Phrae Travel Guide

Welcome to Phrae Thailand. If you ever need to just get away from it all. Phrae is a beautiful and peaceful town located in central Thailand. You can go for a week and not see another foreigner here. Prices are inexpensive and if you can not read Thai you may have some difficulty getting around.

Where To Stay In Phrae:

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Markets

• ตลาดบ้านทุ่ง but get there before 8 pm when i arrived it was closing. Primarily fresh produce however some ready to eat stalls exist.

Evening Street Food

• Near the wall on Soi Rop Mueang
• Outside  honda on Yantrakit Kosol Rd
• Opposite 7 eleven on On Yantrakit Kosol
• Rd around Yantrakit Kosol Rd near bus station
• Opposite Christian Hospital on Yantrakit Kosol Rd

Museums

• Impressive home:

  หมู่ 13 59, Pa Maet, Mueang Phrae District, Phrae 54000, Thailand.
  

• Wongburi House Museum (พิพิธภัณฑ์บ้านวงศ์บุรี)

• Khum Chao Luang Museum

• Free Thai Museum

 

 

Videos

Destinations From Phrae:

• Bangkok by Bus

Reverse Destinations:

• Chiang Mai to Phrae by Bus. If Phrae was a bit to quiet. Perhaps you prefer a place with English signage? why not give Chiang Mai a try? It is a lot bigger and a lot more modern.

My first trip to Phrae

Had never heard of this place before. Learned of it by meeting a friend in Chiang Mai.
She originates from here. Otherwise I may never have travelled to Phrae.
I searched online for a video of Phrae.
All I was able to find was something tilted “main road in phrae”. It was taken on a bus and there was just street after street of nothing.

Stepping off the Green bus from Chiang Mai.
First setting foot in Phrae. Not another foreigner in sight.

Standing at the bus stop I look around. When I look at someone they stop looking at me. I turn away and turn back and catch them looking at me again. I am use to it and I just smile.

It was not until two days later in the evening after dark when I saw another foreigner. She was on a bike and we just smiled at each other.

Walking towards the hotel that was recommend. Within minutes it can be seen in the distance.
Out comes the Agoda app and look at the availability and price.

฿1600! way to pricey.
Looking at the reviews and everyone is saying for what it is is too expensive.
Old and run down etc.

For the past few days I have been staying at the Traveller In Chiang Mai.
An air conditioned room for ฿490 a night. This hotel is x 3 that.

Looking around I notice another hotel next door but I am starving.
There is a noodle stand a few meters away, this will have to do.
฿25 nice and cheap late night meal.

I walk into the hotel next door and see a price list on the counter.
It is written in 100% Thai.
I see a range from ฿1200 to ฿300

Fan room ฿300 perfect. I ask the price just to make sure. Also I ask to see the room, turns out it’s clean. Clean and cheap all boxes ticked so I take it.

This room is bare bones and reminds me of Johnny’s Guesthouse in Vang Vieng Laos.
It had a big balcony facing towards the west towards the mountains.
I know i will be able to enjoy a couple of sunsets here.

It is so hot here, the fan is on top speed and it is still hot.
This reminds me of the time i stayed in Ayutthaya after Songkran. Exactly the same time of year as now.
I wake up at 3 am and open the balcony for the mosquito’s would have finished by now and is so hot.

I wake at about 6 am. Head down stairs at 6:30 am when breakfast starts. I am slightly disappointed. The girls just assumes and hands me a plate with two pieces of white bread toast, a tiny piece of butter and some jam.
I remember reading they served a Thai breakfast too and was hoping to learn what that is.

Have the agenda for the day mapped out. I start off with the furthest away place and make my way back to the hotel.
7:30 am and I stay walking.

It is so quiet here. There is the occasional motorbike that rides by. Most of the time I am walking in silence, it is so peaceful it is so good.

Breakfast was not quite big enough. I purchase a milk from a shop just before the impressive house. (Pratubjai House).

As I walk down the path towards the museum a big black rottweiler like dog walks out of someone’s yard and just looks at me. I look back and he just starts to urinate on the road without lifting a leg or even squatting.
I can’t help but laugh. He finished and walks back into where he came from.

Walking past the yard, the dog raises his head with his tongue sticking out, then almost instantaneously collapses back to sleep.

As I approach the entrance I hear an old lady say to another in Thai, here comes a foreigner (farang).

The sign reads foreigners ฿100. I pay the fare and get a small key-chain.