Guide to Lampang Province in Northern Thailand

Lampamg Province, The charming town of horse-drawn carriages and the province with the king's stable white elephants in Thailand Elephant Conservation Center.

Most visitors only visit the Lampang to see the Thailand Elephant Conservation Center, Lampang past the town on their way to Chiang Mai and provinces further north. But while the elephant center is really a must-see attractions, which are willing to spend some time in the provincial capital are generally surprised by the charming and rather unusual city and province of Lampang.

Famous for its horse-drawn carriages and sporting a rooster on its provincial emblem (the bird also honored with a large statue in the center of town), Lampang boasts a long history of human settlements in the Wang River Basin, some of which date back more than 1000 years. Lampang is rich in archaeological evidence from the realms Hariphunchai, Lanna and Burma.

The horse and cart, a mode of local transport that has survived the introduction of automobiles to Lampang, is a fun way to explore the surprisingly large town, which has a number of beautiful old temple. Rooster statue, which you probably will pass along the way, is a very old symbol of Lampang, dating back to the city's former name, Kukutthanakorn or City Roosters, a name which came from a local legend about a white rooster that was sent by Brahmin God Indra to bring the local residents so they could give alms to the Lord Buddha, who was allegedly visiting the city.

On the way from Lampang and Chiang Mai is Thailand's Elephant Conservation Center, the oldest and only government sponsored elephant center in Thailand, where the king's white elephants live, visitors can learn about elephants and elephant demonstrations are regularly carried out.

Lampang city is the capital of the province of the same name, a city that has horse and cart, relaxing river bars and restaurants, a number of spectacular Buddhist temples, and a friendly, relaxed locals. Just outside town, on the way to Chiang Mai, Thailand Elephant Conservation Center is one of the top locations for visitors to learn about elephants and elephant watch demonstrations.

Key Tip :

• To participate in the mahout training at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center (normally run only during peak season), you must book far in advance.

See you next time.

Thank you.