Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [280]
There is a string of decent noodle and rice shops (Th Inthayongyot) south of Wat Phra That on the main street.
Getting There & Away
Blue srng·ta·ou and white buses to Lamphun (20B, every 30 minutes) leave Chiang Mai from a stop on Th Praisani in front of Talat Warorot and from another stop on the east side of the river on Th Chiang Mai-Lamphun, just south of the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT). Transport also leaves from Chiang Mai’s Chang Pheuak terminal. Both can drop you off on Th Inthayongyot at the stop in front of the national museum and Wat Phra That Hariphunchai.
Transport returns to Chiang Mai from the stop in front of the national museum or from Lamphun bus terminal on Th Sanam.
AROUND LAMPHUN
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Pasang
The province’s cotton-weaving village, Pasang (not to be confused with Bo Sang) is southwest of Lamphun on Rte 106. It’s not really a shopping destination, but there are busy looms in the residential workshops.
The village’s Wat Chang Khao Noi Neua, off Rte 106 towards the southern end of town, features an impressive gilded Lanna-style chedi.
You’ll find a few cotton shops near the main market in town, opposite Wat Pasang Ngam. A few vendors in the market also sell cotton textiles and souvenirs. The town celebrates its weaving tradition in December with an annual fair and exhibition.
A srng·ta·ou will take you from Lamphun to Pasang for 15B. If you’re heading south to Tak Province using your own vehicle, traffic is generally lighter along Rte 106 to Thoen than on Hwy 11 to Lampang; and a winding 10km section of the road north of Thoen is particularly scenic. Both highways intersect Hwy 1 south, which leads directly to Tak’s capital.
Wat Phra Phutthabaht Tak Phah
Regionally famous, this hillside temple belongs to the popular Mahanikai sect and is a shrine to one of the north’s most renowned monks, Luang Pu Phromma. It’s about 9km south of Pasang or 20km south of Lamphun off Rte 106 in Tambon Ma-Kok (follow Rte 1133 1km east). It contains a lifelike resin figure of the deceased monk sitting in meditation.
Behind the spacious grounds are a park and a steep hill mounted by a chedi. The wát is named after a Buddha footprint (prá pút·tá·bàht) shrine in the middle of the lower temple grounds and another spot where Buddha supposedly dried his robes (àhk pâh).
A srng·ta·ou from Lamphun to the wát costs 30B.
Doi Khun Tan National Park
Not worth a special trip, but if you’re in the area check out this 225-sq-km park (0 5354 6335; admission 200B), which straddles the mountains between Lamphun and Lampang provinces. It ranges in elevation from 350m at the bamboo forest lowlands to 1363m at the pine-studded summit of Doi Khun Tan. Wildflowers, including orchids, ginger and lilies, are abundant. At the park headquarters there are maps of well-marked trails that range from short walks around the headquarters’ vicinity to trails covering the mountain’s four peaks; there’s also a trail to Nam Tok Tat Moei (7km round trip). Intersecting the mountain slopes is Thailand’s longest train tunnel (1352m), which opened in 1921 after six years of manual labour by thousands of Lao workers (several of whom are said to have been killed by tigers).
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WHAT TO EXPECT IN NORTHERN THAILAND
We list high-season rack rates in this book. See the boxed text on Click here for more details on the different sleeping categories.
Budget (under 600B)
Midrange (600B to 1500B)
Top End (over 1500B)
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Bungalows (0 2562 0760; www.dnp.go.th; bungalows 1500-2700B) are available near the park headquarters. There is a restaurant by the bungalows. The park is very popular on cool-season weekends.
This park is unique in that the main access is from the Khun Tan train station (2nd/3rd class 33/15B, 1½ hours, five daily). The last train back to Chiang Mai leaves