
Authentic Thailand – Phrae and Nan near Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand's green corner is written by Jens Skovgaard Andersen. RejsRejsRejs had Tourism Authority of Thailand as a partner on the trip. All positions are, as always, the editorial staff's own.

You will find authentic Thailand further north
Thailand attracts tourists from all over the world throughout the year. There is nothing to say about that, as the country really is the perfect holiday country.
It may seem difficult to find the authentic Thailand in certain places without crowds of foreign tourists and enticing neon lights. But it exists. The authentic Thailand lies, among other things, in the far north in the provinces of Phrae and Nan close to Chiang Mai.
Many tourists, travelers and backpackers are attracted Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand, and there is also really a lot to do and a lot to see here.
Chiang Mai is many visitors' favorite city in Thailand, as the historic city has everything one could need and at the same time is manageable. And then it is cosy, good to walk in and easy to get to.
A few hours east of Chiang Mai do you find another Thailand; a Thailand that the Thais themselves visit when they have time off.
Here, 90 percent of the tourists are local Thais, and life is lived quietly and in a traditional way. The provinces of Phrae and Nan are close to the border Laos and far from Thailand's tourist meccas in the south. So do yourself a favor and visit Phrae and Nan.
Here you get beautiful historic temples, traditional wooden houses, surprising food experiences, fantastic local cuisine and perhaps most importantly: You get Thailand and the Thais almost to yourself.
It's even easy to get there. You can fly directly from Bangkok, or you can go by bus, train or taxi from Chiang Mai.
See here what you can experience.
Phrae – the teak capital with threads to Denmark
When you arrive at the city of Phrae, you have no doubt that the city is built on and of a certain thing: Teak wood. It was precisely the export of teak wood that gave Phrae its modern heyday from the end of the 1800th century, and the teak wood leaves a big mark on Phrae to this day.
In fact, one of the pioneers of teak export was the Danish company Østasiatisk Kompagni, which had its headquarters in the city for decades. Other foreign companies also participated in the production of teak, and the city of Phrae became the center of the teak industry.
Nowadays, the beautiful wooden houses – which they themselves call 'gingerbread houses' or 'gingerbread houses' in English – bear witness to the greatness of the past. And in several places in the city, the locals have set about creating a new heyday based on the values of the past.
A good example is gingerbread house, which is located right in the center of the city. Here, the managing couple have invested in a promising career as architects Bangkok aside to build something worthwhile in the childhood town of Phrae. They run an excellent restaurant and café with accompanying wine shop, where you can taste and buy the local speciality, which is rice wine made from 'sticky rice'.
You will be welcomed with open arms both in the restaurant, the café and the wine shop, and also in the excellent gallery on the first floor of the house, where there used to be hotel rooms. Here, a local art collector shows off his unique collection. The collection is characterized by a mixture of traditional arts with a very modern touch.
In the evening you can go on a guided city tour in a 'tram', which is actually an extended golf cart. This tour gives you a particularly atmospheric impression of the city, and you stop several times along the way. You experience temples that are especially open at night just for you, ceremonies and music and singing in the dark.
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The night drive is combined with an excellent dinner in the restaurant, where the menu is on the northern Thai specialty 'kantok', where the local dishes are served on a plate in the middle of the table, and everyone throws themselves at the delicacies and enjoys the experience together.
Phrae's heyday is best experienced by a visit to Khum Chao Luang – a sumptuous teak villa in the middle of the city, which has been home to kings, princes and governors for 130 years. Now the building is a museum, and here Phrae's proud and sometimes violent past comes to life around you.
Take the time to read up on the history or let a local guide take you through the dining rooms, bedrooms, offices and crawl space and learn about Phrae's tumultuous history with tight threads for boats Myanmar og Laos . And remember to also enjoy the beautiful house in itself, because it is wooden craftsmanship of the highest quality.
Temples for the big gold medal
An important reason why many Thais come to Phrae and Northern Thailand is to visit the city's important historical temples. And they are therefore impressive – even for visitors who do not have a religious relationship with them.
Just on the outskirts of town you will find the temple Wat Phra That Cho Hae, which is especially sacred to all Buddhists born in the year of the tiger.
The Tiger Temple is a pilgrimage destination for Thais who want to pray for happiness and prosperity in life. They do this by circling the 33 meter high gilded stupa, which glints strongly in the sun and to that extent dominates the temple complex.
As a visitor, you can easily participate in the many small rituals with incense, flowers, small tiger figures, blessings from the monks and much more. Thai temples are lively and open places, and there is always something to experience. Even if you have seen temples elsewhere in the country already, Wat Phra That Cho Hae is definitely worth a visit.
The same can be said of the temple Wat Phra That Inkhang, which is located east of the city in the forested green mountains. Here, the atmosphere is completely different, and you can feel the deep quiet of the forest on your own body.
The temple is particularly known for a golden rock block that balances on the edge of a cliff. It is a copy of a famous gold rock in Myanmar, but unlike the original, this temple can be visited by both women and men. Therefore, the temple especially attracts many women who want to pray for children, a groom or better times.
While the previous temple was dedicated to those born in the year of the tiger, this temple is specifically meant for those born in the year of the horse. In Thai tradition, they use the same 12-fold zodiac as they do in e.g China, and to spread out the praying Buddhist visitors a little, the various temples have been assigned a special meaning for each of the 12 animals.
The view from Wat Phra That Inkhang is unique and peaceful, and there is nothing to be said for the great golden Buddha sitting and enjoying life with his eyes fixed on the green hills and mountains.
Nan – the authentic Thailand all to yourself
A little further east you will come to the province and city of Nan. Like Phrae, Nan is a former historical kingdom, which now instead forms a peaceful, authentic corner of Northern Thailand. Here on the border Laos you will be gifted with atmospheric temples, a night market with all kinds of local street delicacies, walking routes for all levels and just a good laid-back atmosphere.
And chocolate!
Chocolate may not be the first thing you associate with Thailand, but here in Nan they have the perfect conditions for chocolate production, and you can best experience this by visiting Cocoa Valley Resort in the village of Pua close to the city of Nan itself.
Here you can stay in a chocolate hotel, enjoy a cup of cocoa or a chocolate milkshake in the chocolate café, treat yourself to delicious chocolate cakes and pralines and get your hands on the chocolate in a workshop where you make your own plate of delicious chocolate with filling.
You can even come along to the plantation and see how the colorful cacao fruits are grown, harvested, dried and processed into the chocolate we all love. Here you can really dive into everything to do with chocolate.
If you stay at the hotel, you even have a chocolate-themed bathtub – it's not yet possible to bathe in hot chocolate, but maybe one day. Who knows?
Take the family or your significant other to Thai Chocolate Resort, it's a sure hit.
Inside Nan, you cannot avoid seeing the old temples in the middle of the city. The one, Wat phumin, is particularly known for its murals, which depict scenes from Buddhism, and also everyday scenes from 1800th century Nan. Locals are particularly taken by a scene where a loving couple whisper sweet things to each other, and it is definitely the most popular subject for photos and selfies.
Outside Wat Phumin, the city's young, old, families and aspiring singles gather in the evenings on weekends to eat, socialize and chat. Here is the city's night market, which offers everything between heaven and earth culinary and in the form of clothes and tingeltangle.
You can choose to stroll between the hundreds of food stalls and snack along the way, or take dinner with you to the square in front of the temple and find a place on one of the unrolled carpets. If there is a place - it is quickly filled by local families.
The night market is teeming with people and there are almost no tourists, so once again you get the authentic Thailand almost to yourself. As for the food, you just have to try your hand at it. There's probably something you can't figure out what it is, but that's part of the experience.
On the other side of the square is another impressive temple, which is worth a visit, and all in all, Nan is a pleasant city to explore.
Find a restaurant along the river and enjoy a round of local dishes and a cool drink. It is pure enjoyment.

Straw hat and indigo – you must bring that home from Phrae and Nan
Of course, you can't come home without some authentic souvenirs Thailand. Here are a handful of good suggestions.
If you make your way past the Cocoa Valley resort, there is no way around chocolate souvenirs. It doesn't have to be chocolate to eat - it also risks melting in the heat or being eaten prematurely. At Cocoa Valley, for example, they also make soap, creams and cosmetics from the cocoa fruits.
It is an obvious gift idea.
gingerbread house in Phrae has a large selection of bottled alcohol. Thai law prohibits the advertising of alcohol, so the special sweet wine made from glutinous rice is still quite unknown outside the local area. Get a few taste samples first and find your own favorite.
In Northern Thailand, indigo dyeing – or 'mo hom' in local dialect – is one of the most traditional activities and industries. Everywhere you see the locals in their characteristic blue clothes, and you can even try it yourself. In the village of Ban Thung Hong on the outskirts of Phrae, you can make your very own unique printed mo hom clothes. Then it doesn't get much more local and handheld.
Completely local, the traditional straw hats are also made by hand from palm and bamboo. A special characteristic of the hats here from the province is that they have a kind of collar as part of the design. The local hatters call it a 'farmer's crown'.
In several places you can try your hand at it yourself straw hat manufacturing. It is time-consuming and almost meditative work, which is often carried out by older women, who at the same time get to change the day's gossip and the course of the world. A pleasant activity is to 'embroider' flowers on finished straw hats - we can all join in here after a little expert help.
Northern Thailand is something special, and in Phrae and Nan there is a long way to the water and the other tourists.
Here is the authentic Thailand, which the Thais themselves visit when they are on holiday, going to the temple or just needing some peace and quiet. If that sounds like you, head for Phrae and Nan.
You won't regret it.

You must experience that in Phrae and Nan – the authentic Thailand in the north
- Khum Chao Luang – the old governor's residence in Phrae
- Gingerbread House – café, restaurant, wine shop and gallery
- Night sightseeing in Phrae
- Wat Phra That Cho Hae – the tiger temple in Phrae
- Wat Phra That Inkhang – popular temple in beautiful green surroundings
- Cocoa Valley Resort – chocolate, from tree to mouth
- Wat Phumin – temple in the middle of Nan with historical murals
- The night market in Nan – local street specialties in all forms
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