 p.m.. The buses leave Mochit 2 Bus Terminal, Tel: 0 2936 2852-66. Private bus companies are such as Choet Chai Tour; Tel: 0 2936 0199, Phrae Tour, Tel: 0 2936 3720, Sombat Tour, Tel: 0 2936 2496.
Car
From Bangkok, take Highway No. 1 and Highway No. 11 to Phrae via Nakhon Sawan, Phichit, Phitsanulok and Uttaradit.
Air
Thai Airways flies directly from Bangkok to Phrae on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and also operates Bangkok-Phitsanulok-Phra-Nan flights on other days. For more information, contact their Bangkok office at tel. 1566, 0 2280 0060, 0 2628 2000 or view their website at www.thaiairways.com.
Air Andaman provides daily flight services from Bangkok to Phrae. For more information, contact their Bangkok office at tel. 0 2996 9119 or view their website at www.airandaman.com.
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