Though there’s nothing to see in town itself, near Phichit are a few ancient temples.
The most prominent are Wat Nakhon Chum and Wat Mahathat at Old City (Kao Pichit) Park, a 900-year-old densely-wooded area that was abandoned after the river changed course in the 19th century. The terrain around Phichit consists of flat plains mostly planted with rice, so its characteristics are more of the Central Plains than of Northern Thailand.
Because of its proximity to the former capitals of Siam, it played an important role in the history of the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya kingdoms. Today it’s best known for its annual longboat racing festival.
This was once the land of crocodiles though most of today’s stock lives on tourist-oriented farms. You’ll notice models of crocs all around town, including an enormous replica at Bueng Si Fa Lake, where there’s also a small crocodile enclosure.
Where to Go
- Phichit Old Town: (Uttayan Muang Kao Phichit) This archeological park features the remains of Wat Mahathat, and the still-functioning Wat Nakhon Chum.
- Bueng Si Fai: this lake is set aside for recreation as well as for breeding fish. A small aquarium and flower gardens are open to visitors.
When to Go
Phichit’s weather pattern follows the general trend of the north, which means cool and dry between November and February, hot and humid from March to May, and rainy from June to October. However, since the town is at a lower elevation than much of the north, the cool season is not so pronounced.
Things to Do
There are no significant sights in the town of Phichit itself, though the Old City and Bueng Si Fai lake are both nearby and on the same side of town. The trouble is, even these sights are eminently missable. Phichit Old City only has one ruin remaining (Wat Mahathat) and really can’t compare to Kamphaeng Phet or Sukhothai, while the lake makes a pleasant spot for an hour’s rest and stroll, but nothing more.
If you are heading to Petchabun from Phichit, it’s worth stopping off at Wat Khao Rob Chang, where an old chedi sits precariously on top of a low hill.
Getting There
Phichit can be reached by bus or train from Bangkok, with the journey taking 4-6 hours. However, the quickest way to get there is via the airport at nearby Phitsanulok, which operates flights from Bangkok and Chiang Mai. From there it’s less than an hour’s ride to Phichit.
You can get to Phichit from Bangkok by bus or train in 4 or 5 hours, though if you’re in a hurry, there’s an airport to the south of nearby Phitsanulok that is only about a half-hour drive away.
Getting Around
Phichit is really the kind of place where it’s better to have your own transport, as the bus station is to the northwest of the town center and the railway station is on the other side of the river. However, if you arrive by public transport and want to visit the Old City and lake, staff at your hotel should be able to help arrange a tuk-tuk or private taxi to run you there.
Where to Stay
Without any significant attractions to draw visitors, Phichit has few hotels, but the few it has are full to bursting each year for the longboat races in September or October, so check your timing if you plan to visit. Of course the good side of having little choice of accommodation is that it’s much quicker and easier to decide where you’ll stay. In Phichit there are just a couple of alternatives.
Where to Eat
If choosing where to sleep is easy, choosing where to eat is perhaps even easier, as apart from the restaurants in the hotels, there’s just one atmospheric place that turns out tasty food and has an English menu.
Where to Party
Phichit may not get many tourists, but that doesn’t mean the locals don’t like their nightlife, and there are a surprising number of late-night bars and nightclubs, though they are all geared towards a Thai clientele. If you’d like to join them, a good place to start is at the Crocodile Rock Club at the Phichit Plaza Hotel, and follow the crowd from there.
Where to Shop
Apart from a model of a crocodile, which you can pick up in several places round town, we have no further suggestion for souvenirs of Phichit.
Need to Know
- Worth it? Phichit is worth a short stop-over to see the ancient city and lake, but for sleeping you have a much wider choice of accommodation at nearby Phitsanulok, just a half-hour’s journey away.
- What to do: stroll through the abandoned old city and round the gardens at Bueng Si Fai Lake.
- Best time to go: during the cool season from December to February.
- How long? A half day enough to see Phichit’s attractions.
- Trivia: Phichit is the setting for an ancient epic poem written by King Ramaabout a crocodile king.