Phayao Tourist Attractions
The majority of the sights Phayao has on offer are temples, most of which date back to the times of Lanna Kingdom and give you a chance to admire the northern Thai architecture of the period.
Pho Khun Ngam Mueang Monument
Pho Khun Ngam Mueang is a historic local hero who ruled over Phayao Kingdom in the 13th century. With more powerful neighbours of Chiang Mai and Sukhothai, it was quite a task to keep the independence of the city, but the ruler used his diplomatic skills to settle the matter peacefully without losing his reign. There is a number of local legends connected with the name of the ruler and some empower him with supernatural abilities to influence the weather, turning storms into sunlight and vice versa at his will. On March the 5th every year a ceremony is held to pay tribute to Pho Khun Ngam Mueang.
The statue of the hero is located in the Provincial Educational Park, a nice spot to hang out by the lake in the city centre. Keep in mind that the park can be quite busy on weekends when it’s a popular picnic destination for locals.
Wat Si Khom Kham
If you walk north from the monument along the lakeside for just over a km, you’ll get to Wat Si Khom Kham, the most revered temple in town, known for hosting the biggest Buddha’s image of the Lanna Kingdom.
The statue can date back to the 15th century and it 16 m heigh and 14 m wide. The temple itself has a long history but the present version is the result of a renovation completed in 1911. A legend tells us that the site for construction of Wat Si Khom Kham was chosen by Lord Buddha who stopped there to get some rest. A tree grew up spontaneously to give him some shade and to thanks the nature for this kind gesture Lord Buddha decided that a temple should be built there.
Wat Phrathat Chom Thong
A short distance from Wat Si Khom Kham you’ll find a set of stairs that will lead you up to Wat Phrathat Chom Thong, a beautiful hilltop temple dating back to the 11th century and featuring a golden chedi built in Lanna style which is supposed to enshrine Buddha’s relics. The path to the top is quite gentle and lots of vegetation and trees provide shade making your climbing more pleasant; unfortunately they also cover the view which otherwise would have been a lot more impressive from the top.
Ho Watthanatham Nithat
Watthanatham Nithat is a museum and cultural centre located just a couple of minutes south of Wat Si Khom Kham. If you incorporate into your sightseeing program the two temples mentioned above, both located near the museum, it will keep you occupied for a few hours.
The museum is focused on local history and traditions and displays artefacts and pottery dating back to Lanna Kingdom and fossil of prehistoric elephants which inhabited the area some 15 million years ago. There is also a modern section explaining the fishing techniques used by fishermen on the lake in the last century what made fishing one of the main sources of income for the local community. The museum is opened every day (8.30am – 5.00pm) and admission fee is THB40.
Wat Analayo Thipphayaram
The last temple that we recommend is probably the most interesting but it is located almost 20 km west of town so get prepared for a longish trip. Located on top of a hill with nice views of Phayao and the lake, the temple features several buildings, Buddha’s statues, stupas and chedis, sculptures and shrines, all set in a wonderful and quiet forest area with well-maintained paths connecting all the sites. From the main car park you can either walk up (it’s a short, not a challenging walk) or drive a bit closer to the second park located higher. To get there from the west side of the lake, drive a few km along the route 1316. Signs in English will easily lead you there.
