Kwan Phayao
กว๊านพะเยา
One of the largest freshwater lakes in northern Thailand. The long embankment on its eastern shore is where Phayao locals walk, cycle, eat lake fish and watch the sunset.
Kwan Phayao covers about 20 square kilometers. After a dam was built in 1939 to hold water, the old villages and temples on the lakebed were submerged, forming the lake seen today, with the Khwan mountain peaks rising behind it. Visitors mainly spend time along Chai Kwan Road on the eastern shore. Several kilometers of lakeside path are ideal for cycling in the early morning or watching the sunset turn the water gold in the evening. Lakeside restaurants serve grilled lake fish and northern Thai dishes, and there is a weekend evening walking-street night market. Long-tail boats leave from Tha Kwan Pier for Wat Tilok Aram in the middle of the lake. Fishermen cast their nets across the water, making it very photogenic.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Wat Si Umong Kham
- Wat Tilok Aram
- Wat Li
- Phayao Cultural Exhibition Hall
- Wat Si Khom Kham
- Wat Phra That Chom Thong & Phayao Skywalk
- Wat Analayo Thipayaram
- Mae Puem National Park