My Sleepy Northern Town Now Has An Arrow!

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

A slightly bizarre title I grant you, so I shall elaborate.

A colleague of mine recently pointed out that the new edition of The Lonely Planet is out and the northern town where we live features much more prominently than in previous editions.

At the start of the book, there is a map of Thailand with recommended things to do and places to see highlighted with arrows and a picky. For some reason, the powers that be think that Lampang is worth visiting among the likes of Krabi, Ayuthaya, Sukothai, Chiang Mai etc.

Some of my friends are concerned that now our sleepy little town is on the tourist trail, we shall be visited by hoards of feckless farang tourists - is this a bad thing or just plain snobbery?

However, the fact is, that we do like our town sleepy and we still enjoy the 'farang novelty factor'. Heaven knows why people would come here - it isn't a pretty town, there is no public transport/taxis, only one place to rent bikes and there is nothing to do. Prospective visitors - you have been warned!

[IanForbes]

Isn't Lampang a hub for pottery and ceramics? Correct me if I'm wrong.

[smokie36]

Open the 'lonely planet guesthouse' and watch the $$ pile up.

[Nio]

Was still pretty sleepy when I recently drove through.

Drive around with the windows down and people are still amazed farangs are driving.

[barrybankruad]

Was still pretty sleepy when I recently drove through.

Drive around with the windows down and people are still amazed farangs are driving.

Sounds just like the sleepy town I live in. Only trouble is there are far too many farangs living here now. Try and keep your sleepy little town just as it is.

[lazygourmet]

I am living in a -very- sleepy gated community 30kms north of Bangkok... Hopefully no farang around... Money talks!

PS: being half Belgian/half Indonesian, neither myself nor my friends never considered me as farang... Mamuang in the worst case

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

Yeah Ian you're right, it is pretty well known for pottery / ceramics. The most people stop in Lampang is the elephant training/conservation centre about 25km out of town.

The Lonely Planet GH idea sounds pretty good though - there sure isn't any competition at the mo'!

I hate sounding like a snob, but we westerners who live here work and many of us have been here 5+ years with spouses and kids etc. IMHO, the average backpacker/traveler will do us no favours - prices will go up, tolerance/inquisitiveness will go down...

[dumball]

To save the town from inquisitive types , can I make a suggestion ? Place a huge arrow at the entrance to town pointing either left or right , hang a sign beneath "This way to lonely hollow" have your bar/cafe set up a kilometer or so down the road , sit back and wait for the onslaught of thirsty patrons .

[MegaRanter]

Liar!!!, you forgot to mention the hordes of beautiful women with thigh high skirts on scooters, or the trot trot donkey ride through town, or the market where you get your fair share of souvenirs.

Very few good hotels in town and very many bright ATMs every 2 blocks.

I usually stopover on my long road trips.

Watchout for the friendly handsome celebrity looking brother coming somewhere near you soon. On his way to Pai.

[PhilHarries]

Why not just erect a large sign "Lampang high level nuclear waste dump - 100m".

That should keep most people away.

[lannarebirth]

I think the polluted air this time of year will keep the hordes at bay.

[Birdman]

In the 92 edition of Lonely Planet "South Eat Asia", which is understandable not so specific, Lampang is already one of the mentioned towns of the North on the general Thailand map.

And as far as I can remember, it was the same in my LP 86 I used while touring the whole Chiang Mai area by motorcycle for a month.

So, no need to worry.

[klikster]

Was still pretty sleepy when I recently drove through.

Drive around with the windows down and people are still amazed farangs are driving.

Sounds just like the sleepy town I live in. Only trouble is there are far too many farangs living here now. Try and keep your sleepy little town just as it is.

Then you could apparently improve Ban Krut by moving away yourself.

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

Here they come - crusty backpackers, beardy weirdies and inquisitive families! Every time I am out, I see farang around town - used to be a rare thing, but no longer.

Last night I was standing waiting for my som tam and 15 young people were being led through the market by a tour guide who pointed out that I was buying "papaya salad" - what a tour!

To be fair, most of them looked bored sh*tless - i hope that they spread the word and stop other potential visitors coming here.

I still find it hard to say why I don't want anymore foreign visitors here without sounding like a hypocritical snob - I guess I just have to be honest with my feelings and accept that I am indeed a hypocritical snob. Could be worse. I could be French!

[PhilHarries]

Last night I was standing waiting for my som tam and 15 young people were being led through the market by a tour guide who pointed out that I was buying "papaya salad" - what a tour!

You missed your big opportunity. You should have adopted a Quasi Modo posture and lurched over and told them "It's the air, don't breathe the air" and for added effect you could have said it in a faux, 'Allo 'Allo type, French accent.

[LooseCannon]

Yeah Ian you're right, it is pretty well known for pottery / ceramics. The most people stop in Lampang is the elephant training/conservation centre about 25km out of town.

The Lonely Planet GH idea sounds pretty good though - there sure isn't any competition at the mo'!

I hate sounding like a snob, but we westerners who live here work and many of us have been here 5+ years with spouses and kids etc. IMHO, the average backpacker/traveler will do us no favours - prices will go up, tolerance/inquisitiveness will go down...

It's worth 14 lines in the 1982 edition of the Lonely Planet - apparently a very reasonable B15 bus fare from Chiang Mai.

No - you don't sound like a snob.

Get on the Lonely Planet website & start bagging the shit out the place.

[highonthai]

Get on the band wagon and open backpacker friendly guest house.

[docholiday123]

what is there to do in lampang?

[PhilHarries]

what is there to do in lampang?

eat papaya salad?

Watch the tourists.

etc.

But remember it's a farang free zone, except for approved residents, so bu66er off!

[SpoliaOpima]

your concern is based on the fallacious presumption that the arrow will make a difference. just because LP talks a pace up doesn't mean that much in my experience.

if I had it my way I'd have barred all foreigners like yourself from living iLampang after I staked my claim there i1992. please go home, you're spoiling the beautiful ambience that existed before you arrived.

in fact your post will probably bring herds more boring esl teachers. .

[Johpa]

Yeah Ian you're right, it is pretty well known for pottery / ceramics. The most people stop in Lampang is the elephant training/conservation centre about 25km out of town.

I thought it was a well known distant suburb of Chiang Mai noted for its "forest products" market, Kaat Kwian. With the divided highway now finished, it is a breeze to visit the city, which indeed has little to offer, but the surrounding area is quite pleasant. But for an extra hours drive, I would rather tour the area around Phrae.

[sabaijai]

Lampang is well known among Thai tourists, who visit in hordes. The LP guide has always talked the town up quite a bit and it hasn't made a shred of difference to the international market.

I've paid many visits to Lampang over many years, and have always thought it was one of the nicest towns in Thailand, aside from the hot season (when it often record's record highs for the north, plus it's quite hazy like much of the north).

There's a lively expat community there who mostly rely on private parties for nighttime entertainment since there's not much happening after 9pm. Not much in the way of great local or good international cuisine either. What it does have is an excellent collection of historic Lanna temples, but temples are not that big a draw these days.

[ArthurPewty]

To be fair as long as you don't live near or eat in any of the places that are recommended you will find the ant trail doesn't break easily.

I remember travelling and watching as people seemed to think that a guide book was iin fact a rule book.

[Boksida]

There's a lively expat community there who mostly rely on private parties for nighttime entertainment since there's not much happening after 9pm. Not much in the way of great local or good international cuisine either.

Surely you are forgetting the Lampang Yacht Club?

[Millard]

Lampang will soon turn into Pattaya.

All joking aside, I can understand the concerns. If the OP wanted to be surrounded by westerners, he or she wouldn't have moved to Thailand.

[Garry9999]

I still find it hard to say why I don't want anymore foreign visitors here without sounding like a hypocritical snob - I guess I just have to be honest with my feelings and accept that I am indeed a hypocritical snob. Could be worse. I could be French!

I clear case of 'Better to be the head of the dog, than the tail of the tiger'.

[jaideeguy]

As a family outing from CM......I've often thought of gathering up wife and kids and taking the train down to LP and looking around, staying overnight, then back to CM on train the next day. let me make it perfectly clear that I am not a tourist, but a 'neighbor' from the north....would I be welcome there?? and could any of you Lampang recluses share ideas on decent places to stay, eat and entertain ourselves?? and are there any motorcycle rental places there.....near bus station??

PM me your 'secret' tips if you don't want the hoards of tourists to know........PROMISE I won't tell.

best regards from your northern neighbor.....

[bendejo]

Definitely an opportunity, should you choose to pursue it. But backpackers tend to want a lot for little money, and most of the time you'll probably feel more like a babysitter than innkeeper. On the other hand, something that has come up in recent years is European families planning roll-your-own vacations and making all arrangements via internet before leaving home, and as long as the prices are less than in Europe they'll think they're getting a bargain.

Worst case scenario is the dread-heads will declare your town cool and you'll get hordes of (literally) unwashed trying to live on 20b per day or less. If someone opens a reggae bar then you're done for.

However if word gets around that there is a slaughterhouse or something uncool ("Adorable fuzzy slippers made from genuine cat skin! Free factory tour!") there a boycott will be organized and that'll be the end of it.

Also a great blackmail incentive: if you don't pay me off I'll go down KSR and hand out flyers saying "Lampang is cool!"

Edited December 29, 2009 by bendejo