Discovering Lampang

Something I find very appealing about Thailand is that it has so many provinces and cities that often go under the radar of the average tourist, despite being wonderful places to visit. My wife Taew and I regularly travelled long distances by car, which gave us great opportunities to stop off and spend the night somewhere new, as was the case in Lampang.

About Lampang

Lampang is a peaceful, culturally rich province in upper northern Thailand, with a capital city of the same name. It lies along the Wang River, about 100 km southeast of Chiang Mai and 600 km north of Bangkok and is on the train route between the two cities.

Lampang has regular bus services to both Chiang Mai and Bangkok, as well as an airport with flights to the Thai capital. The city is famous for its horse-drawn carriages that carry people around the streets.

We wanted to discover what it had to offer, using advice from friends who had recently visited.

The Journey

The trip by car from our condo in Minburi, in the northeast of Bangkok, to Lampang was relatively simple once we reached Route 1 in Chainat, after taking the highway to go past Ayutthaya.

Onwards past Nakhon Sawan, with a short break along the way, Route 1 took us right to the edge of Lampang, where it was a simple enough drive into the city to find our hotel.

We chose the City 2 Hotel, which was clean, comfortable and decent value at around 550 THB (£12.50).

The YouTube video of our trip to Lampang

What’s to Do?

Like all provincial capitals, Lampang has a centrally located branch of the National Museum. However, we were pretty jaded after the journey, which had taken just over eight hours, so instead we ate a late lunch at a typical open-fronted noodle restaurant near our hotel before taking a siesta.

Our destination was Chiang Mai for what was likely to be a tiring 10 days. We would be helping to prepare the Gymkhana Club cricket ground ahead of the annual International Cricket Sixes, followed by me officiating at the tournament and Taew assisting behind the bar.

Therefore, a relaxing evening before completing the journey the next morning was exactly what we needed.

Lampang by Horse-Drawn Carriage

I guess, like a gondola ride in Venice or a cable car in San Francisco, a tour around town by horse-drawn carriage in Lampang is a must.

My good lady negotiated with the lady looking after the horses and carriages waiting for trade, and we set off to take in the streets of the small, pretty city. We were taken across the Wang River, past some stunning old houses and government buildings to the Orange Suspension Bridge. Back over the river and through the streets, we continued.

There was a nice ambience about the place, with people out and about using smart independent shops and restaurants backing onto the Wang.

Our navigator chatted to Taew and let her know about anything interesting along the route. I was happy to go past some of the establishments I'd been recommended, so I knew we were in the right place when I fancied some food and drink.

We stopped outside the stunning Wat Chiang Rai, where our pilot took photos for us next to our horse. It was a lovely, romantic 40 minutes or so as the sun set and we enjoyed seeing another new city. We were taken around the clock tower and then dropped off outside The Riverside Restaurant.

Evening Food and Drink

The restaurant lived up to the standards my friends had described. The open gardens and platforms at the rear looked over the river and the illuminated bridge.

I thought the food was good and appreciated seeing craft beer on the menu. Taew got into the holiday mood with a cocktail. A live band was getting ready to perform, but we decided to go for a walk. The plan was to see a bit more of the city, buy some drinks and have an early night.

That's when things went slightly off course. Literally.

A Long Walk Home

We walked to the Clock Tower as I recognised that it was by a main road that was bound to have a 7-Eleven where we could buy our drinks. We eventually found a store, but because it was adjacent to a school, they were not permitted to have an alcohol licence.

What I hadn't realised was that the road it was on didn't run parallel to the river and actually took us further away from our hotel.

Soju, a Korean drink made from rice and available in various fruit flavours, and a rough equivalent to young Scots drinking bottles of Buckfast, should be mixed with soda and not drunk neat. At least she slept soundly.

My Closing Thoughts

Lampang proved to be a great find and a recommended stop, or even a day out from Chiang Mai.

The city has a sleepy, enticing atmosphere, especially at dusk, with plenty of riverside options to enjoy the evening. It isn't somewhere that necessarily screams for your attention, but perhaps that's part of its appeal. For us, it was simply somewhere to break up a long journey.

Instead, we discovered a charming northern Thai city, enjoyed a horse-drawn carriage ride at sunset, had a good meal beside the river and even managed to get ourselves lost on the way back to the hotel. Not a bad way to spend a night.

If you enjoyed this story, feel free to check out my YouTube Channel, where I share videos about everyday life in Thailand, local football and travel across the country, including the video I made during our visit to Lampang.

Thanks for reading.