Day 3, 11th February - Lamphun
Time in Hand....... It's day three of our snails pace journey up to Thailand's north. So far we've booked our accommodation ahead to avoid any disappointments and inconvenience but that has led to some inflexibility. The way things went yesterday we could easily have made more progress and reached the next province of Uttaradit well before dark. However things needn't be that difficult today since the journey time to our final destination is not much more than four hours. The plan though is to continue following the railway and that will mean sometime spent at railway stations. Then there's the matter of the evening entertainment at 6pm.
With no restaurant at Hop Inn we are obliged to self cater and yesterday's inconvenience of hauling extra equipment around is actually saved time this morning. It means we can depart well before 9:00am which bodes well for the day. I have some slack to play with but instead of heading back to Phitsanulok Railway Station I head to the next station south on a hunch that I might see more trains.
Bueng Phra....... Witnessing oil wagons being shunted around in Phitsanulok station on a previous visit, I discovered that Bueng Phra Station about 10 kilometres to the south is an important rail terminal for oil trains arriving from Map Ta Phut in Rayong Province where oil is pumped ashore from offshore wells. From the Google Map satellite image, Bueng Phra sidings look impressive. Arriving at the station there certainly are oil wagons, more than you can count. However, regarding locomotives I'm out of luck. While there is a engine at work, it's hidden by the wagons. What I can confirm though is that this is not only a terminal for oil trains but also an oil refinery for the region. Now we must make progress towards Uttaradit.
Uttaradit Railway Station....... We make good progress towards the city and head for the railway station. However, there are few passenger services during the day but I have the good fortune to capture an oil train moving north through the station but decide it's too long to wait for the next passenger service. Instead, I give up some time for my partner to go temple hunting with three options within easy reach of HWY 102 heading west.
Wat Phra Brommathat Thung Yang....... Wat Phra Brommathat Thung Yang is a very old temple with a round bell-shaped stupa standing on a three-stepped square base. The lower base has a small chedi on each of the four corners. The third step base has a niche on each of the four sides that are shown to have been restored afterwards. The Chedi is fronted by the gorgeous northern style viharn with a two-tiered wooden roof and porch decorated in the same style. The interior is plastered without murals.
Wat Phra Yuen....... Wat Phra Yuen is the second of three temples in this group. Being a Sunday it is well-supported by worshipers. The main building at this temple is a mondrop housing twin sacred Buddha statues behind a replica Buddha footprint. In the grounds are the bases of two ancient chedis of different styles. No information is given but construction is contemporary with the Ayutthaya Period.
Wat Phra Thaen Sila At....... The third temple of the group is Wat Phra Thaen Sila At and judging by the number of worshipers here this is the most important of the three with tourist police present to assist visitors.
Constructed during the Ayutthaya period, Wat Phra Thaen Sila At holds the base of a rectangular sermon platform 8 foot in width, 10 foot in length, and 3 foot in height built with laterite, patterned with sacred lotus petals. The 2-floor Museum, previously the sermon hall, is also located within the Temple area.
Wat Phra Thaen Sila At is one of the fascinating ancient temples of Uttaradit province. Legend claims that the Buddha, as a Bodhivasatta, once visited and accumulated his merit here, leading to the construction of the sermon platform, assumed to be built during the Sukhothai period by an unknown craftsman. Later, a forest fire burned the mondop and viharn down, leaving only the sermon platform until Rama V saw to the restoration of the temple.
Uttaradit City Pillar Shrine....... The Uttaradit City Pillar Shrine is located at this temple. It's a new structure with a frame supporting an ornate canopied roof housing the pillar. The revered City Pillar Shrine is usually constructed at or near where a town or city was founded which should be a clue as the age of this temple.
Sila-At Railway Station....... Doubling back to the city I would like to visit Sila-At Railway Station which is the second of two stations in the city and a terminal for some services. Arriving at this station there is just one stationary locomotive in the sidings. We do however use the opportunity here to buy some prepacked food then out of the blue a sprinter train arrives, disembarks its passengers and returns to Uttaradit. Now we really need to press on.
Den Chai Railway Station....... After Uttaradit the terrain becomes more mountainous, and we cross over into Phrae Province which is served by Den Chai Railway Station. It's here that a proposed new railway will begin connecting the Northern Line to the Laotion border. Again I will not be able to see a passing train; there is nothing due for an hour but at least the break here has enabled us to call ahead and arrange accommodation. At this point I have ticked all my boxes for today but Katoon finds one more box. It's a bit out of the way but I'm assured it's worth a detour. We head away from HWY 11 and into the mountains once more.
Ban Pin Railway Station....... Ban Pin railway station in Long District, Phrae Province is a class 2 railway station 564 km from Bangkok. It lies on the SRT Northern Line and opened in June 1914, following the Northern Line extension from Huai Mae Ta to Ban Pin. The line continued to Pha Khan in 1915.
The location of the station is interesting since unlike the new road built more recently it has to make a huge northerly detour to avoid the mountains of the Wiang Kosai National Park. The station's design and construction is that of a Bavarian timber frame building, a product of the German engineers who worked on building the Northern Line and the only railway station in Thailand built in the Bavarian style.
When I arrive at this station there is no action to report at this time of day and I begin to wonder why Katoon wanted to come here but soon I get a clue when we are directed to another temple.
Wat Phrathat Si Don Kham....... This temple houses a large-scale pagoda that enshrines a holy relic of Lord Buddha. Legend has it that it was first built as early as 535 A.D. when the area was under the dominance of the Hariphunchai Kingdom. However, there is more recent history associated with this temple.
In November 1944, B24 Liberator bombers of the USAF dropped 500 pound bombs on a bridge over the Yom River severing the rail link. This event is commemorated at this temple.
Running out of Time....... The day's trip from Phitsanulok to Lamphun is not difficult, but we are sure taking advantage of the spare time available. So much so that we have used that up and are running into a window which takes us beyond the comfortable arrival time in Lamphun. As a reminder there's a football game on in the city tonight but the only thing that's organised is our accommodation.
Wrong Stadium....... We head over the mountains once more down into Lampang and across the Khun Tan Range. The expected arrival time is just after 5.00pm while the game itself starts at 6.00. As we reach lamphun I search for the Lampun Warrior Stadium which is not even in the city district. At 5.10pm I arrive totally confused. Where are the spectators? This is Lamphun Warrior Stadium but I'm guessing it's still not available for use. So where is the game tonight? It's a race against the clock on a wild goose chase trying to locate the municipal stadium. This is bound to be awkward. We have to find a parking space, we don't have tickets and have had nothing to eat. When we arrive the entire problem disappears in a minute. There are no tickets available for this prestigious fixture between Lampun Warriors and Buriram United. I'm stunned. We've made a great effort to get here. We pause trying to take it in but have no option now to buy some food at the stadium and head for our accommodation.
When the dust finally settles we realise that the task we faced would have been difficult anyway. The Municipal Stadium is a temporary fix until the new stadium is ready so it has restricted ground capacity. Tickets are not sold at the ground as at other stadiums and were sold out days ago.
Easy Hotel 1....... If there's one consolation it's that Easy Hotel 1 is not that far away. It provides one of those situations where checking and settling in is effortless and after such a long day I am so grateful for that especially under the circumstances. We even managed to watch some of the first half and all the second half of the football game on TV. I compliment the hotel for providing us such comfort under the circumstances.
Next Page.
Time in Hand....... It's day three of our snails pace journey up to Thailand's north. So far we've booked our accommodation ahead to avoid any disappointments and inconvenience but that has led to some inflexibility. The way things went yesterday we could easily have made more progress and reached the next province of Uttaradit well before dark. However things needn't be that difficult today since the journey time to our final destination is not much more than four hours. The plan though is to continue following the railway and that will mean sometime spent at railway stations. Then there's the matter of the evening entertainment at 6pm.
With no restaurant at Hop Inn we are obliged to self cater and yesterday's inconvenience of hauling extra equipment around is actually saved time this morning. It means we can depart well before 9:00am which bodes well for the day. I have some slack to play with but instead of heading back to Phitsanulok Railway Station I head to the next station south on a hunch that I might see more trains.
Bueng Phra....... Witnessing oil wagons being shunted around in Phitsanulok station on a previous visit, I discovered that Bueng Phra Station about 10 kilometres to the south is an important rail terminal for oil trains arriving from Map Ta Phut in Rayong Province where oil is pumped ashore from offshore wells. From the Google Map satellite image, Bueng Phra sidings look impressive. Arriving at the station there certainly are oil wagons, more than you can count. However, regarding locomotives I'm out of luck. While there is a engine at work, it's hidden by the wagons. What I can confirm though is that this is not only a terminal for oil trains but also an oil refinery for the region. Now we must make progress towards Uttaradit.
Uttaradit Railway Station....... We make good progress towards the city and head for the railway station. However, there are few passenger services during the day but I have the good fortune to capture an oil train moving north through the station but decide it's too long to wait for the next passenger service. Instead, I give up some time for my partner to go temple hunting with three options within easy reach of HWY 102 heading west.
Wat Phra Brommathat Thung Yang....... Wat Phra Brommathat Thung Yang is a very old temple with a round bell-shaped stupa standing on a three-stepped square base. The lower base has a small chedi on each of the four corners. The third step base has a niche on each of the four sides that are shown to have been restored afterwards. The Chedi is fronted by the gorgeous northern style viharn with a two-tiered wooden roof and porch decorated in the same style. The interior is plastered without murals.
Wat Phra Yuen....... Wat Phra Yuen is the second of three temples in this group. Being a Sunday it is well-supported by worshipers. The main building at this temple is a mondrop housing twin sacred Buddha statues behind a replica Buddha footprint. In the grounds are the bases of two ancient chedis of different styles. No information is given but construction is contemporary with the Ayutthaya Period.
Wat Phra Thaen Sila At....... The third temple of the group is Wat Phra Thaen Sila At and judging by the number of worshipers here this is the most important of the three with tourist police present to assist visitors.
Constructed during the Ayutthaya period, Wat Phra Thaen Sila At holds the base of a rectangular sermon platform 8 foot in width, 10 foot in length, and 3 foot in height built with laterite, patterned with sacred lotus petals. The 2-floor Museum, previously the sermon hall, is also located within the Temple area.
Wat Phra Thaen Sila At is one of the fascinating ancient temples of Uttaradit province. Legend claims that the Buddha, as a Bodhivasatta, once visited and accumulated his merit here, leading to the construction of the sermon platform, assumed to be built during the Sukhothai period by an unknown craftsman. Later, a forest fire burned the mondop and viharn down, leaving only the sermon platform until Rama V saw to the restoration of the temple.
Uttaradit City Pillar Shrine....... The Uttaradit City Pillar Shrine is located at this temple. It's a new structure with a frame supporting an ornate canopied roof housing the pillar. The revered City Pillar Shrine is usually constructed at or near where a town or city was founded which should be a clue as the age of this temple.
Sila-At Railway Station....... Doubling back to the city I would like to visit Sila-At Railway Station which is the second of two stations in the city and a terminal for some services. Arriving at this station there is just one stationary locomotive in the sidings. We do however use the opportunity here to buy some prepacked food then out of the blue a sprinter train arrives, disembarks its passengers and returns to Uttaradit. Now we really need to press on.
Den Chai Railway Station....... After Uttaradit the terrain becomes more mountainous, and we cross over into Phrae Province which is served by Den Chai Railway Station. It's here that a proposed new railway will begin connecting the Northern Line to the Laotion border. Again I will not be able to see a passing train; there is nothing due for an hour but at least the break here has enabled us to call ahead and arrange accommodation. At this point I have ticked all my boxes for today but Katoon finds one more box. It's a bit out of the way but I'm assured it's worth a detour. We head away from HWY 11 and into the mountains once more.
Ban Pin Railway Station....... Ban Pin railway station in Long District, Phrae Province is a class 2 railway station 564 km from Bangkok. It lies on the SRT Northern Line and opened in June 1914, following the Northern Line extension from Huai Mae Ta to Ban Pin. The line continued to Pha Khan in 1915.
The location of the station is interesting since unlike the new road built more recently it has to make a huge northerly detour to avoid the mountains of the Wiang Kosai National Park. The station's design and construction is that of a Bavarian timber frame building, a product of the German engineers who worked on building the Northern Line and the only railway station in Thailand built in the Bavarian style.
When I arrive at this station there is no action to report at this time of day and I begin to wonder why Katoon wanted to come here but soon I get a clue when we are directed to another temple.
Wat Phrathat Si Don Kham....... This temple houses a large-scale pagoda that enshrines a holy relic of Lord Buddha. Legend has it that it was first built as early as 535 A.D. when the area was under the dominance of the Hariphunchai Kingdom. However, there is more recent history associated with this temple.
In November 1944, B24 Liberator bombers of the USAF dropped 500 pound bombs on a bridge over the Yom River severing the rail link. This event is commemorated at this temple.
Running out of Time....... The day's trip from Phitsanulok to Lamphun is not difficult, but we are sure taking advantage of the spare time available. So much so that we have used that up and are running into a window which takes us beyond the comfortable arrival time in Lamphun. As a reminder there's a football game on in the city tonight but the only thing that's organised is our accommodation.
Wrong Stadium....... We head over the mountains once more down into Lampang and across the Khun Tan Range. The expected arrival time is just after 5.00pm while the game itself starts at 6.00. As we reach lamphun I search for the Lampun Warrior Stadium which is not even in the city district. At 5.10pm I arrive totally confused. Where are the spectators? This is Lamphun Warrior Stadium but I'm guessing it's still not available for use. So where is the game tonight? It's a race against the clock on a wild goose chase trying to locate the municipal stadium. This is bound to be awkward. We have to find a parking space, we don't have tickets and have had nothing to eat. When we arrive the entire problem disappears in a minute. There are no tickets available for this prestigious fixture between Lampun Warriors and Buriram United. I'm stunned. We've made a great effort to get here. We pause trying to take it in but have no option now to buy some food at the stadium and head for our accommodation.
When the dust finally settles we realise that the task we faced would have been difficult anyway. The Municipal Stadium is a temporary fix until the new stadium is ready so it has restricted ground capacity. Tickets are not sold at the ground as at other stadiums and were sold out days ago.
Easy Hotel 1....... If there's one consolation it's that Easy Hotel 1 is not that far away. It provides one of those situations where checking and settling in is effortless and after such a long day I am so grateful for that especially under the circumstances. We even managed to watch some of the first half and all the second half of the football game on TV. I compliment the hotel for providing us such comfort under the circumstances.
Next Page.
Phitsanulok Province
Bueng Phra Railway Station, Bueng Phra,
Mueang Phitsanulok District
Uttaradit Province
Wat Phra Brommathat Thung Yang,
Thung Yang, Laplae District
Wat Phra Yuen, Thung Yang, Laplae District
Wat Phra Thaen Sila At, Thung Yang,
Laplae District
City Pillar Shrine at Wat Phra Thaen Sila At,
Thung Yang, Laplae District
Sila-At Railway Station,
Tha It, Mueang Uttaradit District
Phrae Province
Den Chai Railway Station,
Den Chai, Den Chai District
Ban Pin Railway Station, Ban Pin, Long District
Wat Phrathat Si Don Kham,
Huai O, Long District