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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Phrae
Spend a day in Phrae to see the historic teak houses, main temples and a waterfall; add a night if you want a relaxed pace.
Phrae is a small northern town with compact historic sights—most can be visited in a few hours. One full day covers the key temples, the old city wall, and a nearby waterfall; a night adds leisure and easier travel to Wiang Kosai National Park.
- Country
- Thailand
- Best months
- Nov–Feb (dry, cool)
- Avoid
- May–Oct (rainy season)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget 800–1,200 baht excl. bed · Mid 1,200–1,800 baht excl. bed · High 1,800+ baht excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance 1669 · Tourist police 1155
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | 30–50 baht |
| Pad Thai (street stall) | 40–70 baht |
| Ticket to Wongburi House | 30 baht |
| Songthaew ride | 20–30 baht |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LPT · Lampang Airport
- ≈70 km (43 mi) north, bus about 1.5 h≈43 mi (70 km) north, bus about 1.5 h
Typical fares
- Songthaew town centre → bus station
- ≈20 baht, 5 min (check)
- Taxi to Wiang Kosai National Park
- ≈300 baht round trip (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Town is walkable; songthaews run from the bus station to the centre. For Wiang Kosai National Park, hire a taxi (≈300 baht) or join a local tour.
See and do
Known for
- Historic teak houses
- Wat Luang and Wat Phra Non temples
- Wiang Kosai 7‑tiered waterfall
- Mo Hom hand‑woven fabric
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wiang Kosai National Park | Songthaew or taxi about 30 km (19 mi) west, 45 minSongthaew or taxi about 19 mi (30 km) west, 45 min | ≈2 h round trip |
| Nan | Bus from Phrae station, ~2 h | ≈3 h total |
Sleep
- Nakhorn Phrae Hotel
- Budget double room, central, free Wi‑Fi
- Paradorn Hotel
- Mid‑range, near bus station
- Thepvong Place
- Quiet lane, close to night market
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | ขอโทษkŏr‑tôht |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkòp‑kun |
| How much is it? | ราคาเท่าไหร่raa‑kaa tâo‑rai |
| Where is the bathroom? | ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหนhâwng‑náam yùu têe‑năi |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Check bus station departure times; last bus leaves around 19:00.
- Waterfall access may be limited in heavy rain (check locally).
Phrae is generally safe; petty theft is rare but keep valuables secure in crowded markets.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Phrae yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Historic teak houses
- Wat Luang and Wat Phra Non temples
- Wiang Kosai 7‑tiered waterfall
- Mo Hom hand‑woven fabric
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Phrae, revision 4526737 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4526737
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/phrae). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.