Stretching across the ‘Emerald Triangle’, the jungle-clad intersection of the Lao, Thai and Cambodian borders, is the little-known Phu Chong Nayoi National Park (0 4541 1515, reservations 0 2562 0760; admission 400B; 24hr), one of Thailand’s wildest parks
Phrae Province is probably most famous for the distinctive sêua mâw hâwm, the indigo-dyed cotton farmer’s shirt seen all over Thailand. ‘Made in Phrae’ has always been a sign of distinction for these staples of rural Thai life, and since the student-worke
Like Chiang Mai and Lampang, Phrae has an old city partially surrounded by a moat beside a river (here it’s the Mae Nam Yom). Unlike Chiang Mai, Phrae’s old city still has lots of quiet lanes and old teak houses – if you’re a fan of traditional Thai teak
Hwy 12 between Phitsanulok and Lom Sak is known as the ‘Green Route’, which parallels the scenic, rapid-studded Lam Nam Khek. Off this route are waterfalls, resorts, the Phu Hin Rong Kla and Thung Salaeng Luang National Parks. The sites tend to be more po
Under the reign of Ayuthaya King Borom Trailokanat (1448–88), Phitsanulok served as the capital of Thailand for 25 years. Because the town straddles Mae Nam Nan near a junction with Mae Nam Khwae Noi, it’s sometimes referred to as Song Khwae (Two Tributar
The innocuous little town of Phimai has one of northeastern Thailand’s finest surviving Khmer temple complexes at its heart. Reminiscent of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, which was built a century later, Prasat Phimai once stood on an important trade route linkin
Visitors often stop in the dusty town of Phibun Mangsahan to see a set of rapids called Kaeng Sapheu, just downstream of the Mae Nam Mun river crossing. The rocky islets make ‘Python Rapids’ rise only from end of January until June, but the shady park her
Most travellers see Phetchaburi (commonly known as Phetburi) as a rushed day trip from Bangkok or from the window of a southbound bus or train, but a more leisurely approach allows you to peel back the intriguing layers of Thai history. Originally settled
Phanom Rung (Big Hill; 0 4463 1746; admission 40B; 6am-6pm) has a knock-me-dead location. Crowning the summit of a spent volcano, this sanctuary sits a good 70 storeys above the flat paddy fields below. To the southeast you can clearly see Cambodia’s Dong
More than anywhere else in Thailand, the Phang-Nga coastline is still reeling from the devastation of the 2004 tsunami. In fact about 6, 000 of the deaths – well over half the national count – occurred along this section of the Andaman coast, particularly