Kamphaeng Phet is the quiet member of Thailand’s Sukhothai-era trio. Its historical park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 together with Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai, yet it sees a fraction of their visitors. Laterite temples stand in shady forest, elephant sculptures circle old stupas, and the town itself sits peacefully on the Ping River. Add waterfalls and mountain parks in the west, and Kamphaeng Phet is ideal for travellers who prefer history without the crowds.<\/p>\n
Buses from Bangkok’s Mo Chit terminal stop in Kamphaeng Phet on the way north, and the town is a short drive off the main Bangkok\u2013north highway. There is no airport; the nearest are Sukhothai and Phitsanulok. The historical park is close to town and is best explored by bicycle or car, as the forest zone is spread out. An admission fee applies to the main zones of the historical park; check current rates at the ticket booth.<\/p>\n
Inside the old city walls, Wat Phra Kaeo was the royal temple, with weathered Buddha images and rows of laterite columns, and Wat Phra That next door has a bell-shaped stupa. Walk the earthen ramparts and moat to sense the scale of the old fortified town, whose name means “diamond wall”.<\/p>\n
North of the walls, forest monasteries lie under tall trees. Highlights are Wat Phra Si Iriyabot, with large images of the Buddha standing and walking; Wat Chang Rob, whose stupa base is ringed by elephant sculptures; and Wat Phra Non with its massive laterite pillars. Go early or late for soft light and cooler air.<\/p>\n
Restored forts along the riverside walls show how the city defended the Ping River route. A pleasant stop on a bicycle loop.<\/p>\n
Bronze images, stucco and finds from the historical park, including a well-known bronze Shiva, help make sense of the ruins. A provincial museum nearby covers local ethnic groups and history.<\/p>\n
Across the Ping River, the old Nakhon Chum community has wooden shophouses, a local market and Wat Phra Borommathat Nakhon Chum, with a Burmese-style chedi. It is a good place for a slow walk and street food.<\/p>\n
A respected shrine near the old city centre, where locals come to make offerings.<\/p>\n
About an hour from town, Khlong Lan Waterfall drops from a high cliff into a pool surrounded by forest. It is one of the province’s most popular nature stops.<\/p>\n
A large mountain park on the western ranges, known for forest trails, cool-season camping and the trek to Mokoju peak (open in the dry season with permits). Check park announcements for trail openings.<\/p>\n
Natural hot springs with soaking pools, a relaxing break on the way to the parks.<\/p>\n
The riverside in town is pleasant at sunset, with joggers, food stalls and views across to Nakhon Chum.<\/p>\n
Day 1 \u2013 History:<\/strong> morning in the Aranyik zone by bicycle, lunch in town, afternoon at the National Museum and the walled zone, sunset by the Ping River. Day 2 \u2013 Nakhon Chum and nature:<\/strong> breakfast at Nakhon Chum market and visit Wat Phra Borommathat, then drive to Khlong Lan Waterfall and finish at the hot springs. Continue to Sukhothai or Tak the next day.<\/p>\n The Kluai Khai (egg banana) Festival<\/strong>, held together with the Sart Thai merit-making festival around September, celebrates the province’s famous small bananas with parades of decorated floats, local food and crafts. The Nop Phra Len Phleng<\/strong> tradition, linked to Wat Phra Borommathat Nakhon Chum, is held in the early part of the year with worship, folk songs and fairs, and Loy Krathong in November brings lantern-lit events at the historical park. Songkran in April is celebrated with merit-making and water play. Dates change each year, so check with TAT, and read our Songkran etiquette and survival guide<\/a> before joining the water fights.<\/p>\n Kamphaeng Phet appears twice on King Naresuan’s routes. After his defeat at Ban Sa Ket in 1586, the King of Chiang Mai fled by way of Kamphaeng Phet, and in 1605 Naresuan’s army marched north through Kamphaeng Phet towards Chiang Mai. Read the full stories with maps: The Battle of Ban Sa Ket, 1586<\/a> \u00b7 The March towards Ava and Naresuan’s Death at Mueang Hang, 1605<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Yes. Its historical park is part of the “Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns” listed by UNESCO in 1991.<\/p>\n One day covers the historical park; two days lets you add Nakhon Chum and a national park.<\/p>\n Yes, cycling is the most pleasant way to get between temples in the forest zone.<\/p>\n Kluai khai, the small sweet egg banana. See our Kamphaeng Phet food guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cover photo: Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park.jpg<\/a> \u00b7 Chainfoto \u00b7 CC BY 4.0<\/a> \u00b7 Wikimedia Commons<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kamphaeng Phet guide: UNESCO historical park, Aranyik forest temples, Nakhon Chum, Khlong Lan waterfall, Kluai Khai Festival and a 2-day route.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5628,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"province":[225],"class_list":["post-5627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-attractions-en","province-kamphaeng-phet-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5627"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5650,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5627\/revisions\/5650"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5627"},{"taxonomy":"province","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/province?post=5627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Festivals and events<\/h2>\n
On King Naresuan’s trail<\/h3>\n
Travel tips<\/h2>\n
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FAQ<\/h2>\n
Is Kamphaeng Phet a World Heritage Site?<\/h3>\n
How long do I need?<\/h3>\n
Can I cycle in the historical park?<\/h3>\n
What is Kamphaeng Phet famous for eating?<\/h3>\n
More from songkran.com<\/h2>\n
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