Chiang Mai travel Business Associattion

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, some 550 kilometres from Bangkok.
Phrae covers an area about 6,538 square kilometres and surrounded on all sides by mountains with level plains in the middle.

Wat Luang on Kham Lue Road in town is an ancient and principal temple built at the same time as Phrae was established. Several restoration works have taken place. Some of its major features include the Wihan and Chiang Saen-style Chedi enshrining a Holy Relic brought over from Myanmar. Others are the museum housing various antiquities including several 500-year-old Buddha statues and an ancient Lanna-style wooden structure.

The Wiang Kosai National Park is about 70 kilometres from the provincial town in Wang Chin district. It can be reached by taking Highway No. 11 (Prae-Lampang). Then take a left turn toward Wang Chin district and continue for a further 13 kilometres to reach the turn to the park headquarters. A further 1.5 kilometres on are two waterfalls, the Mae Koeng Luang, 1 kilometres from the headquarters, and the Mae Koeng Noi, 2 kilometres on foot further on. Streams from the falls flow into The Yom River.

About 12 kilometres out of town, and with a further 6 kilometres after a right turn, is the Phae Muang 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.

Wat Phra That Cho Hae is about 8 kilometres to the east of town on Highway No. 1022. A major religious site of the province, it was built since the time of Sukhothai. The 33 metre-tall Chiang Saen-style Chedi houses a Holy Relic. It was built of bricks and covered with bright brass sheets. The name of the temple refers to fine silk woven in Sip Song Panna (in southern China) Which was first used to wrap around the Chedi when the temple was first constructed. There is a fair celebrating the Chedi in March every year.