Kamphaeng Phet?

[Yimmy]

Has anyone experience of Kamphaeng Phet?

Is there places to go, farang bars, resaurants.... etc or is it your standard Thai provencial capital... pretty boring after 8 pm with no real 'entertainment' options.

Cheers.

[Boksida]

My experience there has been that is worse than your standard Thai provincial capital. No redeeming features whatsoever although I have been able to avoid overnighting there since 2001 and things may have improved.

The province is the home of Beer Chang brewery if that is any recommendation.

[Maejo Man]

My experience there has been that is worse than your standard Thai provincial capital. No redeeming features whatsoever although I have been able to avoid overnighting there since 2001 and things may have improved.

The province is the home of Beer Chang brewery if that is any recommendation.

Not really! A few kara croaky bars that have not so subtle side dishes, and no farang friendly pubs that I remember from last year.......Advice....keep going to Tak

[mouse]

There are quite a few good quality small restaurants in this town. Kamphaeng Phet also boast two large and decently priced Hotels. Not much night life here, other than your occasional sing-along bar. There is a Pizzeria named "Mike's" run by a German, which seems frequented by the local farang. There, you will find the usual assortment of Yanks, Irish and German gheezers that seem to enjoy the local brew.

[PlaShadow]

The Kamphaeng Phet Sunday Market

[Flatouthruthefog]

My experience there has been that is worse than your standard Thai provincial capital. No redeeming features whatsoever although I have been able to avoid overnighting there since 2001 and things may have improved.

The province is the home of Beer Chang brewery if that is any recommendation.

No recommendation for me, thanks, even if they give free samples.

But let's try this one on you.

In the late 90's an intelligent young farang had to leave KP, he said, to save his life. He had made many complaints about a new industrial building site next to an ancient, partly-ruined stupa. He saw that the rainwater drainage from the new site was flooding the stupa base and could only accelerate its demise.

He possibly went a bit too high with his last complaint and was effectively run out of town.

One comment ringing in his ears, he once told me, was "We don't want farangs here and we certainly don't want tourists. What we do here in KP is our business alone."

I think he reads this forum from his new location, so apologies if my memory is out of line. Maybe he will correct me, but I do think this is accurate.

[haybilly]

I am afraid to admit it but I actually live in Kamphaeng Phet and all the previous comments are, unfortunately, very true--I have been coming here, on and off, for 8 years and had the misfortune to make it my home for the last 2 or more, in all that time I have yet to find anything to do or anywhere interesting to go--apart from a visit to the wonderful Historical Park on the outskirts of the new town which, once you've walked around for about 2 or 3 hours does not warrant a return, plus there is the usual price discrimination against farang; to reinforce the lack of ammenities whenever I need to buy anything, other than local fruit and veg, I am forced to drive more than an hour to either Pitsanulok or Nakhon Sawan--both teeming metropoli by comparison. Summary, it sucks.

Edited January 14, 2008 by haybilly

[Boksida]

I am afraid to admit it but I actually live in Kamphaeng Phet and all the previous comments are, unfortunately, very true--I have been coming here, on and off, for 8 years and had the misfortune to make it my home for the last 2 or more, in all that time I have yet to find anything to do or anywhere interesting to go--apart from a visit to the wonderful Historical Park on the outskirts of the new town which, once you've walked around for about 2 or 3 hours does not warrant a return, plus there is the usual price discrimination against farang; to reinforce the lack of ammenities whenever I need to buy anything, other than local fruit and veg, I am forced to drive more than an hour to either Pitsanulok or Nakhon Sawan--both teeming metropoli by comparison. Summary, it sucks.

Surely you must have missed Wednesday's Ballroom Dancing Night at the Phet Hotel?

[Lilawadee]

I like the place.

Indeed wouldn't want to live there, but for a visit there's enough to keep you entertained both by day and by night. And it's got VERY few tourists.. this is The Real Thailand that people seem to crave about but don't actually visit.

BTW, the double pricing just applies to the Historical Park, though there's plenty of that to see that's free if you don't like double pricing; this is a national policy of whatever department is in charge of hostorical sites and no fault of Kamphaeng Phet.

[sabaijai]

I like the town as well, and visit every other month or so for Rajabhat U meetings. I find the people friendly, and the food decent. Nice river views. Not very farang-oriented, perhaps another reason I enjoy it. I think if you didn't speak good Thai you'd have a harder time meeting people and enjoying a normal social life.

[Flatouthruthefog]

I like the place.

Indeed wouldn't want to live there, but for a visit there's enough to keep you entertained both by day and by night. And it's got VERY few tourists.. this is The Real Thailand that people seem to crave about but don't actually visit.

BTW, the double pricing just applies to the Historical Park, though there's plenty of that to see that's free if you don't like double pricing; this is a national policy of whatever department is in charge of hostorical sites and no fault of Kamphaeng Phet.

Hi Lily!

Er, maybe you missed my post above.

WHO with any principles whatever WOULD want to live in a place where a farang with more cultural sensitivity than the locals is run out of town for drawing attention to industrial vandalism? Maybe you. Not me.

"Very few tourists"? Obviously you did NOT see my post above. Doesn't the stated fact that KP wants NO tourists - because they are all deeply involved in their nefarious deeds - concern you at all?

Did you see the other prompt post about "not-a-lot-a-see"?

There's a fantastic amount of REAL THAILAND around to see and enjoy which is not tainted by corruption and which listens to constructive suggestions without threatening the lives of the people who make 'em.

Please think before you post or, better still, look at the bigger picture in life. Or organise kids' tours to Neverland...........?!

[Captain Chaos]

I like the place.

Indeed wouldn't want to live there, but for a visit there's enough to keep you entertained both by day and by night. And it's got VERY few tourists.. this is The Real Thailand that people seem to crave about but don't actually visit.

BTW, the double pricing just applies to the Historical Park, though there's plenty of that to see that's free if you don't like double pricing; this is a national policy of whatever department is in charge of hostorical sites and no fault of Kamphaeng Phet.

Hi Lily!

Er, maybe you missed my post above.

WHO with any principles whatever WOULD want to live in a place where a farang with more cultural sensitivity than the locals is run out of town for drawing attention to industrial vandalism? Maybe you. Not me.

"Very few tourists"? Obviously you did NOT see my post above. Doesn't the stated fact that KP wants NO tourists - because they are all deeply involved in their nefarious deeds - concern you at all?

Did you see the other prompt post about "not-a-lot-a-see"?

There's a fantastic amount of REAL THAILAND around to see and enjoy which is not tainted by corruption and which listens to constructive suggestions without threatening the lives of the people who make 'em.

Please think before you post or, better still, look at the bigger picture in life. Or organise kids' tours to Neverland...........?!

"Stated fact"? In your previous post you used the words "an intelligent young farang had to leave KP, he said" ... I thought your post was therefore third hand / hearsay rather than "fact"?

Here is a "fact" ... I had a girlfriend from KP and went there a few times ... agree that it is very quiet, with not much to do apart from the historical stuff. There are a few restaurants & bars around. I saw only one or two other farangs whenever I went there (all teachers as I recall from casual chats over a beer). That said, Sukhothai is only an hour's drive or so away, and places like Phitsanulok or Tak (where I once saw two farangs, in one hour!) can be reached for better shopping/entertainment.

Would I want to stay there for an extended period of time? No.

CC