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Lampang
The provincial capital of Lampang is a mid-sized Thai city which is located 100km from Chiang Mai and can be reached by road and by train. Lampang is home to some outstanding temples and traditional wooden houses. The city is bordered by the Khun Tan Range on the west and the Phi Pan Nam range on the east.
The best time to visit Lampang is from November to January where the weather is cooler and less humid due to Thai's northern climate making it much more enjoyable to cycle around Lampang.
How To Get To Lampang, Thailand:
In order to get to Lampang, the fastest way is to fly into Chiang Mai International Airport before getting on a train or a bus to Lampang. There are several ways you can get to Chiang Mai, some of which can be direct, and some you will likely have to transit through Bangkok. To find a cheap flight to Chiang Mai, we would recommend you search flight on our websiste to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.
The best way to get around Lampang is by bike. You can rent a bike for 80 THB for a day at Memmoth Hostel. With this itinerary, except for the last 3 attractions on the list, you should be able to go by bike.
So, what is Best Things To Do In Lampang, let explore with us now!
Wat Si Rongmuang is a stunning Buddhist temple built in the early 20th Century by a Burmese immigrant in a beautiful mixture of Shan and Lanna architectural style that reminded me of the temples in Mandalay, Myanmar. Within the temple, you will find a richly decorated teak wood hall with building columns covered in glass mosaics and the hall filled with beautiful carvings and Buddha images to the brim.
After visiting Wat Si Rongmuang, continue riding your bike towards Lampang Clock Tower and from there, turn north and you will arrive at Wat Chiang Rai on your right. Wat Chiang Rai, as the name refers, is a temple inspired by the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) in Chiang Rai that is well known throughout the world for its unique, intricate white exterior and its use of reflective glass in the plaster, sparkling in the sun. Although Wat Chiang Rai may not be as impressive as Wat Rong Khun, it is still a nice place to walk around and observe all the intricate detail of the temple.
Most visitors simply visit Lampang to see theThailand Elephant Conservation Center, bypassing Lampang town on their way to Chiang Mai and provinces farther north. However, while the elephant center is certainly a must-see attraction, those willing to spend some time in the provincial capital are generally surprised by the charming and somewhat unusual town and province of Lampang. Famous for its horse-drawn carriages and sporting a rooster on its provincial emblem (the bird also honored with a large statue in the center of town), Lampang boasts a long history of human settlements within the Wang River basin, some of which date back more than 1,000 years. Lampang is rich in archaeological evidence from the kingdoms of Hariphunchai, Lanna, and Burma. The horse and carriage, a mode of local transportation that has survived the introduction of automobiles to Lampang, is a fun way to explore the surprisingly large town, which features a number of beautiful old temples. The rooster statue, which you are likely to pass along the way, is a much older symbol of Lampang, dating back to the city’s former name, Kukutthanakorn, or City of Roosters, a name that was derived from a local legend about a white rooster that was sent by the Brahmin God Indra to wake the local inhabitants so they could give alms to the Lord Buddha, who was purportedly visiting the town.
If you are there on the weekend, be sure to drop by Kad Kongta Night Market where an entire street turned into a night market with shops and street food stalls set up along both sides of the road. The night market opens on Saturday and Sunday starting from 4 PM to 10 PM.
What To Eat And Drink In Lampang
If you found yourself somewhere near Wat Chiang Rai in the afternoon, be sure to stop by and have lunch at Khao Mun Kai Ha Yak. The restaurant serves Hainanese-style chicken rice which is a tasty dish of poached chicken and seasoned rice, served with chili sauce and cucumbers. They also come in fried or steamed, whichever you pick, you are sure to be mind-blown by their tasty chicken.
One of the most popular dinner places in Lampang, and you will see when you are there, is Aroy One Baht Restaurant, an old-style restaurant inside a 2-levels wooden house that serves a variety of delicious dishes that you can eat with Thai-style rice soup.
If you are looking for a place to go out at night and be among the youth of Lampang, Rgong Garden is a great open-space area where you will be surrounded by pubs, restaurants, and a beer garden that you can pick from. It gets really crowded and more fun especially on a Friday night so be sure to align your visit with Fridays.