Possible Lampang visit

[Guest siamjourney]

I did eventually make this trip and I think it's a fun day trip. Lampang was featured on the cover of last month's City Life magazine. There's nothing terribly special there but it's a pleasant get away from CM for an afternoon. I might try the local train next time for a change.

[Tomtomtom69]

I think Lampang is my least favorite province in the North. I'd rather go just about anywhere else, in my personal order of preference:

1. Other Places in Chiang Mai Province

2. Pai and Mae Hong Son

3. Phrae

4. Chiang Rai

5. Nan

6. Phayao

7. Lamphun

8. Are we really out of provinces.. maybe I'll visit Pai again.

9. Tak.. is this considered North.. not really but at least it's not Lampang

10. Stay home and play Candy Crush.

11. Lampang.

I'd rather stick hot needles in my eyes than go there again,terribly terribly boring part of Thailand.

​Now come on, Lampang is still more exciting than Lamphun. Lamphun is like the most non-descript province in all of northern Thailand. There's absolutely nothing to do there. There's not a single place of interest. I would switch 7 with 11 at the very least.

Lampang has horse carriages, Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, a nice riverside market on weekends and a pleasant riverside to walk along in general.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

^ Lamphun has at least an old town area with a moat around, plus it's closer to Chiang Mai.

Lampang is just complete horror.

[jobin]

Slightly off topic but still T'land: any info on Loei, a small city east of here? What to do, expat life, food offerings, housing, female availability, and generally 'life in general, compared to CM'.

[Bredbury Blue]

^Better to open a seperate forum for Loie in the Isaan forum.

[Tomtomtom69]

^ Lamphun has at least an old town area with a moat around, plus it's closer to Chiang Mai.

Lampang is just complete horror.

Lampang has a small remaining section of a moat too, plus it has a lovely old town.

Lamphun is hellish boring. If you live in Chiang Mai, sure, it's closer. But really, in a contest between Lampang and Lamphun, Lampang wins hands down. It even has an airport, which Lamphun doesn't have (yes I know Chiang Mai airport is only like 30km away).

You might not like Lampang, but it's still a heck of a lot better than Lamphun. When I was living in Chiang Mai I didn't once go to Lamphun. The few times I passed through there I was like, what's this, just some boring suburb of Chiang Mai?

Chiang Rai (Mae Sai specifically), Chiang Saen/Chiang Khong, Chiang Dao and even Mae Sot are amongst my favorite places in the north. Lampang is somewhere in the middle while Lamphun has to be right at the bottom. It's so irrelevant most people confuse it with Lampang or haven't even heard of it.

[MadMac]

^ Lamphun has at least an old town area with a moat around, plus it's closer to Chiang Mai.

Lampang is just complete horror.

Did you consider Bangkok? I know it sucks, but compared to Lampang? We need to catch up for a beer still

[jko]

The Lampang River Lodge www.lampangriverlodge.com is a wonderful place to retreat very close to Lampang at least for one day...and is on the way to the Lampang Luan Temple, a very unique landmark. Temples in Lampang are very interesting if you like the older and rare ones. On the main street parallel to the river there are many good restaurants, one of them famous for fish food. The Riverside restaurant is a meeting place ,very busy on weekends, when the market by the river is on. The road to Phayao is very picturesque and the Phayao Lake a nicest spot on the city. There are small boutique hotels, nice restaurants, and busy bars facing the lake. The Wim Motel close to the bus station have very nice rooms for about $600. The biggest "luxury" hotel there is the Gateway on the same area. More 45 minutes and you are in Chiang Rai to visite the White Temple on the way, the Black House Park in Bandu, and the Doi Tung Royal Home on the way to Mae Sai.

In downtown Chiang Rai the Powadon Resort is a nice one with a nice lunch buffet every day, the Pule Restaurant on the city and by the river, the Krua Silapa Art Gallery and Restaurant cross street of Makro in Bandu, and many resorts in the way to Mae Sai.

Lampang River Lodge excellent if you like a place where Mother Nature has not been smothered in concrete with a few apologetic flower gardens wedged in between the buildings. The tall trees in the grounds are worth seeing just by themselves. Breakfast high above the river can have you sitting there happily until it's nearly time for lunch. Basic, clean accommodation, a little outside the city centre. But very nice all round.

[Johpa]

This belongs to the same owners as the Hmong Lodge in Mae Rim, which is another place worth visiting, and not well known by resident expats. It's high up in the hills, about 45 mins from Chiang Mai, and a super place in April to escape the heat down below.

Hmong Lodge was originally built and conceived by Diethelm Tours. It is not really aimed at ex-pats.

And for what its worth, my favorite get-away spot is Thaton. If I was near Lampang and I wanted to be in a city I would continue on to Phrae via Long along the 1023. Also, heading due north of Lampang on the 1157 there are a few resorts tucked away here and there. Do the full loop and return along the 1252 which takes you to the 118 and Doi Saket.

[JaseTheBass]

Comparing Lampang and Lamphum is like comparing 2 empty boxes.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Slightly off topic but still T'land: any info on Loei, a small city east of here? What to do, expat life, food offerings, housing, female availability, and generally 'life in general, compared to CM'.

"Very little" is the answer to all of the above.

Same for any other small town in the North and North East: Nan, Phayao, Phrae, etc.

Loei is a beautiful province with a lot of nice nature, but to actually live there you have to REALLY like that sort of thing.