Practical Phrae

Traveling to Phrae

The idea of traveling directly to Phrae is bad, regardless the departure point. Simply, there are several main attractions in the way to there from Bangkok, or in fact from any other direction. Stopping at least at Ayutthaya and Phitsanulok is recommended. Sukhothai is not far from the last though to the west, while Phrae is northwards.

Moreover, it is worth considering Phrae as the gate to Nan, Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle; traveling so far northwards and then missing these last locations would be almost a sin.

Understanding the area’s geography helps planning the trip; Phrae is entrapped among hills – similarly to Nan – and offers comfortable access only on the north to south axis. Thus reaching it from Phitsanulok and leaving it for Nan is sensible. See my Nan is Not a Bread journal to understand why this direction is the recommended one.

By Car

Phrae is along the main axis connecting Bangkok Index with the north; thus reaching it is easy. From Bangkok take Highway 1 and then Road 11 through Nakhon Sawan, Phichit, Phitsanulok and Uttaradit.

By Air

SGA flies from Bangkok to Phrae and Thai Airways reaches Phitsanulok. Strangely enough, there is a company providing flights to Mae Hong Son. This last option may be used for speeding up a trip around the country’s north if short of time. Specific information can be provided at the town travel agencies; as a rule of thumb, there is no need of previous reservations for domestic flights in Thailand, especially for secondary destinations.

By Busb>Mo Chit bus terminal in Bangkok between 10 AM and 10:30 PM. However, there are other options. Phrae is just north of Phitsanulok, a main travel hub connecting Central, Northern Thailand and Isaan. Buses from Bangkok to that city leave often; moreover, most buses to Chiang Rai and some of the buses to Chiang Mai stop at Phitsanulok. From the last there are many buses to Phrae.

The bus terminal in Phrae is located on Ban Mai Road – next to the place where it changes name to Yantrakit. That’s east of the Old City and practically on Road 101, leading to Rong Kwang. Walking from there to the Old City or the adjacent new downtown is possible and even recommended.

On Thai Bus Terminals

In an unexpected show of order, Thai bus terminals follow a very exact design. Understanding it ensures a smooth experience. Of course, mega-terminals feature different characteristics, I have already described Mo Chit in Bangkok.

Regardless their size, the central structure of most rural bus terminals would be shaped as a "T." The horizontal bar is where the tickets offices, food plazas or stalls, police boxes and other administrative functions are located. The tickets windows are classified according to destination and sometimes – especially for busy destinations – even by class. In bigger terminals some of the signs feature at least the destination name in English; however, in secondary locations expect nothing but Thai. Learning enough to decipher the names is easy.

Back to structural issues, along the vertical line of the "T" are the bus bays. Occasionally, tickets are sold next to the bays in the minutes just before the departure time; however the staff there is less likely to speak English.

Along the central spaces of the whole structure are benches – at night they are transformed into improvised beds. On the administrative areas – the horizontal bar of the "T," electric outlets may be found and gadgets charged.

Northern Loop

Phitsanulok is the ideal place for starting a big loop around Thailand's north due its position as the biggest crossroad in the country, sitting at the main connection of the North, with Isaan and Bangkok. There are buses from there practically to all the north; buses from everywhere to everywhere stop at its bus terminal at all hours.

The best is beginning the loop northwards; Phrae is the first town reached. Air-con buses from Phitsanulok to Phrae live during the morning and the early afternoon. Frequent buses connect Phrae with Nan. This last city was the last principality to join the Thai Kingdom, as recently as 1931, and is a much recommended stop due to the next leg of the trip.

Two ways lead from Nan to Chiang Rai; the newer passes through Phayao and has several buses during the day. However, the famous and scenic one goes through roads 1080, 1148 and then 1021. Only one bus per day uses this road; it leaves at 9 AM and arrives at 3 PM.

Chiang Rai was once the capital of the Lanna Kingdom and became a Thai province only in 1910. Nowadays it is a modern and comfortable city, the second in size in the north after Chiang Mai and the perfect place for replenishing the backpack or sitting idle for a couple of days. Being the gate to the Golden Triangle, it is also the ideal place for starting and finishing that itinerary.

Doi Maesalong is an interesting detour from the loop; to get there take the bus from Chiang Rai to Ban Pasang (from 6 AM to 6 PM every 15 minutes) and then a truck from the village northern junction to Doi Maesalong. The village is one of the counted Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) settlements in Thailand and is famous for its tea and views.

The next main stop is Chiang Mai. An interesting way of reaching Chiang Mai from Chiang Rai is through Fang, a village along the old way connecting to Chiang Mai, buses to there leave between 8 AM and 2 PM.

On the new route connecting Chiang Rai with Chiang Mai, the distance is 180km and the way longs anything between three to five hours, depending on the class of the bus. Buses of all classes span the distance from early in the morning until 5:30 PM on weekdays and 7 PM on weekends.

There is an additional option to travel through Lampang, 225km, 5 hours and 81B. However, it is more sensible to save time visiting Lampang from Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai is the most important city in Northern Thailand; it offers many points of interest for tourists; one of them is the Mae Hong Son loop.

If travelling through Mae Hong Son or skipping it, Tak would be eventually reached. Most buses leaving for Bangkok from Chiang Mai pass through it, but there is a direct, regular bus from Chiang Mai's Akaed terminal at noon (platform 15, 137B, three hours). West from Tak is Mae Sot, from where renewing the Thai visa by crossing to the Burmese town of Myawaddy is possible.

East of Tak is Old Sukhothai, which can be reached with any bus travelling eastwards from the terminal. It is better to explore the ruins of the old capital from Old Sukhothai; the new town is away from the ruins and has no special characteristics on itself.

One hour eastwards from New Sukhotai is Phitsanulok; there are frequent buses between the two during the day allowing closing the "Big Loop" of Northern Thailand.


From journal One Sunset over the Old Bridge