Phrae

A walled teak-era old town in northern Thailand. Teak mansions and century-old temples stand inside the ancient walls, and the rock pillars of Ghost Town Forest Park are a short drive from the center.

Phrae is the capital of Phrae Province in northern Thailand, about 200 km southeast of Chiang Mai and 110 km east of Nan, in the Yom River valley. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, British, Burmese, and Shan merchants logged teak on a large scale here, leaving many teak mansions and Burmese- and Shan-style temples. Phrae is one of the Lanna walled towns, and its old town is still surrounded by an oval rammed-earth wall and a moat. There are few tourists and prices are low, making it ideal for leisurely cycling around the old town.

Main areas: (1) Inside the old town: Vongburi House, Chao Luang House, Wat Luang, and Wat Phra Non, plus a ride around the ancient city walls. (2) Outside the old town: the Shan-style Wat Sung Sawang and Wat Sapho Chor, the Ban Pha Chai teak house, and the Free Thai Museum. (3) Southeast suburbs: the royal temple Wat Phra That Cho Hae and the hilltop Doi Mon Chai temple. (4) Northeast suburbs: the indigo cloth workshop in Ban Thung Hong village and the rock pillars of Ghost Town Forest Park. (5) Northern Song district: teak forests and the Tiger Leap Rapids in Mae Yom National Park, suitable for a day trip by car or camping.

Climate: November–February is cool and dry and the best time to visit. March–May is hot with frequent haze. June–October is the rainy season.

Getting there: Phrae has a small airport, with daily flights from Bangkok Don Mueang (about 1 hour). The northern railway line stops at Den Chai station, about 25 km from the city, and long-distance buses run from Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Inside the old town you can walk or cycle. For outlying sights, hire a car or driver, rent a motorbike, or take a taxi (Grab is available). Plan 1–2 days. Phrae can be combined with Lampang, Nan, and Phayao to form a northern Thailand loop.

Top sights

• Wat Phra That Cho Hae – The most sacred royal temple in Phrae, with a golden stupa on a small hilltop, its surface clad in gilded copper sheets. Said to enshrine a…
• Phae Mueang Phi Forest Park – Earth pillars sculpted by rain out of sandy soil, shaped like mushrooms and castle ruins. Locals call it the “Ghost Town,” one of the most…
• Vongburi House – A pink two-storey teak mansion completed in 1907, decorated throughout with intricate gingerbread-style openwork woodcarving. It is a showc…
• Khum Chao Luang – The residence of Chao Phiriya Thepphawong, the last ruler of Phrae, completed in 1892. This white teak mansion blends Western and northern…
• Wat Luang – The oldest temple in Phrae’s old town, with a Chiang Saen-style chedi decorated with elephants and well-preserved Lanna halls. The temple m…
• Wat Phra Non – An old temple on the west side of the old town that houses a reclining Buddha. Around three hundred years old, its gables and lintels featu…
• Phrae Old City Wall & Moat – The oval rammed-earth city wall and moat surrounding Phrae’s old town are fairly well preserved. The loop is about 4 km, ideal for cycling.
• Wat Chom Sawan – A Burmese-style temple built by Shan teak craftsmen in the early 20th century. Its tiered spire roofs and teak hall are highly distinctive…
• Wat Sa Bo Kaeo – A Shan-style temple on the east side of the old town, where white Burmese chedis and gold multi-tiered roofs stand out. It reflects the his…
• Ban Prathap Chai – A giant teak house assembled from the timber of over a hundred old teak houses. Dozens of whole teak pillars support the building, and the…
• Seri Thai Museum – A small museum telling the story of the Free Thai (Seri Thai) underground resistance movement during World War II. Phrae was an important n…
• Wat Phra That Doi Leng – A hilltop pagoda temple south of Wat Phra That Chom Hae. Climb the long staircase for views over the Phrae basin and the golden chedi of Wa…
• Ban Thung Hong Mo Hom Village – The home of “Mo Hom,” Phrae’s signature indigo-dyed cotton. Cloth shops line the road, where you can watch indigo dyeing and buy traditiona…
• Mae Yom National Park – A teak forest national park north of Phrae, where the Yom River passes through the “Tiger Leap Rapids” gorge. Visitors can camp, go rafting…

Where to eat

• Hom 2493 – A Lanna-style old wooden house by the old city wall, known for cheap Phrae clear-broth noodles and the signature Hom St…
• Je Lek Khao Soi (Main Branch) – Phrae's most famous khao soi, made for over thirty years with house-made noodles and a broth that needs no extra season…
• Krua Mai Mueang Northern Thai Home Cooking – A Northern Thai home-style eatery around Kad Nam Thong, with wooden tables, indigo Mo Hom cloth on the walls, and a sig…