Phrae is a charming old provincial capital skirted by a moat (now dry) and the remains of earthen ramparts that once defended the town.
Its backwater status is a boon for adventurous, independent travelers, who can enjoy quiet walks through temple courtyards and narrow backstreets lined with traditional houses with not a tour bus in sight.
Teak was a major commodity of Phrae in years past, and there’s plenty of teak architecture on display in the old city. The oldest temples are purely Lanna style, with very little infusion from central Thai kingdoms, though several reveal a Burmese influence. There are moments when you’ll feel like you’re visiting a temple in Myanmar or Laos.
The most important temple in town is Wat Luang, while the most important temple in the region is Phra That Cho Hae, located on a low hill about 8km southeast of the old town. Further afield is Mae Yom National Park, a great place to walk among giant teak trees or to shoot the rapids on the Yom River. North of town is Phae Muang Phi, a striking natural area dotted with unusual rock formations.
Like Chiang Mai and Lamphun, Phrae is an ancient town that is surrounded by raised earthen ramparts and a narrow moat, now dry. The town sits on the southeast bank of River Yom, which flows southward to eventually join the River Chao Phraya that runs through Bangkok. To the west and south of the old town, a bustling new town stretches out, and the major road of the region, H101, passes by on its way north to Nan, a little over 100km further north.
There are lots of temples worth visiting, both inside and outside the town, such as Wat Luang, Wat Phra Non, Wat Phra Baht Ming Muang and Wat Jom Sawan, the last of which has a distinctive Burmese influence. Though Phrae is a long way from the Myanmar border, many Burmese moved here to work in the teak trade in the late 19th century and invested part of their wealth in building temples locally. Part of the legacy of this ‘teak era’ are some beautifully crafted gingerbread style houses, which are embellished with intricately carved balconies and window frames; Vongburi House and Khum Chao Luang are a couple of fine examples in the old town.
Most hotels are located in the new town, but distances are not great so it’s easy to get around by walking or cycling, though the narrow lanes are rather twisted, so for sightseeing it’s better to hire a trishaw to take you on an agreed route.
Where to Go
- Vongburi House: a classic example of ‘gingerbread’ architecture in Phrae’s old town.
- Khum Chao Luang: the former governor’s house is a masterpiece of carved balconies.
- Phrae’s Wat Luang: the town’s central temple was built when the city was founded and houses Buddhist relics from Myanmar.
- Wat Phra Non: home to a large image of a reclining Buddha.
- Wat Jom Sawan: this wooden building raised on stilts is one of Phrae’s most striking sights.
- Wat Phra Baht Ming Muang: one of the biggest temples in the old town.
- Ban Prathup Jai: Phrae’s best-known teak house is located in the suburbs.
When to Go
In keeping with the rest of North Thailand, Phrae experiences three distinct seasons. The most pleasurable is the cool season, from November to February, when days are bright and sunny, temperatures are bearable and humidity is lower than the rest of the year.
The hot season follows, from March to May, when visitors are advised to limit their exploring to early morning and late evening due to extreme temperatures. The rain season from June to October brings daily downpours, but temperatures are less oppressive and the scenery looks wonderful. However, if you venture into the countryside at this time of year, protect yourself against leeches.
Things to Do
There are enough places to see in Phrae, such as its raised ramparts, elegant Lanna-style and Burmese temples, as well as splendid gingerbread houses, that you could easily spend a few days here, or even a week if you get into the laid-back atmosphere.
Among several temples that are worth a visit, Wat Luang in the old town and Wat Jom Sawan in the new town are particularly memorable, while Vongburi House and Khum Chao Luang, former homes of local leaders, feature period furnishings and faded photos of Phrae a century or more ago.
There’s nothing much to do after dark in Phrae, but every evening foodstalls set up at the Pratuchai Gate of the old town, at the top of Charoen Muang Road, and locals come out for exercise, a chat and a snack. Not much English is spoken, but since most stalls sell a single dish, it’s easy to communicate by pointing.
Not far from Phrae, Wat Cho Hae is worth a visit if only to see the constant stream of Buddhist devotees that brings offerings, and a bit further afield, Phae Muang Phi is an unusual area of earth pillars caused by wind and rain erosion. Further north still (about 70km from Phrae), the Mae Yom National Park is popular for white-water rafting, but you’d need to arrange a tour through your hotel or contact the park to reserve accommodation.
Getting There
There’s a small airfield in Phrae with flights available three times a week to and from Bangkok (roughly one hour) on Solar Air, but the most common way to get to and from Phrae is by bus or train. VIP coaches reach Chiang Mai in 4 hours or can connect to Bangkok overnight. The nearest train station is in Den Chai (23km away) and can be reached in 30 minutes aboard blue, fixed-route pickup trucks. Express trains from Den Chai reach Bangok in 7 hours.
There are currently three flights a week from Bangkok to Phrae operated by Solar Air (www.solarair.co.th) and this is obviously the quickest way of getting there, though not necessarily the most enjoyable.
One appealing approach to the town is via train from Hualampong Station in Bangkok to Den Chai, from where it is a further 23km to Phrae along H101, a route which is served by a regular fleet of pick-ups.
Another alternative is to take a bus either from Bangkok or Chiang Mai, while probably the best way to appreciate a taste of northern scenery is to hire a car in Chiang Mai, and drive here, passing through Lamphun and Lampang provinces.
Getting Around
Phrae is small enough to walk around, at least the old town, though its maze of streets makes it easy to get lost, so for a sightseeing trip, it’s worth hooking up with one of the local trishaw riders who knows his way around. Some hotels can help you arrange this, but you could also phone Mr Songkran Luangkao, president of the Phrae tricycle club, at 08167-39841, and he will help coordinate a rider for you. A 2-3 hour trip covering the town’s main sights will cost around 250B-300B.
Where to Stay
Considering the fact that Phrae doesn’t get many foreign visitors, there’s a pleasing variety of accommodation that would appeal to all types of travelers apart from the most demanding, as there are no luxury resorts here. However, there are plenty of mid-range and budget options, and all are located in the new town just a short distance from the town’s main sights, of which most are located in the old town.
Where to Eat
Eating in Phrae is almost inevitably an adventure for foreign visitors, since there are no restaurants that cater specifically for Western tourists, so most visitors find they have to dig our their phrase book, do lots of pointing, and try dishes they might not otherwise select. Food served in most hotel restaurants is rather bland, though the restaurant in the Phoom Thai Hotel serves passable dishes.
If you ask a local where you should eat, they will almost invariably point you to Ban Fai, a huge garden restaurant a couple of kilometers south of town, but while they do have an English menu there, on my last visit service was very poor and the quality of the food hardly warranted the trip out of town, so I recommend giving it a miss.
Phrae is a great town for adventurous eaters, and there are lots of tasty local dishes on display in the day market and night market, which are both located by the Pratuchai entrance to the old town. Two typical Northern Thai dishes that you should try here are khao soy, a mild curry sauce served with egg noodles and a choice of meat, and khanom jeen, white rice noodles served with various spicy sauces such as nam ngiaw or gaeng kiaw wan.
Where to Party
There’s no nightlife to speak of in Phrae unless you want to join local crooners at a karaoke bar, and even then they’re likely to be packing up by 9pm. The most profitable routine for visitors to Phrae to follow is the same as the locals—get up early and go to bed early.
Where to Shop
Phrae is not exactly famed for its shopping, though it is recognized as the place where mo hom shirts—the blue denim, collarless shirts worn by farmers countrywide—originate. To see the denim being dyed and woven into shirts, go and explore Thung Hong village, which lies along H101 about 3km from the center of Phrae. Many shops that sell such denim products also have a workshop behind, where they usually welcome visitors in the hope of making a sale.
There are several clothes shops selling a wide range of garments, including these denim shirts, clustered around Pratuchai Gate, at the northern end of Charoen Muang Road.