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All you need to know to visit Phrae
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Northern Thailand
550 km from Bangkok
Province of Phrae
Thai prononciation : Plè
Northern Thailand
550 km from Bangkok
Province of Phrae
Thai prononciation : Plè
Budget
Recomm. stay
1 à 2 jours
Visits
Practical guide to go and visit Phrae
City in the North of Thailand, Phrae is often forgotten by tourists, but it has its charms. The few tourists coming here is one of them. The city center was surrounded with city walls, parts of them are still standing or were renovated. In the old city area, there are some interesting temples and old houses. Visiting Phrae can surely be quick but do not forget to pay a visit to Wat Phra That Cho Hae 8km outside the city. It is the biggest and most popular temple in the area. If you have a vehicule, discovering the surrounding countryside and maybe going to Payao and its lake will make you discover beautiful sceneries and authentic Thailand.In the evening, a small night market takes place at Pratu Chai the entrance to the old city at the end of Charoen Muang Road. You can eat there for very cheap in the typical atmosphere of a small thai provincial city. Phrae can be a nice short stop on the road from Chiang Rai to Bangkok if you have one day or two.
Accommodations in Phrae
The accommodation offer in Phrae has developed quite a bit in recent years with some very nice new hotels. The city is increasingly popular with local tourists. But despite this new attraction of Thais for this destination, the hotel offer remains sufficient to accommodate everybody. Just not that Thai tourists are mainly present on weekends. The hotels' and guesthouses' staff do not always speak English or at least good English and some establishments have signs exclusively written in Thai even if they welcome foreigners with pleasure. But with gestures and smiles, we always manage to find a way to communicate.I advise you to take accommodation in or near the square of the old city walls to be close to the area gathering Wat Phong Sunan, Wat Phra Non, the Vongburi House and the Saturday night market.
Find accommodation in Phrae
My recommandations
People often ask me what accommodations I recommend in Thailand, here are my recommandations in Phrae.
Practical information about Phrae
Phrae welcomes very few foreign tourists. So there is no bureau of Tourism Authority of Thailand, or tourist police. Hotels and guesthouses are not numerous and not many have staff that can really speak and understand English but we always manage to communicate. It is also difficult (personally I did not found anything) to rent a bicycle or a scooter when you're a foreigner.Phrae has an airport but no commercial flights to or from Bangkok since April 2023.
How to go to Phrae ?
Phrae has an airport but Nok Air stop the flights on this route and no other airline offers it. So for now, there are no commercial flight to Phrae. The most used way to go to Phrae is by bus. Note that the city does not have a train station but you can take the train to Denchai and then take a songthaew to Phrae which is 20 kilometers away.How to get around in Phrae ?
You can explore the interior of the ramparts by walking. It the most interesting part of the city so i also advice you to stay in or near this area Otherwise, there are tuk-tuks and songthaews that can be privatized, especially to go to Wat Phra That Cho Hae, 8 km from the city center. Note that more and more hotels and guesthouses in Phrae also offer bicycles to their customers.Festivals in Phrae ?
Here is a list of the main festivals taking place every year in Phrae. I mention their dates as soon as they are official on Thai Festivals page.
Annual Phra That Cho Hae festival
This festival generally takes place in the month of March
Other places to see in Phrae
Wat Luang
the oldest temple in the Phrae city even it was restored and renovated like its chedi, the oldest building of the temple. The temple hosts a small museum open on Saturdays.
Wat Phra Bat Ming Muang
is usually the first temple of the old city Phrae that people visit. Its chedi is considered as the heart of Phrae city. Its Kosai Buddha image and the holly Buddha footprint are other elments that make it interesting to visit.
Vongburi House
one of the the most remarkable ancient teck houses in city of Phrae. Today it is a museum about the history of teak exploitation and in the province.
Wat Chom Sawan
this Burmese style temple entirely built with teak wood is certainly not the most interesting visit to do in Phrae but for the curious who want to see a different architecture, why not check it out.
Wat Chetawan
There is little or no mention of this temple in the city of Phrae in guide books. However it is beautiful place. I especially liked its front door and the Nagas heads that frame the staircase leading to the ordination hall.
Wat Phra That Chom Chaeng
This less known and therefore less visited temple is only 2 kilometers away from Wat Phra That Cho Hae. Personally, I like its atmosphere (except perhaps the ''garden of hell'' part although it is often undergoing renovation or extension. I advise you to visit it after Wat Phra That Cho Hae .
Wat Na Khu Ha
There are many interesting temples in the surrounding mountains in Phrae but this one with its bamboo bridge over the fields, its mountain with 2 caves and a superb dominant viewpoint is clearly one of my favorites. It is located 27 kilometers east of the city and is still very little mentioned in the book guides even in Thai.
Golden Rock Temple (Wat Phra That Din Kwaen)
The highlight of this temple located 23 km east of Phrae, is its reproduction in more modest dimensions of the sacred golden rock in Myanmar but I think that all the small circuit on its brick paths is interesting. And by combining it with Wat Na Khu Ha and its bamboo bridge a little further, it's a nice trip.
Phae Muang Phi Forest park
This forest park 12 kilometers from the Phrae city is famous for its stone columns formed by erosion. They cover only a small area but it is still interesting to see. And why not go for a little walk on the trails in the forest ?
Weather & climate in Phrae
Phrae has a tropical savanna climate. The winters are dry and warm. Temperatures rise until April, the hottest month of the year when temperatures can sometimes go up to 40 °C and more. The monsoon season runs from May to October, with heavy showers and cooler temperatures during the day, although the nights remain warm. The rainiest months are August and September.The best time to come to Phrae is from November to April but there are no months when it is really not recommeded to come here. Even during the monsoon, Phrae remains sparse compared to other provinces. The rainfalls are certainly strong but generally fairly brief. Before and after the rains, the weather is most of the time very pleasant.
How to ask in Thai to go to Phrae ?
I want to go to Phrae / Yak paï ti Plè.Where is Phrae ? / Plè you ti naï ?
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