Phitsanulok Thailand

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We enjoyed the friendly hospitality of Phitsanulok for a week, visiting the sights and using it as a base to travel to nearby towns.

The famous Chinnarat Buddha image with its flame like halo is one of the most important images outside Bangkok. We joined hundreds of townsfolk paying their respects at the Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat Pagoda.

In the same pagoda we joined visitors paying their respects at other Buddhist chapels. The highly polished floor perfectly reflected the worshipers praying in the chapel. In cloisters around the pagoda rows of Buddha images provided memorials to the departed.

In the Buddha foundry we chatted to the artists and metal workers who described how they designed and produced the fine Buddha images we saw in the surrounding pagodas.

An artist refines the wax model of a standing Buddha before it is used to create a mould. Some images are finished with a layer of 22 carat gold leaf.

Marharet standing outside the Phitsanulok Railway station.

Nan Thailand

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The small provincial town of Nan is, like most of northern Thailand inhabited by very friendly and helpful people ready to chat to visitors. Like most other towns it is also noticeably clean and tidy.

There are not however many sights to see, apart from a well organised museum with explanations in good English and some nice pagodas. As always the monks are a delight to speak with. 

Wat Phra That Chang Khan

Wat Phumin is unusual in that the pagoda has four entrances and large Buddha images face each entrance. So the faithful are met with a Buddha facing them no matter which entrance they use.

There were plenty of street stalls to eat from but few well established restaurants. We did however find one with a good menu on the river bank well away from the town centre. It served excellent food and had very welcoming staff but it didn't have an English name.

The trekking scene is not well developed in Nan despite the town being surrounded by deeply forested mountains. Chiang Mai is really the trekking centre of northern Thailand.

Lampang Thailand

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Elephants at the Elephant Conservation Centre near Lampang. The rescued elephants have been trained to demonstrate the timber handling skills which elephants used to perform in times past. There is even an elephant hospital.

Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao is an important Pagoda in Lampang. Here monks conduct a blessing for farmers praying for good harvests. The timber pagoda in the foreground was designed and financed by British timber companies in Burma over 100 years ago.

The ancient and beautiful Wat Phra That Lampang Luang is an excellent example of northern Thai or Lanna architecture.

Wat Chedi Sao or the Pagoda of twenty chedi is one of several lovely pagodas which are all worth a visit.

We enjoyed being in Lampang and visiting the night market and the evening shopping streets set up over the weekends. The people were always welcoming and friendly. Apart from very noisy frogs which disturbed us at night when we stayed at a riverside guesthouse our stay in Lampang was excellent. especially the Elephants.