Day 1, Wednesday 20 September - Taphan Hin (Phichit)
Waisting no Time....... Knowing I need to be in Bangkok the following week, this week is free but is it too early to try something ambitious? It's only my second full day in Thailand and we've had little time to plan a tour. On the other hand I don't want to waste days doing nothing. By 10am I've collected my thoughts and decide to head out on what will be a 5- or 6-day tour. I'm heading for one of the few remaining provinces I've yet to cover but it's over 300 kilometers away.
Remarkably it takes not much more than an hour to pack and be ready. Well before lunch we're heading north towards Ayutthaya. There we can take that lunch. Turning off highway 32 we head towards the city and conveniently pass Chedi Wat Sam Pluem which is on my wish list. There is no documentary evidence about the history of the building, only one round chedi is left. It is an old chedi made of bricks without mortar in the style of the early Ayutthaya period. So now for lunch in view of the chedi.
Back on track....... The next location is an obvious one as I cannot miss an opportunity to visit the railway station in Ayutthaya. I wait for a couple of services to pass through one for Surin at the next service from Ubon Ratchathani heading for Bangkok. The next location is a must which adds to the history of Ayutthaya. The historic city here is relatively compact but I've been here twice just to cover it adequately. I now head for a most important monument which is some distance from the city which is why I haven't covered it before.
Prasat Nakhon Luang....... Prasat Nakhon Luang lies in Nakhon Luang district on the east bank of the Pasak River near its confluence with the Lopburi River. This ruin was a royal residence for summer retreats and was used by various Kings of Ayutthaya as a temporary camp en route to visit the Lord Buddha's Footprint in Saraburi or to visit Lopburi. Prince Damrong surmised that this residence was built during the reign of King Song Tham when the Footprint was discovered.
Prasat Nakhon Luang is not a popular location for international tourists. Those who do visit Ayutthaya will find it's ruins more than enough to cope with without venturing this far outside it. Accordingly, there is no fee, but neither is there any information in English.
Wat Mai Chumphol....... Just 100 metres from Prasat Nakhon Luang is the temple of Wat Mai Chumphol with its distinctive brick chedi. Wat Mai Chumphon underwent restoration in the reign of king Chulalongkorn around 1893 AD. The monastery features a main chedi built with twelve-indented corners and standing on a square platform, 15 metres wide and 25 metres high; a renovated ordination hall which was constructed on the original foundations of the old one and a sermon hall with the Buddha called Luang Pho Song Tham still having mural paintings from the 18th century.
Thapan Hin it is....... These locations in Ayutthaya have taken more time than I would have liked. it means we are struggling to arrive at our destination before dark and there's the small matter of finding accommodation. We head north through Singburi Province and then Nakhon Sawan along a route with which I am totally unfamiliar, and that unfamiliarity leads me towards a province that's never featured before on my website. Located in between two major highways leading north it's never been a province I needed to pass through. So, late in the afternoon we arrive in Phichit province where I need to spend at least a couple of days to record the attractions there. By the time we cross the provincial border light is already failing. I would have liked to have been in the provincial capital by this time but finding myself with a good half hour still left to go I find myself in the provincial town of Taphan Hin. This town is also on the railway and is one of the destinations for regional trains. I don't mind staying here overnight if I can't find suitable accommodation.
Compromised....... On arrival in the town I frantically look or accommodation on Google map. There isn't too much choice as we head right into the busy market town. At our second attempt we make do with New Hua Hin Hotel which is clearly not new. All the modern hotels and resorts these days are in the suburbs. If it turns out to be suitable then it's convenient for everything including the railway station.
For some odd reason I don't check the room before booking figuring we have asked all the relevant questions at reception. However, too late I realize the wiring in the room has not been upgraded with only the old-style flat pin sockets available. I guess in our eagerness to get away, there was bound to be something I forgot. This time it's an adapter to take the 3-pin round plug on my computer. To make matters worse, shops that would have provided one are now closed in this sleepy town. In addition, we fail to locate a suitable restaurant so it's a case of making do with street food for tonight. The only positive is that there is no pressure on my budget at all.
Making Do....... With the limited amount of work I can get done tonight all I can hope for is is to make a few plans for tomorrow and hope for a peaceful night. As a footnote I head out for an evening stroll and end up at the railway station where, as expected there is no activity. However, I do locate some suitable restaurants but by mow it's too late.
Arriving in Phichit province it's not merely the case of just adding one of the few remaining provinces to my visit list but of exploring this province which has plenty of history of its own.
Next Page.
Waisting no Time....... Knowing I need to be in Bangkok the following week, this week is free but is it too early to try something ambitious? It's only my second full day in Thailand and we've had little time to plan a tour. On the other hand I don't want to waste days doing nothing. By 10am I've collected my thoughts and decide to head out on what will be a 5- or 6-day tour. I'm heading for one of the few remaining provinces I've yet to cover but it's over 300 kilometers away.
Remarkably it takes not much more than an hour to pack and be ready. Well before lunch we're heading north towards Ayutthaya. There we can take that lunch. Turning off highway 32 we head towards the city and conveniently pass Chedi Wat Sam Pluem which is on my wish list. There is no documentary evidence about the history of the building, only one round chedi is left. It is an old chedi made of bricks without mortar in the style of the early Ayutthaya period. So now for lunch in view of the chedi.
Back on track....... The next location is an obvious one as I cannot miss an opportunity to visit the railway station in Ayutthaya. I wait for a couple of services to pass through one for Surin at the next service from Ubon Ratchathani heading for Bangkok. The next location is a must which adds to the history of Ayutthaya. The historic city here is relatively compact but I've been here twice just to cover it adequately. I now head for a most important monument which is some distance from the city which is why I haven't covered it before.
Prasat Nakhon Luang....... Prasat Nakhon Luang lies in Nakhon Luang district on the east bank of the Pasak River near its confluence with the Lopburi River. This ruin was a royal residence for summer retreats and was used by various Kings of Ayutthaya as a temporary camp en route to visit the Lord Buddha's Footprint in Saraburi or to visit Lopburi. Prince Damrong surmised that this residence was built during the reign of King Song Tham when the Footprint was discovered.
Prasat Nakhon Luang is not a popular location for international tourists. Those who do visit Ayutthaya will find it's ruins more than enough to cope with without venturing this far outside it. Accordingly, there is no fee, but neither is there any information in English.
Wat Mai Chumphol....... Just 100 metres from Prasat Nakhon Luang is the temple of Wat Mai Chumphol with its distinctive brick chedi. Wat Mai Chumphon underwent restoration in the reign of king Chulalongkorn around 1893 AD. The monastery features a main chedi built with twelve-indented corners and standing on a square platform, 15 metres wide and 25 metres high; a renovated ordination hall which was constructed on the original foundations of the old one and a sermon hall with the Buddha called Luang Pho Song Tham still having mural paintings from the 18th century.
Thapan Hin it is....... These locations in Ayutthaya have taken more time than I would have liked. it means we are struggling to arrive at our destination before dark and there's the small matter of finding accommodation. We head north through Singburi Province and then Nakhon Sawan along a route with which I am totally unfamiliar, and that unfamiliarity leads me towards a province that's never featured before on my website. Located in between two major highways leading north it's never been a province I needed to pass through. So, late in the afternoon we arrive in Phichit province where I need to spend at least a couple of days to record the attractions there. By the time we cross the provincial border light is already failing. I would have liked to have been in the provincial capital by this time but finding myself with a good half hour still left to go I find myself in the provincial town of Taphan Hin. This town is also on the railway and is one of the destinations for regional trains. I don't mind staying here overnight if I can't find suitable accommodation.
Compromised....... On arrival in the town I frantically look or accommodation on Google map. There isn't too much choice as we head right into the busy market town. At our second attempt we make do with New Hua Hin Hotel which is clearly not new. All the modern hotels and resorts these days are in the suburbs. If it turns out to be suitable then it's convenient for everything including the railway station.
For some odd reason I don't check the room before booking figuring we have asked all the relevant questions at reception. However, too late I realize the wiring in the room has not been upgraded with only the old-style flat pin sockets available. I guess in our eagerness to get away, there was bound to be something I forgot. This time it's an adapter to take the 3-pin round plug on my computer. To make matters worse, shops that would have provided one are now closed in this sleepy town. In addition, we fail to locate a suitable restaurant so it's a case of making do with street food for tonight. The only positive is that there is no pressure on my budget at all.
Making Do....... With the limited amount of work I can get done tonight all I can hope for is is to make a few plans for tomorrow and hope for a peaceful night. As a footnote I head out for an evening stroll and end up at the railway station where, as expected there is no activity. However, I do locate some suitable restaurants but by mow it's too late.
Arriving in Phichit province it's not merely the case of just adding one of the few remaining provinces to my visit list but of exploring this province which has plenty of history of its own.
Next Page.
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
Chedi Wat Sam Pluem, Khlong Suan Phlu, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District
Ayutthaya Railway Station,
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
Distinctive Songthaews, Ayutthaya Railway Station, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
Prasat Nakhon Luang, Nakhon Luang, Nakhon Luang District
Pasak River, Nakhon Luang,
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District
Wat Mai Chumphol, Nakhon Luang,
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District
Phichit Railway Station, Phichit