North Thailand Vajirathan Waterfall, one of the Largest in Thailand

Vajirathan Waterfall, one of the Largest in Thailand

The Vajirathan waterfall on Doi Inthanon, formerly called 'Tat Khong Yong', Vajirathan Waterfall on Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai province was named after His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn Mahidol. It is one of the largest and highest waterfalls in Thailand. Vajirathan is about 750 meters above sea level and 90 meters high. Opposite the waterfall is a tall cliff, called Pha Mon Kaeo, which is sometimes referred to as Pha Waen Kaeo.




Because of the gigantic size of this waterfall, the water makes a tremendous noise as it falls from the cliff, especially during the rainy season. A cloud of spray comes up from the waterfall and spreads everywhere, making the atmosphere cool and moist. The wooden bridge leading to the cliff is wet and slippery all the time. Scenic points with excellent views of the waterfall can be found from place to place on the mountain.



During the rainy season, visitors are suggested not to swim in the stream at the base of Vajirathan Waterfall because of the very strong current. Slippery stones around this area are also dangerous. If visitors want to swim, they should do so at Mae Klang or Mae Ya waterfall in this province during the dry season.



Located 81.2 kilometers from the town of Chiang Mai along Highway 108, Chiang Mai – Hot Route, Vajirathan Waterfall enchants visitors all year round. When you arrive at kilometer 58, turn right to Highway 1009, Chom Thong – Doi Inthanon Route. Then continue for another 21 kilometers, where you will find an intersection. Look at the signboard showing the direction to the waterfall before proceeding 250 meters to reach Vajirathan Waterfall.

North Thailand The History of Phra Borommathat Hariphunchai Pagoda

The History of Phra Borommathat Hariphunchai Pagoda

When somebody mentions the 'Thai nation', religion comes to mind because it plays such important role in Thai life. Although there is complete freedom of worship in Thailand, with almost all religions propagating their faith here, Buddhism casts a strong influence over the Thai people. It is not surprising, therefore, that Buddhist merit-making ceremonies prevail in all parts of the country, from north to south.




Lamphun, a small province in the upper north, hides on the Ping River basin, and traces of strong Buddhist faith have surfaced in this area since ancient times. The province was formerly known as Hariphunchai City, and boasted a flourishing civilization at the center of the northern region for more than 600 years, even before Chiang Mai.



Legend has it that a hermit named Watsuthep built a new city on the banks of the Ping River and invited Chammathewi, a daughter of the King of Lawo, to rule the city as the first queen of the Kingdom of Hariphunchai. Subsequently, Queen Chammathewi introduced Buddhism into the city of Hariphunchai, Hitherto, the people ion this area remain deeply related to Buddhism.



A facet of Lamphun's cultural life is the colorful merit-making ceremonies supporting Buddhist beliefs. Perhaps the largest cultural event in this province is the 'Merit-Making Ceremony in Celebration of Phra Borommathat Hariphunchai Pagoda,' held annually on the full-moon day in June. The highlight of this event is the sprinkling of water over the Lord Buddha's relics – or Phra Borommathat Hariphunchai – enshrined within the pagoda of the same name.



This pagoda is located in the heart of Lamphun within the compound of Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, the most revered temple of Lamphun and the northern region. Inside the pagoda is a golden urn containing the holy relics. The pagoda is forty-six meters high and recognized as the symbol of Lamphun. Built in the 11th century by King Athittayarat, the 33rd monarch of Hariphunchai, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai underwent restoration several times with the ultimate disappearance of its original state.



According to legend, King Athittayarat performed a ceremony calling for the emergence of Lord Buddha's relics. Soon after, the holy relics emerged from the ground and floated into the air along with the golden urn. Thereafter a halo from the relics spread throughout Hariphunchai City. This miraculous event prevailed for seven days before the relics returned to be enshrined in their place underground.



King Atittayarat had the area excavated to remove the urn, but the more excavation that occurred, the deeper the urn descended into the ground. The King then called for the reemergence of the holy relics. Suddenly, both the relics and the urn emerged from the ground to a height of almost one-meter. The king organized a celebration of the holy relics for seven days and seven nights and had a goldsmith make a golden urn to cover the urn containing the relics. He also commanded a builder to construct a castle three-meter's high to cover the golden urn. This was how the holy relics or Phra Borommathat Hariphunchai, made their first appearance.

Hariphunchai City underwent political changes over a long period. Several dynasties and kings ruled the city, which was an independent principality, until King Mengrai of the Lanna Kingdom conquered it in 1282. Even so, Phra Borommathat Hariphunchai, which represented the glory of Buddhism in the upper north in its early days, remained significantly important. Subsequent Lanna kings continued to attach great importance to Phra Borommathat Hariphunchai Pagoda.



Centuries of strong faith in the pagoda has been shown at the 'Merit-Making in Celebration of Phra Borommathat Hariphunchai Pagoda', a major cultural event organized by Lamphun residents on the full-moon day of June. During each year's event, people from all directions gather in the heart of Lamphun to sprinkle water onto the holy relics of the Lord Buddha. Older persons, male and female alike, dressed in white attire, take with them mats, pillows and mosquito nets to stay around Phra Borommathat Hariphunchai Pagoda before the day of the celebrations.



The belief among northern residents is that the change to sprinkle water onto Phra Borommathat Hariphunchai will bring happiness and peace to their families. Therefore, they bring scented water, mixed with Jasmine, Rose, or Acacia, known as 'Som Poi' in Thai, for the ceremony. This scented water is similar to that used to sprinkle onto monks, or Buddha images, during Songkran, traditional Thai New Year, and comes from a pond almost 20 kilometers to the east of the town. Holy water used at the ceremonial bathing rites of purification in major royal ceremonies also comes from this pond.

His Majesty the King is present each year for the merit-making ceremony with Lampun lustral water, together with incense sticks, candles, silver and gold flowers and a cloth to cover Phra Borommathat. The lustral water, in silver and golden pots, presented by His Majesty the King is carried in a procession from the town hall to the Phra That Hariphunchai Temple. Numerous people come from near and far to sprinkle water onto Phra Borommathat in an atmosphere of peace. When the sun begins to sink, devout Buddhists begin to return home, leaving the beauty of the Phra Borommathat Hariphunchai Pagoda behind – until the next year of the full-moon day of the sixth lunar month.

North Thailand Mae Hong Son, Beautiful City in the Mist

Mae Hong Son, Beautiful City in the Mist

Not so long ago, until as recently as the 1930s, you had to ride an elephant to get there – across rugged mountains and through dense forests. Only when an airstrip and the first sealed road were built in the 1960s did the provincial capital stop being a real struggle to reach. Mae Hong Son is Thailand's most inaccessible province, such that until relatively recently it was a kind of Siberia for miscreant government officials who had blotted their copybooks elsewhere; the dreaded message would arrive 'You are transferred to Mae Hong Son.' Today, with several daily flights from Thailand's northern 'capital' Chiang Mai and numerous connections from there to Bangkok, that's not so much of a punishment. For tourists, it's sheer delight easy access to a sleepy valley in the mountainous Burmese borderlands where modern creature comforts nevertheless await.




Four elements combine to give Mae Hong Son its unique character: mountains, mists, forests and Burma. No other Thai province has so much mountainous terrain or such extremes of temperature and none so much Burmese influence. The result is temple roofs shrouded in morning mists against forested mountain backdrops. Add colorful hill tribe people, working elephants, fast-flowing rivers, huge caves and high waterfalls and you have a potent touristic brew.



Mae Hong Son town actually began in the 1830s as an elephant corral for the Prince of Chiang Mai, who lived four weeks trek away to the east in his city palace. Up until 1775 the area had been Burmese. In their late 18th century resurgence, the Thais took the faraway territory into the national fold and made it an official province in 1893, but it remains a place apart in many respects. Ethnically in particular, Mae Hong Son is a land apart, for only a small percentage of the population are ethnic Thai. The vast majority are either Shan or hill tribes. The Shan, also known as Thai Yai, are close cousins of the Thai who are far more numerous across the border in the Shan States of Burma; the Shan are reckoned to make up half of Mae Hong Son's population. The diverse hill tribes are almost as numerous; there are migrant Tibeto-Chinese people unrelated to the Thais, mostly of the Karen, Hmong, Lisu and Lahu tribes. The Shan are valley farmers, the tribal people are usually slash-and-burn hill farmers.



Mae Hong Son, the provincial capital, is a Thai Yai town and a pleasure in itself – beautiful temples, a serene lake, misty mornings, green hills all around. Two spots draw all visitors. One is Chong Kham Lake – once the elephant bathing place, now the focus of a peaceful town center park – with the white and gold stupa of Wat Chong Klang and the silvery filigree-tiered roofs of Wat Chang Kham, side by side, reflected in the waters. Withing the temples, which date from the 19th century and occupy a common compound, the chief attraction is a collection of antique wooden figures, some as tall as one meter, brought from Burma in 1857 and depicting Jataka characters from stories of the Buddha's previous lives.

The other must-see is the hilltop temple of Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu, which overlooks the town from a couple f hundred meters up and affords magnificent panoramic views. A winding road leads up to it for the motor-bone while energetic pilgrims can climb the steep path and steps leading from the town below. From the summit, there are views of the mountain ranges stretching far away into the hazy blue distance and a precipitous view down the toy-like town in the valley. Two dazzlingly whitewashed stupas, bells tinkling in the wind atop their gold-tipped spires, form the focus of Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu. Erected side by side along with a chapel containing a revered white alabaster Buddha image, the stupas attract many Buddhist pilgrims who ritually circle them holding offerings. Until mid-morning, mists swirl around the temple structures and statues – Buddha images and singha mythological lion figures – which eerily vanish within the passing clouds, then reappear in brilliant sunlight.

North Thailand The Rich History of Chiang Rai

The Rich History of Chiang Rai

Only two decades ago, Chiang Rai was hidden deep in Thailand's northernmost mountains. Today, this sleepy and remote province which few people dared to tread is a different place altogether.




With an increasingly convenient access, Chian Rai has operators offering services to this great city with an ancient heritage.



Undoubtedly, Chian Rai owes its modernization to the massive reforestation efforts of Doi Tung Development Project, which was initiated ti return greenery and moisture to the barren mountains and raise the standard of living of the people in the area. Its future was further secured by the construction of Doi Tung Palace which the late Princess Mother graciously made her residence in Thailand.



The present Chian Rai is a proud city with a thriving present and a promising future beyond anyone's expectations.



Given its strategic location as a gateway to Indochina and China, it has become a terminal for tourists visiting southern China, Myanmar and Laos.



Present-day Chian Rai may have modern buildings of all kinds, but none can overshadow its long and ancient history. The province boasts several sites of a great empire dating back hundreds of years and different periods. The unique Chiang Saen Period, for example, underlines a long civilization that was founded centuries ago and enjoyed its peak between 1057 and 1257.



The Lanna Empire that provided the fundamentals of Thailand's northern life and culture, with Chiang Mai as its center, was actually founded in Chiang Rai by King Mengrai, the 25th ruler of the Lawachankaraj Dynasty of the Ngern Yang Empire. Ascending to the throne in 1259, King Mengrai succeeded in consolidating the territories around River Kok, and Chiang Rai was built three years later.



The Lanna Empire later allied itself with the Sukhothai Empire and the Phayao Empire in the east, and King Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai and King Ngarm Muang of Phayao joined King Mengrai in locating a site for his new capital.



The three rulers agreed on the founding of Chiang Mai at the foot of Oi Chang Mountain on the Pingkonthee River. The new capital was built in 1262 and was subsequently known as Doi Suthep, while Pingkonthee is the present – day Ping River.



With the completion of the new capital, the Lanna Empire was relocated from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai, where 18 more rulers of the Mengrai Dynasty continued to reign.



The presence of King Mengrai, the founder of the Lanna Empire and Chiang Rai Province, still prevails today. Visitors and residents alike always make a stop at the city's exit to Mae Chan, Chiang Saen and Mae Sai districts to pay their respects to the statue that was built in his memory.



The remains of King Mengrai, however, are kept in a pagoda at Wat Ngum Muang on top of a mountain of the same name.



Chiang Rai is the sister-city of Chiang Mai. Of the many important temples located in this province. Wat Phra Keow is the most important. The much revered Emerald Buddha in the famous Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok was first discovered in 1396 at Wat Phra Keow in Chiang Rai.

Chiang Rai offers tourists a wide range of tourist attractions, both in terms of historic and natural importance.



The Chiang Rai-Mae Sai route takes tourists on a nature trail to hot springs, Huay Hin Fon, Mae Chan, Tham Poum, Tham Phla, and Tha Chilek on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, with lynchee orchards and Nang Lae pineapple plantations along the way.



The Chiang Saen-Goldern Triangle route is interesting in many ways. In addition to the old town and a museum along the Mekong River, it offers an attraction that tourists interested in the infamous heroin production center will find irresistible. Today, this site on the rugged mountain range along the Mekong River boasts a rich assortment of lodgings and restaurants as well as five-star hotels.



Of Chiang Rai's one million or so population, hill tribes constitute a large part of the population. The Karens with more than 400,000 people make up the largest tribe. Other highlanders include the Hmong, Akha, Yao, Muser and Lisor. These tribes-people have their own unique lifestyles and traditions which tourists find interesting.



Phra Borom Dhat Doi Tung and the Doi Tung Palace are among the most significant places for the residents of Chiang Rai and visitors alike. The palace stands majestically on top of Doi Chang Moub, which is 1,509 meters above sea level.



A large group of inter connected buildings, the palace is a mixture of Swiss chalet and traditional Lanna architecture, built from leftover wood by the Forest Industrial Organization as a gift to the beloved Princess Mother. Woodcraft in the palace was the work of the tribes-people who were trained by the late Princess Mother's Mae Fah Luang Foundation, which also initiated the Doi Tung Development Project.

The palace has become a spiritual center for both the tribes-people and the residents of Chiang Rai. It promises an exciting future for the province enriched by its historic past.

North Thailand Visiting the Lanna, Pa-Da Cotton Textile Museum

Visiting the Lanna, Pa-Da Cotton Textile Museum

The traditional house on stilts in Tambon Sobtia, in Chomthong district of Chiang Mai, is decorated with exquisite woodcarvings that are symbolic of Lanna architecture. Thanks to the late National Artist Saengda Bunsiddhi this house enjoys the distinction of being the local Lanna Cotton Weaving Conservation Center, which is undoubtedly as well known as any other weaving centers in Thailand.




“Aunt” or “Pa” Saengda was a folk artist who had recognized the value of local cotton fabrics since she was a child, although she started weaving in earnest only when she was 38 years old. After the death of her medical doctor husband, she began growing cotton, spinning and dyeing yarn, and weaving her own fabrics. Setting and example, she later began to convince her neighbors to help preserve this branch of traditional Lanna art.



Saengda dedicated her life to the conservation of weaving, doing extensive research on the subject and enhancing the techniques of waving cotton fabrics until it became a heritage that the people of Chiang Mai could be proud of.

Today, Thais as well as tourists visit the place where she lived surrounded by greenery on the bank of the Ping River.



To allow people to appreciate the exquisite beauty of locally woven fabrics, Saengda's daughter and grandchildren turned her house into a museum, “Pa-Da Cotton Textile Museum”, better known as Ban Rai Pai Ngarm after the rows of bamboo she planted around her property.



On show at the museum are Aunt Saengda's collection of traditional “teen choke” and cotton fabrics, their wide range of designs and colors serving as a testimony to the creativity of the highly talented artist.



Apart from the National Artist's life and works and personal collections, Pa-Da Cotton Textile Museum also shows a simulation of the lifestyle and the surroundings of the house during her lifetime, thus allowing visitors to visualize the petite National Artist as she moved around the house and performed her daily routine.



Like any other traditional Lanna house, the museum is divided into bedrooms, a kitchen and other function rooms, which have been turned into a fabric display room, a room showing leaves and barks from which natural dyes were derived, and a hall featuring tools and equipment used in weaving.



The museum is alive with the sound of weaving, the way it did years ago when Aunt Saengda was still around. Under the building, the children of weavers who once worked alongside her continue weaving on the looms once used by their mothers, having inherited their skills and passion for weaving.

These new generations of weavers supply a strong and increasing market demand both at home and abroad for Ban Rai Pai Ngarm's hand-woven cotton fabrics, which are especially popular among consumers with a taste for natural fabrics.

It's a legacy left by Aunt Saengda Bunsiddhi, whose perseverance and dedication ensured that the heritage of Lanna cotton weaving lives on....

North Thailand Ancient Thai Ceramic Ware Reviving

Ancient Thai Ceramic Ware Reviving

Mention “Sangkhalok”, and the first thing that comes to the mind of most Thais are the antique glazed ceramic ware in display cabinets in museums and rich people's homes rather than functional pottery used in daily life.




In fact Sangkhalok was meant for daily use as well as for export when it was made in great quantities during the Sukhothai Period some 750 years ago.



Sangkhalok was traditionally made in the kilns of Muang Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai districts in Sukhothai province. Imitations with the glaze and designs typical of the Sukhothai Period are still made there today.



Khiri Mat District is another popular center of Sangkhalok production in Sukhothai. Ceramics made here are unglazed and each piece of work is unique because it is hand made and inexpensive.



Villages along the Noi River in Sing Buri Province have also been making glazed ceramic ware since the Ayutthaya Period. However, the pottery made here are different from those made in other production areas, in that they have a dark brown glaze and vessels have four handles.



Celadon, a type of Sangkhalok ware, is particularly popular with foreigners. Lustrous with a hard texture, it is coated with jade-green glaze made from the ash of wood from the forests north of Chiang Mai, which is the center of celadon production.



Despite the changing environment and the increasingly hard-to-come-by raw material, celadon is still made using the same time-honored techniques as have been employed through the ages. Each piece embodies an exquisite work of art that has made it one of the most sought-after pottery style since ancient times.



With the number of kilns making a wide range of products, Sangkhalok ware once again has become more functional and affordable. Products range from tableware and gift and home decorative items to curios and even tiles. Among the major export markets are the United States, Japan and the EU countries, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, with the rest of China becoming more and more important.



According to the Thai Department of Export Promotion, Thailand exported ceramics worth over 15 billion Baht a year. Sangkhalok ceramics can be found in shops around the towns mentioned above.

North Thailand A weekend at Mae Hong Son

A weekend at Mae Hong Son

Mae Hond Son, the land of the buatong field, is know as the "city of three mists" as it is located right in the valley surrounded by rolling hills that lie in parallel to the Thanon Thongchai and Khao Dan Lao mountain ranges. It is therefore covered with the mists all year round.




Many tour companies have introduced tours to the area, with packages that take tourists down the Pai River, which runs across a distance of 180 kilometers, and is the largest and longest river of Mae Hong Son, flowing from the south through Muang district of Mae Hong Son to converge with Salawin River in Myanmar.



With river tours like this tourists will have the opportunity to enjoy the dazzling view of mountain ranges and the unadulterated nature along the riverbank, and a visit to the village of the "Padong" or "long-necked Karen" tribe.



Visitors will also have a chance to pay homage to the holy Phra Dhat Gongmu or Wat Plai Doi, the symbol of Mae Hong Son and the most important religious building. A visit to experience the unique and beautiful art and culture of the Tai Yai (Greater Thai) people will prove most enjoyable and the location allows visitors to appreciate a wonderful panoramic view of the entire city.



Another, more adventurous, idea is rafting along the Pai River on a self-made bamboo raft. This half-day tour, either in the morning or the afternoon, takes visitors down the Pai River before arriving at Pla Cave Garden, where a wide variety of big and small fish species share the water.



Daily flight from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son, and smooth airport transfer make Mae Hong Son a perfect weekend destination. With hotels in the range from the Golden Pai, Rooks Holiday and Imperial Tara Mae Hong Son, all of which offer free airport transfer. Of course there is also a huge amount of budget hotel and guest houses on offer.

North Thailand Traditional Thai Toys

Traditional Thai Toys

Toys are excellent learning tools to help develop children intellectually and physically. Modern technology has brought about new, high-tech toys that are factory made and readily available on store shelves. Children no longer need to wait for parents, or grandparents, to find some free time to fashion homemade toys for them. Regrettable, traditional, handmade toys created from local knowledge and experience, are slowly fading away.




In an attempt to conserve indigenous art in northern Thailand by utilizing the valuable knowledge and experience of elders in local communities, Mr. Wirapong Kangwannawakul, set up 10 years ago the Khon Thao Khon Kae Group of toy makers at Baan Pa Daet village, Tambon Pa Daet, Mae Suai District in Chaing Rai Province.. The main objective was to foster closer relationships between family members of different generations through toy making; a simple vocation stemming from knowledge and experience passed down from generation to generation.



Members of the Khon Thao Khon Kae Group, who are seniors able to express and transfer their knowledge of local history through art, are proud to be able to help local communities to conserve traditional wisdom. Each elder has his or her own knowledge and technique for making different types of toys. For instance, one may be skilful at basketry, others like using their own imaginations to create toys that vary in concept and format using locally available materials such as bamboo, softwood, palm leaves, coconut leaves and so forth. The seniors collect their own materials and go their own way, spending their own time creating toys. Occasionally, meeting are called so they can get together to discuss and exchange views.

Toys made by the Khon Thao Khon Kae Group fall into three categories. Firstly, there are toys based on the livelihood of people in communities. For example, doll models depict people using working a mortar to grind paddy grains, or a stall vendor, or people working a sawmill. The second category includes play toys like wheels, a bamboo circus, seesaws, or a mouse-on-a-wheel. And thirdly, there are the souvenir toys such as fancy, mobile, animal-like creatures woven from leaves and other natural fibers and models of fishing equipment used in local communities. These toys are quite well known as they are marketed in provinces across the country.



These activities from an important aspect of daily life to generate additional income for the communities, which, in turn, helps improve overall living standards for everyone concerned. The elders regard it as an honor to be invited to teach native toy making at schools in the north of Thailand. Apart from this, it also provides moral support for senior citizens who feel proud to be able to make a valuable contribution to local communities.

Those who are interested are welcome to visit the Khon Thao Khon Kae Group of toy makers at Baan Pa Daet

North Thailand Sa Paper Production

North Thailand Sa Paper Production

Chiang Mai is regarded as the center for northern handicrafts, be it handwoven fabrics, woodcraft, wicker ware, lacquer ware or other utensils. Visitors to Chiang Mai, therefore, should not go home without buying some locally-made souvenirs. Prominent among the local handicrafts is sa paper and sa paper products from Tambon Ton Pao in Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district.




Making sa paper has been a tradition for the villagers of Tambon Ton Pao. However, the product was not popular in the old days, when it was used mostly for the production of umbrellas, banners, hot balloons, candlewick or cabalistic writing.



Thanks to consistent promotion and development assistance from government authorities, the handicraft rooted in folk wisdom became a much-wanted product both at home and abroad, earning an impressive income for the villagers of Tambon Ton Pao.



The center of sa paper production in the village is the Sa Paper Preservation house. Owned by the Lapinta family, the center has made sa paper production a cottage industry for more than two decades. Yet, although production relies on the traditional technique of making the paper by hand, the House continues to be innovative in creating new products that can be applied to everyday life.



Everyday, members of the cottage industry come to work at Sa Paper Preservation House, where they are grouped according to their individual skills. While one group looks after coloring, another cuts the paper, or takes care of arranging the paper sheets into rolls or volumes while yet another group looks after packaging.



Sa paper is made from the bark of the mulberry tree, and production calls for certain know-how and skills. The bark of the tree is peeled and dried in the sun. Then it is soaked overnight before it is boiled and pounded or ground into fiber. The pulp is then diluted with water in a large basin. For colored sa paper, the desired colors are added to the water at this stage. Then the fiber is stirred with a stick before it is sieved and dried in the sun. It is also possible to decorate it with leaves and flowers petals to creat unusual designs on the finished product. The sheets of paper are dried completely before they are made into different products.



Besides its many products which come in a wide range of colors and designs, from gift-wrapping paper and greeting cards to writing pads and envelopes, diaries and picture albums, accessories, trinkets, paper bags and artificial flowers, Sa Paper Preservation House welcomes the opportunity to promote the making of sa paper to interested parties, to ensure that this occupation of northern art continues well into the future.

North Thailand Walking between the Clouds in Thailand

Walking between the Clouds in Thailand


Located near the summit of the mountain known as Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai province, the Ang Ka nature trail has a 360-meter-wooden bridge, where visitors may spend a leisurely half hour or more, enjoying the spectacular view.




Because of the beautiful scenery along the two sides of the bridge and the local biodiversity, one of the riches of the northern region, this nature trail leaves a lasting impression on all visitors.



Doi Inthanon Mountain stands 2,500 meters above sea level, the highest peak in Thailand, and the weather there is cool almost all year round. It is home to many rare species of flora, such as the 'Thousand Year Rose', or the Rhododendron, Khao Tok Roesi, Phru or Aeng Nam Sup, and countless varieties of moss. Several rare species of animals are also found there.



The Ang Ka nature trail is also regarded as a heaven for birdwatchers, as there are over 385 bird species out of the 978 discovered in Thailand.



A total of 11 stations are found along the nature trail, with signboards showing their meanings, starting from "Gateway to the Himalayas", which is the name of the highest mountain range in the world. "Ing Asa, or "Living Together", reflects the interrelation between small plants and large trees. The last station is "Everlasting Value", which covers the importance of the ecological system, a legacy worth preserving forever.



Another charm of the Ang Ka nature trail is that, because it is open all year round, visitors may spot different plants and animals in different periods of the year. In summer, numerous flora species may be seen, while in the rainy season, the forest becomes greener. When the cool breeze comes in the cool season, birds are seen flying in the mist.

The Ang Ka nature trail is in Doi Inthanon National Park, Ban Luang subdistrict in Chom Thong district.

North Thailand : The Beauty of Phayao Lake

The Beauty of Phayao Lake

The reflection of the afternoon sun over the vast expanse of water enhances the beautiful landscape of Phayao Lake in Thailand's northern province of Phayao. The sight is so impressive that even the cool breezes of winter fail to purge the warm impression from one's mind. On the contrary, the shadows of surrounding mountains seem to endorse this first, exhilarating feeling.




Towards dusk, on an afternoon such as this, the local folk of Phayao, as well as tourists, fill the benches on the promenade of Phayao Lake, know as "Kwan" among locals, which skirts the east-side of the lake. Alongside is the road that also provides an embankment for this 2,500-hectare freshwater lake.



More importantly, the road towards the end of the lake offers one of the best viewpoints at twilight to observe the beauty of a sunset as the sun slowly sets amidst rolling hills on the western part of the Kwan.



While the setting sun lingers over the horizon, tourists find this the best time to experience the peacefulness and solitude of the lake. This time of day best reflects simple lifestyle of the local people, be it the sight of a small family preparing dinner, those looking for a corner at one of the restaurants by the roadside, or anglers waiting patiently for a bite on the banks of this vast lake.



A radiant orange hue beams across silhouettes of cloud, gradually intensifying before succumbing to the darkness of night and the moment everyone has waited for.... the moment to share together this wondrous sight.



Although this memorable phenomenon is a daily occurrence, local folk and visitors alike never seem to tire of the spectacle. Whenever they can find time, they grab the opportunity to sit on the banks of Phayao Lake and watch the sun go down as if this fascinating event was part of local folks' every day life.



Phayao Lake is more than just a beautiful location; its vast water resources provide critical support to residents of Phayao Lake for domestic needs. Moreover, the lake is crucial for local agriculture, the main occupation of indigenous folk. Different species of freshwater fish thrive in the lake in such abundance that it has become a source of income for fishermen in the many villages around Phayao Lake.



Traditional fishing methods that still rely on dugouts and simple fishing gear such as cast nets and fishnets have become the unique allure of Phayao Lake. It is no surprise therefore, to find local restaurants offering a wide range of delectable fish dishes on their menus. Apart from domestic consumption and local sales, fish are processed and preserved in a variety of products including fish paste.



Clearly, Phayao Lake today is central to the life and spirit of the local people. The area surrounding Phayao Lake also boasts many interesting tourist sites such as Pho Khun Ngam, Ho Watanatham Nithat, Phayao Freshwater Fishery Station, Wat Analyo and villages known for their water hyacinth products plus mortars and grindstones.



Each tourist attraction can be visited at an easy pace and the municipality of Phayao offers a wide range of accommodation to suit individual preferences.

North Thailand : Water Hyacinth Handicraft Products

Water Hyacinth Handicraft Products


In the eyes of the general public, the water hyacinth may appear a useless weed. But for the villagers of San Pa Muang Sub-district in Muang District. Phayao Province in northern Thailand, the water hyacinth, or "floating lotus", is an important raw material used to make baskets, handbags, hats and many other items.




When they are free from rice farming, members of the Water Hyacinth Wickerwork Group at Ban San Pa Muang village often spend their spare time making handicrafts to earn a supplementary income.



They begin by selecting stalks of water hyacinth of good quality to be dried in the sun for three to five days before being fumigated. They are sun-dried again before being sliced into pliable strips, to be worked into various designs and products according to the demands of their customers.



For items such as hats or artificial flowers that require meticulous work in particular, the wickerwork makers fashion stalks of water hyacinth to make them smooth with the final products coated with lacquer or oil for beauty and durability.



The wickerwork group comprises 55 members and they usually produce their handicrafts working from home. On special occasions, or when they welcome visitors, they will gather to demonstrate their handicraft skills in front of their houses.

Today, water hyacinth products from San Pa Muang Sub-district, which are priced according to the work content, are sold locally and exported. It is a great place to visited, especially if you like handicraft products.