Please Add A List Of Things To Do (Phetchabun)

[macleod101]

I'm coming for Thai New year in April for 2 weeks, to visit my wife families (extended)

stayying in what she calls Somart tart (bueng Sam Phan) any suggestions of what to do in Petchabun Province?

I will spend a couple of nights in petchabun as well and was wondering what are the best waterfalls in the Nam nao mountanous region

forgive my spelling of place names (and anything else)

Winchenburi has a small hotel with a rather large swimming pool which is quite cheap to swim in.

Somart Tart has a night market on Friday nights

15km north of somart tart up the highway there is a series of beautiful waterfalls (easy to miss)

any suggestions please add to this thread!! also any suggestions of places to eat please add to this thread..

[nam-thip]

Not familiar with the area in question but google it and see what comes up.

[fredob43]

Got a friend who has lived there for over 5 year's every 4/5 week's he go's off every ware/any ware just to get out of the place. Another friend has a house there only go's for a day or two every year. Rest of the time live's any ware else in Thailand. Even his Thai wife won't live there. Give's you some idea what it's like. You might make two week's but plan on two day's. Best of luck. I visit once or twice every year but only stay a day or two. Now what's the word I'm looking for Ah I know the PIT'S.

Edited February 17, 2011 by fredob43

[phutoie2]

Hmmm!, if you are likely to be in Sap Samo Thot in April over the Songkran week could be a good idea to invest in a combat helmet/goggles and Flak jacket, it can get a bit wild !.

One of Thailands small mysteries but you will never see a direction sign to "small town" as we local ex-pats call it on route 21, it always refers to Bueng Sampan, something to do with the old Route 21 when it was a single track road up through Phetchabun. Bueng Sampan is also the Amphur district.

For those who do not know Sap ST is a reasonable size town about 80 km's south of Phetchabun city, its has two day markets, two 7/11's now, banks and three major car dealerships, Nissan/Toyota/Isuzu, a lot of us get our trucks serviced there.

It has a polyclinic and two dentists!!, very cheap, A German friend of ours has just had a lot of work done at a fraction of the price he would have paid in Munich (he tells me!!).

As for things to do?, well not too much, its just a case of going out and exploring, once you have done the mountains - Khao Kor, (Palace, Hill forts,memorial etc) Pa sak Jolasid Dam, waterfalls, shrines, thats about it!.

The small town of Wichien Buri 20km's south east of SST has a lot of ex-pats, they meet up in the newly refurbished covered market, behind the 7/11 on Thursdays about 11 ish am, if you want to know about anything to do with farming, they have done it all, lost it all etc... There are some good chaps there, some lived in Phetch for over 20 years, good source of info! + the draught LEO is cheap and nice and cold..!

The swimming pool complex, now a hotel, is still cheap, 20 Baht and has a restaurant, I used to go regulary a few years back but they have somehow managed to turn the water into a funny green colour.

I live in Ban Phu Toei, another town on route 21, that no one has heard of either.

PS: if you are a golfer, we all play at Phetchabun city course on the Army camp ( Battle Horse Barracks), There are a couple of Americans who are members too. PM me if you want info on anything golf wise.

[macleod101]

I hate the place with a passion however my wife needs to see her family.. her family live in (now let me try and spell this) won be koon (bangwanbekun) 20km west of route somart tart.. your a hero in my eyes for being able to stand the place.. I don't want two weeks there but needs must.. no tv, no internet, no a/c, no decent food but a tonne of alcohol..

its a shame the swimming pool water (which last time i went was a supermarket and furniture shop) has turned green, i hope its okay to swim in.. as i had planned to go there daily if at all possible..

last time i came to the area was in 2008, if you see a 30yr western guy with a 30yr old thai girl with british 60yr old mother in towe its me..

songkran should be fun, hope there is no violence, i have a super soaker ready to get them villagers!!! be warned...

draught leo??? mum will have to drive that day!

[pgangell]

Love the place. Spend 6 months of the year here. Have a house about 17km north of Phet city. Plenty of things to see and do particularly around Khao Kho (Thai tourist area just north of Phetchabun city). Many national parks further north with waterfalls and scenery. A group of farangs get together just about every day in Toffee Bar in Phetchabun. On Saturday they meet in Tesco's. Hope this helps.

[Spee]

There is supposed to be a big Songkran celebration at the park where the Daoduan (sp?) caves are located. The caves are something of a religious shrine, not mention pretty cool to explore. Not sure but I think it gets crowded at that time, but may be a more peaceful way to celebrate the New Year than all the mayhem in the streets.

[WichianAussie]

I agree not a lot to do

but I still love it around here.

You definitely have to try to go native

ie. weddings, house warmings , temple celebrations ,death anniversary parties , etc

but a lot of this involves alcohol which is fine for me.

Since my wife's family has a farm a large proportion of my time is spent fishing there

The Wichian river has LARGE mekhong catfish in there as well.

Si Thep (about half a hour south of Samort Thot)

has a historical park - old Khmer temple relics + even some dinosaur bone pits

at least worth a visit.

Doi Ling Ling (monkey mountain temple)

GoogleEarth 15Deg 44' 55.58" N , 101Deg 02' 08.67" E

which is a few km's from Samort Thot towards Wichian on the east parallel road is worth a visit early mornings

but the temple is basically now deserted , they got fed up with the monkeys

& the Thai army bombed the monkeys again for artillery practice

bring some monkey food & you're bound to find some/or too many

but beware my wife calls it cobra mountain for obvious reasons..

Nightlife - not much BUT

the Wichian hotel/pool has a band most nights (Thai rock) , you find the most people here.

Near the wichian market main street T junction (100mtrs east) is a small Carabao type band , not too bad but no people,

GoogleEarth approx 15Deg 39' 27.35" N , 101Deg 06' 43.43" E.

I've been told the restaraunt near the river at Phetchabun is meant to have good food but I haven't been there.

Hotel at Phetchabun is supposed to have a disco on weekends.

Does anyone else have any GOOD nightlife places

though it has to have at least SOME customers for people watching

I'll even travel as far as Phetchabun if it's good enough

good food &/or good music (prefer Thai rock not morlum)

P.S. So what/where is the Toffee Bar in Phetchabun ?

[phutoie2]

Toffee's is not really a bar, more of a cafe selling Coffee & cake.

It has fridge coolers full of beer for thirsty ex-pats.

Its located directly across the road from the big Isuzu dealership in town.

Toffee's used to close at 7pm, its all been refurbished over the last few months so may stay open longer?.

The times I have stayed overnight after golf we have gone down to the new bus station area, some proper Thai bars and good restaurants with live music.

Whether it is worth driving 90 km's up the road for - up to you!.

There again Aussies are used to driving long distances for a tin.

[stoneyboy]

I keep seeing the Toffee bar mentioned all the time as a place of drinking for Mostly local Europeans who dwell within the Town of Pbun, i say town as its hardly a City,when in reality the main hang out for Foreigners or Persons mostly of European descend,seems to be in front of the entrance to the daily market,which leaves a some what undesireable taste in the mouth of the many locals i am told.I can see their point to some extent as an Englishman who has had to endure years of towel placing on sunbeds in the Costas,imagine having to struggle each day to scrape a living only to be confronted by numerous Germans drinking beer at 10 AM everyday.

Edited February 26, 2011 by stoneyboy

[phutoie2]

I can see their point to some extent as an Englishman who has had to endure years of towel placing on sunbeds in the Costas,imagine having to struggle each day to scrape a living only to be confronted by numerous Germans drinking beer at 10 AM everyday.

Yes must be other Europeans. No decent respectable Englishman would be seen slurping beer as late as 10 am.

[macleod101]

last time i went i watched the live band at winchburi hotel, glad it sounds like its still going.. although worried about lime green water to swim in..

i could live in petchabun no problems, but somart tart is different..

thanks for the infomation....

the food at the hotel in petchabun (kosit hill) is/was not good at all.. there was a restaurant near big c opposite the army base which was full of squaddies which tasted pretty darn good..(its a big wooden structure)

the disco at kosit hill, was full of squaddies who were staying at the hotel, so didn't attend. saw a go go bar type thing by the market which doesn't really appeal to me but had white men drinking at it...

will be going to winchenburi qyuite a bit i think, and piesali and somart tart...

day trip to nakhon sawan and two nights in petchabun...

looks like rice diet for 2 weeks for me

[afalang]

here's my two-penny worth...I quite like Phetchabun City and surrounds.

It has a nice feel to it, not too big and not too small. I have visited

4 times now and enjoy the cooler climate. I have found the best food

places to be around the Burapha Hotel. Directly opposite the front

entrance is a great restaurant that has great food, good service and

cheap prices. It has an air-conditioned area and an outside area that

also has a coffee bar. On the same side as the Burapha but about 100

metres back towards the city, is a newly opened place called Steak-Mobile ?

I had a nice peppered pork chop there with salad and chips for about 59 baht !

I stayed 1 night in the Phetchabun Plaza Hotel which is opposite the Burapha.

At 350 baht a night which includes breakfast its good value if your on a budget.

Like most things you get what you pay for so dont expect a luxury room ;o)

I prefer the Burapha at 500 baht a night. The coffee shop does a half decent

american breakfast for 100 baht. The Kosit has the best rooms but its a bit

way out of the town centre.

Without doubt the best coffee in town is at the 'Toffee Home' coffee shop.

The coffee is good and it has a nice ambience. On my last visit there a few

weeks ago, my wife and I entered at 8:15 am and the was already a farang

there drinking a bottle of beer !! not sure if he was out late or out early !

Previously had only seen farangs there late afternoon drinking beer not

coffee. The lady there told my wife that they had made a new adjacent area to

the side, and to get the farangs to group there as they sometimes scared off Thai

coffee drinkers.

Like the previous poster, on my every visit to Phetchabun at the entrance to the

centre market, the are several farangs sitting outside the corner store. They seem

to be there early every day drinking beer. It seems most towns around Thailand

have a similar scenario.

[bobo42]

I agree not a lot to do

but I still love it around here.

You definitely have to try to go native

ie. weddings, house warmings , temple celebrations ,death anniversary parties , etc

but a lot of this involves alcohol which is fine for me.

Since my wife's family has a farm a large proportion of my time is spent fishing there

The Wichian river has LARGE mekhong catfish in there as well.

Si Thep (about half a hour south of Samort Thot)

has a historical park - old Khmer temple relics + even some dinosaur bone pits

at least worth a visit.

Doi Ling Ling (monkey mountain temple)

GoogleEarth 15Deg 44' 55.58" N , 101Deg 02' 08.67" E

which is a few km's from Samort Thot towards Wichian on the east parallel road is worth a visit early mornings

but the temple is basically now deserted , they got fed up with the monkeys

& the Thai army bombed the monkeys again for artillery practice

bring some monkey food & you're bound to find some/or too many

but beware my wife calls it cobra mountain for obvious reasons..

Nightlife - not much BUT

the Wichian hotel/pool has a band most nights (Thai rock) , you find the most people here.

Near the wichian market main street T junction (100mtrs east) is a small Carabao type band , not too bad but no people,

GoogleEarth approx 15Deg 39' 27.35" N , 101Deg 06' 43.43" E.

I've been told the restaraunt near the river at Phetchabun is meant to have good food but I haven't been there.

Hotel at Phetchabun is supposed to have a disco on weekends.

Does anyone else have any GOOD nightlife places

though it has to have at least SOME customers for people watching

I'll even travel as far as Phetchabun if it's good enough

good food &/or good music (prefer Thai rock not morlum)

P.S. So what/where is the Toffee Bar in Phetchabun ?

Depends on your expectation of "GOOD" nightlife, but if your in Phetchabun town, try the disco at the Burapha hotel. Its always either packed or at least busy starting around 11pm. They have a live band and stage show with costumes and dancers (cover Thai pop stuff in general) which they seem to put some effort into. Its nothing to write home about, but if you would enjoy a disco, this IMHO is the one to visit around here. The usual crowd there can get a little rough, but I've never had anybody bother me or the wife. This place used to really suck a few years ago, but seems to have figured out how to keep the locals entertained with the nightly shows.

I used to like the Kosit disco, but it just doesn't seem to get as much business anymore. I haven't been for several months, so maybe its busier now. They last few times I've gone there business looked pretty dismal. Though it still would be my choice for a hotel.

I've only seen farangs hanging out in the Toffee coffee shop a few times in the afternoons, but as others have said, a group of regulars seems to gather just about every day outside the main market. I've never stopped to say hi, but looks like mostly a European crowd? And whoever said they saw a "gogo" type place near the market - what? Never seen anything remotely resembling in this small town, I'm guessing they were probably mistaken.

Is there much to do in Phetchabun? Hell no. But I don't understand the hate either. As long as you have something to keep you occupied, it a perfectly decent small town. But there's not much reason to come here as a tourist, just not much to do.

[chrgrims]

if you are interested in golf there is another course at kao sai, a nice alternative to the course in petchabun city. they are expanding to 18 holes now, should be finished in some months.

[phetpeter]

The plaza hotel has an even seedy side to it! After 2am when the disco's shut everything goes to the Plaza, it becomes a bit like the coffee shop at the grace hotle near Nana. So if you are thinking naughty and willing to stay out late...Give it a try!

Farang corner has we called the corner to the market is normally filled with the European and northern countries. and the few Brits and US chaps not, knowning of the 'golfers haunt' Toffees Bar (Coffee shop where early morning the Thai's stop to load up with caffine)In the afternoon several times a week it can become overcrowded with Brits and Yanks, (a bit scarey for the Thai's as it's only a very small coffee shop), But all are welcome to join! As they play golf beforehand.

Kosit Disco is the haunt for squaddies and the girls tend to be squaddie groupies and the slighty richer employ from town. Normally two bands play every evening (not very good sound) and the DJ gets very little time( which goes for both nightclubs even through the people want the DJ sounds more) Kosit is very loud and talking is out of the question! but! they have a garden outside you can take a stroll in!

Za Zaa fills up after 11pm and is full of ladyboys and students! and sometimes you will get the village girls in on mass and a great night can be had! Again the band hog's the night too much and too long, just when everybody starts dancing to the DJ the band comes back! But, after you can go to the coffee shop and they will do you a burger(thats why there are few dogs in town)LOL

Afternoon drinking can still be had around Nong nalee lake or up at the dam. or in Homeland swimming pool (Food very good there nowadays) and if you have wheels in Lomsak next to the hotel has it's own range of interesting bars!

Edited May 24, 2011 by phetpeter

[rgs2001uk]

I live in Ban Phu Toei, another town on route 21, that no one has heard of either.

If you are talking about Phu Toei just south of Beung Samphan I for one have heard of it.

Every time I drive through this village heading north I am impressed by how clean and tidy, neat and orderly it appears, the village is a pleasure to drive through.

You have just answered my question, I have often wondered if any farangs lived there.

[RickThai]

Here's a thought. Before the trip, explain to your wife how spending that much time at the 'in-laws' is so terribly boring to you. Then suggest that maybe you could fly down to Samui, or Phuket, etc. for a few days.

The last time I was in Thailand, my wife and I spent 10 days at the 'in-laws, I became antsy after the first 6 days, and kept bugging my wife for us to leave and do some sightseeing further south. We didn't leave of course, but on the trip home I remarked that next time, I am only going to spend 5 days there and then I'm going to a tourist spot.

A couple of weeks ago, we were talking about our next trip, and my wife said that maybe I could go to Samui for a few days and then she could join me later!

I mumbled something like, "I'm not sure I want to be there by myself, but I guess I could do some fishing and hanging out on the beach before you came down." (She doesn't like the beach or the sun).

I can hardly wait to see if it actually works!

Good luck.

RickThai

[coolerking]

If you want something to read, check out the advert for the bookshop in Phetchabun in the classifieds.

http://classifieds.thaivisa.com/hobbies/books-and-magazines/foreign-language-bookshop-coffeeshop-phetchabun-120568.html

[stevehaigh]

i don't know p'bun at all since we drive straight through in on the way to Lom Sak but if you are in the area, Khao Kor is nice and the best Wat i've ever seen is Wat Phra Sorn Keow, about here 16.782561,101.04121. i'm not a huge fan of 'culture' but that place is spectacular.

also, the drive up to Phu Ta-berg is quite something 16.893013,101.100125

[jacquesparra]

We have a holidayhouse in a village about 15 km from Bueng Sam Pang. The name of the place is Nong Deng. There is a market, there are shops and even a restaurant run by two guys who used to stay in Pattaya, so they speak english. I like to stay there for maximum 14 days to get away from the huzzle in Pattaya, where we live. I bring lots of food with me and wine. Beer is available in the shops. I have GMM satelite TV, which is good enough, aircon and a european kitchen. The place is very quiet, the people are all friendly and it is all amazing cheap. I really enjoy staying there, but after 2 weeks I miss the Pattaya scene, the bars, restaurants and shops where everything is availabe. In Bueng Sam Pang there has just been opened a Lotus 24 hours shop behind the market. I have alos been in Wichianburi, there are more foreigners living and it is nice meeting them on Thursdaymorning. These guys are all very friendly and helpfull, what a difference with all these tatoo lovers here in Pattaya.

[thaicbr]

I do enjoy the Burapha hotel disco. News about 2am plaza hotel shenanigans is new to me though. Interesting more info please

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