Thailand - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 734

PHITSANULOK
Pleasantly located on the banks of the
Nan River, PHITSANULOK (locally called
“Phitlok”) is a major transport hub and a
handy base for exploring the Sukhothai
area (see p.739), but only holds a couple
of sights itself.

converted to Buddhism under the
Khmers. he three chunky prangs, made
of dark laterite with some restored
stuccowork, are a favourite haunt of
Lopburi's fierce monkeys. Just east at San
Phra Karn, there's even a monkeys'
adventure playground beside the ruins of
a huge Khmer prang.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By bus and minibus The bus station is 2km east of the
town centre: a blue city bus or red songthaew will save you
the walk. Fast a/c minibuses between Bangkok's Victory
Monument and Lopburi are based on Th Na Phra Karn,
200m north of the train station near Phra Prang Sam Yod.
Destinations

10

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Dating from the fourteenth century,
Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat (aka Wat
Mahathat or Wat Yai; dress conservatively)
draws a constant stream of worshippers to
view the country's second most important
Buddha image. he holy statue itself, Phra
Buddha Chinnarat, is a lovely example of
late Sukhothai style, and boasts an unusual
flame-like halo around its upper body; it is
said to have wept tears of blood when
Ayutthayan princes arrived to oust the last
Sukhothai king in the fifteenth century.
Across town on hanon Wisut Kasat,
southeast of the train station (bus #8 will
drop you close by), is the small Sergeant
Major Thawee Folklore Museum (daily
8am-4.30pm; B50), one of the best
ethnology museums in the country; it
includes a reconstruction of a typical
village house, as well as traditional toys
and animal traps. About 50m south of
the museum, at 26/43 h Wisut Kasat, is
the Buranathai Buddha Bronze-Casting
Foundry (daily roughly 8am-5pm; free).
he foundry gives you a rare chance to
see Buddha images being forged; anyone
can drop in to watch the stages involved
in moulding and casting an image.

Ayutthaya (every 20min; 2hr); Bangkok
(every 30min; 3hr); Chiang Mai (5 daily; 9hr); Khorat
(hourly; 3hr 30min); Phitsanulok (6 daily; 4hr).
By train The train station is directly opposite Wat Phra Si
Ratana Mahathat; there are left-luggage facilities.
Destinations Ayutthaya (20 daily; 45min-1hr 30min);
Bangkok Hualamphong (14 daily; 2hr 30min-3hr);
Chiang Mai (5 daily; 9-11hr); Phitsanulok (12 daily;
3hr-5hr 15min).
Tourist information TAT's o ce ( T 036 770096,
E [e-mail]; daily 8.30am-4.30pm) is 5km east
of San Phra Karn on Highway 311 in the provincial hall.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
There are food stalls dotted around the centre of Lopburi,
especially on Th Ratchadamnern between the northeast
corner of Phra Narai Ratchanivet and the railway. A good
night market sets up along the west side of the tracks on
Th Na Phra Karn; this is the best place for dinner, with a
wide variety of dishes from B30, and it is a great place to
sit and people-watch.
Coffee House Th Ratchadamnern. A comfortable a/c café
serving cheap snacks and a good range of espresso coffees
(from B25). Daily 8am-5pm.
Nett Hotel One block east of Phra Narai Ratchanivet at
17/1-2 Soi 2, Th Ratchadamnern T 036 411738. Slightly
sterile but cle an and friendly, with plain en-suite rooms.
Double B250
Noom Guest House Two blocks east of Phra Narai
Ratchanivet on Th Praya Kumjud T 036 427693,
W noomguesthouse.com. Teak-floored rooms with shared
hot showers (and good rates for singles), above a bar-
restaurant in the main house, or en-suite bungalows in the
back garden. The friendly sta ff can o rganize rock climbing
and motorbike rental. Double B250
Thai Sawang Th Sorasak. This a/c café opposite Phra
Narai Ratchanivet serves tasty Vietnamese food, including
roll-your-own fresh spring rolls stuffed with salad leaves
and sausage. Most dishes B60-80. Daily 9am-8pm.

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By plane Nok Air and Air Asia run flights to Bangkok (Don
Muang; 6 daily; 50min) from Phitsanulok Airport, 7km
south of the centre and about B150 by tuk-tuk.
By bus Buses for Sukhothai and other adjacent provinces
use the old bus station, 2km east of the city centre;
Sukhothai buses also make useful stops in the centre near
Topland Plaza, as marked on our map. Long-distance buses
now use the new bus station, which is about 7km east of
the centre at Indochina Junction, where highways 11 and
12 meet. Shared songthaews (B20) shuttle between old
and new bus stations; the former is linked to the centre by
many city buses, including #1, #6 and #8. A tuk-tuk to the
new bus station should cost about B120.
Destinations Bangkok (50 daily; 5-6hr); Chiang Mai
(40 daily; 5-6hr); Chiang Rai (30 daily; 7-8hr); Khon Kaen