Situated on the banks of the Wang River, Lampang is one of northern Thailand’s largest towns and the capital of Lampang Province.
It is famous for being the country’s only destination that still retains horse-drawn carriages, which are regularly used for transportation within the city limits. However, few tourists overnight here, using it more as a lunch stop before moving on to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai.
Lampang is a fairly quiet town situated on the banks of the Wang River and generally a lunch stop-over for tourists visiting more popular attractions nearby and heading on further north.
Lampang lies about 100km southeast of Chiang Mai but has been spared from the mass tourism that has changed the character of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Thanks to the relative lack of skyscrapers, the town is a popular setting for period dramas. Visitors can hire its memorable horse-drawn carriages to tour the city’s temples and traditional teak buildings along the river bank.
Attractions near Lampang include Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, a spectacular temple set atop a hill some 20kms to the southwest of town, or the nearby Thai Elephant Conservation Center. If you’re in town at the weekend, though, it’s worth staying over to explore the Walking Street (Thanon Talad Kao) in the evening, and there are several Burmese-style temples worth visiting.
Lampang’s lesser known tourist draws are mostly visited by local people and include the imposing Wang Kaeo Waterfall in Doi Luang National Park, and the compact yet delightful Chae Son National Park, which features large waterfalls and a natural hot spring.
As one of North Thailand’s biggest cities, Lampang is an extensive urban sprawl, though the city centre is reasonably compact. It sits on the banks of the Wang River, with the city centre on the south side and sleepy residential streets and a few notable temples on the north side. Most of Lampang’s commercial activity is concentrated on the south side of the river, and unsurprisingly most of the city’s accommodation is also located on this side of the river.
The town’s most distinctive landmark is the Clock Tower, where five main roads meet at a roundabout. The city centre can easily be explored on foot, and this is certainly the best way to tune in to Lampang’s laid-back feel. However, if you want to visit some of the outlying temples such as Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao and Wat Chedi Sao, it’s better to hire a horse and carriage to take you around. You can find these parked up outside the main hotels or along Takrao Noi Road, to the west of the Clock Tower, where there is a horse carriage station near the Tipchang Hotel.
Guest houses and most restaurants are located near the river (mostly on the south side), while the big hotels are to be found on the Phaholyothin Road, which is the main road (Highway 1) south to Bangkok and north to Chiang Rai.
Where to Go
- Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao: Lampang’s most important temple.
- Wat Chedi Sao: This small forest of stupas makes a memorable sight.
- Lampang Walking Street: (Thanon Talad Kao) Every Saturday and Sunday evening.
- Baan Sao Nak: A delightful example of a 19th century wooden house.
When to Go
As with the rest of North Thailand, Lampang experiences three distinct seasons, though in recent years conditions at any particular time of year have become less predictable, so be prepared for anything. Generally, from November to February is cool and sunny, March to May is hot and dusty, and June to October is hot and wet.
Things to Do
Daytime activities in Lampang are limited to hiring one of its memorable horse-drawn carriages to tour the city’s temples and traditional teak buildings along the river bank, or taking an improvised stroll through the city’s backstreets to soak up the laid-back and friendly vibe of the locals. Among the temples worth visiting are Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao, and Wat Chedi Sao, which is a few kilometres north of the city centre.
However, most tourists just use the city as a stop-over as there are some popular tourist attractions nearby such as Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, a spectacular temple set atop a hill some 20kms to the southwest, and the nearby Thai Elephant Conservation Center. If you’re in town at the weekend, don’t miss the lively Walking Street (Talad Kao Road), where you can taste the local cuisine at streetside stalls and pick up a few souvenirs in the evening.
There are also a few lesser-known natural attractions out of town that are mostly visited by local people.These include the imposing Wang Kaeo Waterfall in Doi Luang National Park, and the compact yet delightful Chae Son National Park, which features large waterfalls and a natural hot spring.
Horse Drawn Carriages
Lampang’s most unique feature is its horse-drawn carriages, which are so well known among Thais that the city is often called muang rot ma, or ‘the city of horse-drawn carriages’. They were first introduced in 1916 when the train route from Bangkok was completed, and carriages were on hand at the railway station to take visitors to their final destination, and also to transport goods.
In those days the carriages functioned like trishaws do today, taking locals to school or to the market, though these days their use is almost exclusively for tourists, which is why they can be seen hanging around in front of the city’s major hotels. There is also a ‘horse-drawn carriage station’ along Takrao Noi Road, where carriages and their riders can wait for fares. Prices haven’t changed for years; you can take a 15-minute ride for 150B, half an hour for 200B or an hour for 300B.
The riders are aware of the appeal of their carriages for tourist photos, so most of them adorn the carriage with plastic flowers, and dress up in Wild West style, wearing stetson hats. If you happen to be in town on 1 April, head along to the railway station, where a festival is held to commemorate the opening of the railway in 1916, and locals dress up in period costumes.
Getting There
About 600kms from Bangkok, Lampang is a significant highway hub boasting a four-lane highway connection to Chiang Mai (100km) and a major highway to Phrae. It is also a main stop for the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, which takes approximately 10 hours. Bangkok Airways operates daily flights to the capital via Sukhothai.
At present, Bangkok Airways has a daily flight from Bangkok to Lampang via Sukhothai, but Lampang’s air service has been prone to frequent changes in recent years, so don’t be surprised if it’s suddenly suspended or taken over by another airline.
Trains from Bangkok to Chiang Mai stop at Lampang, and the best of the half dozen daily services to take is the overnight sleeper, leaving Bangkok at 19:30 and arriving in Lampang at 06:50.
Regular bus services to Bangkok and Chiang Mai arrive at and depart from the bus station about 2km southwest of the city centre.
Getting Around
Downtown Lampang is a pedestrian-friendly area, and is a rewarding place to explore on foot, especially the quiet backstreets. However, you shouldn’t leave without trying its unique form of transport – the horse-drawn carriage. This is ideal for a bit of sight-seeing, and rates are around 300B per hour. If you need a regular taxi or motorbike taxi for any reason, get staff at your hotel to negotiate a fare, as drivers and riders speak little or no English.
Where to Stay
Most of Lampang’s accommodation is geared to business travellers, so places tend to be functional and uninspiring, apart from a few guest houses beside the river, among which the Riverside Guest House is a stand-out. Most other options are mid-range hotels with varying standards of comfort, though there’s nothing in the five-star category. If you have your own transport, you might consider staying at the Lampang River Lodge, a short way out of town in a pleasant rural setting.
Where to Eat
Though you’ll never starve in Lampang, most foreign visitors will feel a bit frustrated by the lack of restaurants with English menus. Since Lampang receives few tourists, restauranteurs are looking mainly for local custom, so it’s a great place to taste authentic Thai dishes at rock-bottom prices, as long as you’re in the company of a Thai. Besides the places mentioned below, check out local delicacies on sale at stalls along Walking Street (Thanon Talad Kao) at the weekend.
Where to Party
There’s not much in the way of nightlife in Lampang – it seems most locals like to get to bed early to get a good night’s sleep. However, there is a small area around the Riverside Bar & Restaurant where local youth go to listen to live bands and meet their friends; it’s along Thip Chang Road where the road meets the river. There are several different venues here, but none are listed individually (apart from the Riverside) as they tend to change ownership and name rapidly; just take a stroll around and look for somewhere that appeals.
Where to Shop
Lampang is not exactly famed for its shopping, although the local ceramics, mostly featuring the city’s ‘logo’ – a crowing rooster – make excellent souvenirs of this northern city. The best place to go looking for ceramics and other mementoes of your visit is along Walking Street (Thanon Talad Kao), which operates on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Here you’ll also find some neat T-shirts and shoulder bags with pictures of horse-drawn carriages and – yes, you guessed it – more roosters.
Need to Know
- What to do: hire a horse-drawn carriage and tour the town.
- When to go: any time is OK, though the best weather is from November to February, when it’s cool and sunny.
- For who: Anyone who wants to step off the tourist trail or is interested in teak architecture.
- How long: One or two days is sufficient to see Lampang’s few attractions.
- Trivia: The symbol of Lampang is a crowing rooster, seen on all road signs and on local ceramic items. Legend has it that the local people were too lazy to wake up to give alms to monks in the morning, so the Buddha sent angels in the form of roosters to make sure everyone wakes early each day.