We planned to visit Chiang Khan since the beginning of 2021, but unfortunately, COVID-19 broke out and we had to cancel our trip. However, as the situation improved towards the end of the year, we decided to take the trip once again. We decided to go for three days and two nights, leaving Bangkok early in the morning on the first day. The journey took approximately 8-9 hours via the route of Bangkok-Saraburi-Lopburi-Phetchabun/Lomsak-Phu Ruea-Chiang Khan, but in reality, it took us longer as we stopped at various places along the way, which we considered a “bonus” of the trip.
We began our journey from Bangkok at half-past five in the morning, before the sun had risen. It was the day of the Loi Krathong festival (River floating lantern festival in Full moon day), and we wanted to experience the atmosphere of floating lanterns in Chiang Khan. While looking at the map, we decided to make a stop at the “Wat Phra That Pha Son Kaew” temple, located on a mountain. We arrived at the temple around 11 o’clock (having had breakfast earlier in Lopburi). The highlight of this temple is a large, white Buddha statue in the meditation posture that gradually decreases in size as it goes down in levels. Anyone who visits Khao Kho should not miss the beauty of Wat Phra That Pha Son Kaew.
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We spent about an hour walking around and taking photos of the temple and the view from the mountain. We also paid respects to the Buddha image. Around noon, we continued our journey to our main destination. By then, it had already been half a day, but we had only covered half the distance to Chiang Khan. During the journey, we came across a signpost indicating the way to “Phra That Sri Song Rak“, which is the province’s sacred stupa, and we couldn’t resist stopping to visit it (again 😛 ).
We arrived at Phra That Si Song Rak in Dan Sai district at around 2:30 pm. The location of the pagoda was not far from the main road to Chiang Khan, so we stopped by comfortably and chilled out. Phra That Si Song Rak is a symbol of the Thai-Lao relationship, representing the strong relationship between the two neighboring countries, like brotherly love.
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We didn’t spend much time at Phra That Sisaket because we realized we hadn’t had lunch yet. So, we said goodbye to Phra That Sisaket and went to look for Som Tam, a famous local food of Isan. After we filled our stomachs, we headed straight to Chiang Khan to check in at our accommodation and walk along the famous walking street and float our krathongs.
We arrived in Chiang Khan around 5:30 pm, just before the sunset. We checked into our accommodation, which was a private house that we booked for six people. We stayed at “Huan Mai Hake Dee,” which is just a minute’s walk from the walking street. The owner was very friendly and welcoming, and the room and bathroom were clean and comfortable. We felt like we were staying at a home away from home.
After we freshened up, we headed out to the walking street of Chiang Khan. It was a Friday evening, and coincidentally, it was also the Loi Krathong festival, where people release floating lanterns into the sky and river. The street was bustling with people enjoying the festival, and many were releasing the lanterns. It was a beautiful and exciting sight to see.
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I would like to say that the food on the Chiang Khan Walking Street is amazing. Everything is delicious, and we don’t know what to recommend because we’ve tried almost everything. For those who want to chill out, there are also cafes to enjoy a cold drink along the 1.5 kilometer long street. Plus, the cool weather during the end of the rainy season and beginning of winter made the atmosphere so pleasant and inviting, that we forgot about all the stressful things in life. 🙂
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After we had a satisfying and delightful meal from strolling along the pedestrian street, at around 8:30 pm, we walked back to our accommodation to rest and recharge, as tomorrow we planned to wake up early and head out to “Phu Thok” to witness the sea of mist and the sunrise.
Overall, we woke up early to travel to Chiang Khan. Along the way, we stopped to visit places that were not originally in our plan, which was a bonus for us on this trip. We can say that we have lived a valuable life for another day. Although we were tired, we felt happy to have gone out and experienced an atmosphere that can truly be called “relaxing”.
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Written by : SHIPY SIWARIT TIASUWATTISETH
Shipy-Ship 