Many of you know or have heard of the former capital Ayutthaya, or SukhothaiWhile its predecessor further north exists, there are many others historical sites in ThailandI can quote Lopburiknown for its monkeys — somewhat less so for its numerous ruins — or even the small Si Thep Historical Park, newly added to UNESCO, to name just a few.
Kamphaeng PhetThe city with the “wall of diamonds” (which is what its name means), is precisely one of these little-known sites. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, however, the city has nothing to envy, in terms of visitor setting and ruins, from its sister city Sukhothai.
It is less talked about, but the whole site is far from small: if the intra-muros area is compact, the entire Aranyik forest, slightly apart to the north, is quite extensive, which ultimately gives a complex as vast as that of Sukhothai.
Kamphaeng Phet can also be easily visited in combination with Sukhothai. The two cities are located halfway between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, making it possible to break up the journey through the North instead of traveling through it in one go.
How to visit Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park
Somewhat like Sukhothai, the historical park is divided into several zones, each located in a wooded area. The two main ones are:
- the intramural area, in the old fortified city;
- the northern zone, the Aranyik forest, where the temples are more spaced out.
They are a little over a kilometer apart.
Generally, most sites can be visited on foot, but cycling is always a good option. If you have your own vehicle, as I did, I recommend exploring the outskirts of the city; you might discover some ancient ruins of small temples as well as an old fortified outpost.
History of Kamphaeng Phet, in brief
The city of Kamphaeng Phet was important during the Sukhothai Kingdom. Its strategic position midway between the central plains of the Chao Phraya River and the Lanna Kingdom to the north, as well as its proximity to Burma, its perennial enemy, allowed it to flourish until the mid-14th century.e century, before the new kingdom of Ayutthaya relegated this city to the status of a mere advanced garrison post.
The remains from this period have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991, proving that it may be worth stopping there on the way north.
Within the city walls: the ruins of the old city
This area corresponds to the part of the ancient city still surrounded by a wall today. Several very well-preserved sections of this wall, made of laterite, can still be seen, along with the surrounding moat and the old defensive entrances. The whole area forms a quadrilateral approximately 2 km on each side, giving a good idea of the city's size during the Sukhothai era.
By entering through the East gate, the main access where the Information CenterFirst, you come across Wat Phra That, before arriving at the large complex of Wat Phra Kaeo and then Wat Chang Phueak. For clarity, I'll start here with the main site, the Wat Phra Kaeo, then I move on to the two other temples that make up this area.
1 – Wat Phra Kaeo
Does this name sound familiar? It should: it shares its name with Thailand's most sacred temple, home to the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok. The Kamphaeng Phet temple was renamed by King Mongkut (Rama IV) in direct reference to the royal temple in the capital.
Wat Phra Kaeo was the Kamphaeng Phet royal templeAnd it shows: it's the largest complex in the historic park. The foundations of at least two large buildings are still visible, surrounded by the ruins of secondary structures and several collapsed chedis. The whole forms a vast rectangle of laterite that gives a good idea of the site's importance at the time.
As in Sukhothai, some of the statues have retained their heads. Some, made of laterite, are so eroded that only the silhouette remains, faceless. Others still bear that smile, both soothing and mysterious. It is here that we find the trio of Buddhas that has become the iconic image of Kamphaeng Phet: two seated statues at the rear, with a reclining Buddha at their feet.
The second building in the complex is more damaged, but its dimensions remain imposing. Built lengthwise on a wide laterite base, it once housed a large covered structure, the layout of which can still be discerned. At its center stood the main statue, enthroned on a high pedestal. Behind it, the remains of a massive chedi, probably of a similar size to the one still standing at the front of the site, can still be seen.
2 – Wat Phra That
Wat Phra That has a name that can be found all over Thailand, but here it is the second major complex in the inner city area.
This one is less impressive than Wat Phra Kaeo and, apart from the remains of its bell-shaped chedi, it consists mainly of a few walls, pillar bases, and floors of the old buildings. Like its neighbor, it dates from the 15th century.
3 – Wat Chang Phueak
Although it is named separately, its location suggests that it was once part of the larger Wat Phra Kaeo complex. As its name indicates, Wat Chang Phueak is distinguished by the base of its chedi, which was once decorated with elephants.
The current state is less spectacular than the elephants in the forest area (at Wat Chang Rop), but it makes a natural stop since it's directly adjacent to Wat Phra Kaeo and Wat Phra That. Just behind the latter, you can also see the base of another structure with its ruined chedi.
San Lak Mueang Kamphaeng Phet
In direct extension of Wat Chang Phueak, towards the east of the compound, is the San Lak Mueang, the “pillar of the city”. As in many Thai cities, it is a small symbolic shrine, meant to protect the city and serve as a spiritual anchor point.
The one in Kamphaeng Phet is located right by the roadside. A curious local detail: when I passed by, many cars were honking their horns. I don't know if there was a particular reason for this noisy ritual, especially since the pillar was temporarily relocated, its shelter being under renovation at the time of my visit.
The wall and the old gates
Walking along the edge of the city walls, one quickly comes across sections of the wall that are still intact. Made of massive laterite blocks, they clearly demonstrate the city's defensive structure. Several access gates once existed, and one of them is still visible today under the name of Fortress Ban Non Gate, on the southwest side.
On the other side of the road that crosses the historical park from north to south, there is a freely accessible area with nearly a dozen small temple ruins, as well as the Phet Fortress, an old lookout platform overlooking the moat.
The Kamphaeng Phet National Museum
To complete your visit, you could also take a trip to the Kamphaeng Phet National Museum, not far from the temples, which houses various antiquities unearthed during excavations in the province.
Entry costs 100 baht and the museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 9am to 16pm.
Northern area: Aranyik Forest
It's a larger area, less than 1 km north of the old city walls. In this part, the temples are scattered amidst a forest. The atmosphere is very different from the area within the walls: shadier, calmer, with a rather pleasant "exploration" feel.
Many of the sites are now just ruins with the classic piles of columns, chedi bases where red bricks and laterite blocks are mixed together.
But several truly remarkable temples can be seen there, including:
1 – Wat Awat Yai
I'll start this section with the first temple you encounter upon entering the Aranyik forest, the Wat Awat Yai, also called Wat Avasa YaiIt is distinguished by a more particular layout than most of the ruins in the area, with a rather vague delimitation since it does not have the usual walls surrounding temples.
At the front of the site, a large rectangular basin, deeply carved into the laterite, is a noticeable feature. If you are coming from Sukhothai, you should pass it as it is right by the roadside. There is another basin located next to the main structure, its presence likely indicating an ancient ritual area or a space related to the needs of the monastery.
The temple features a large laterite platform, followed by two L-shaped rows of small chedis which form a kind of wall of stupas delimiting the first part of the sanctuary. This arrangement, quite rare in Kamphaeng Phet, makes this site particularly interesting visually, despite the absence of other major structures still standing.
This is a logical stop before continuing deeper into the Aranyik forest, where the most impressive temples in this area are located.
2 – Wat Chang Rop
This is undoubtedly the most iconic site in the Aranyik Forest, and one of the most beautiful in the historical park. The main terrace is surrounded by life-size relief elephants, somewhat in the spirit of... Wat Chang Lom of Si SatchanalaiEven if not all are perfectly intact, the whole thing remains very photogenic.
Walking around it, one can clearly appreciate the exquisite craftsmanship of the original work: sculpted necklaces, folds of skin, and remnants of floral decorations—despite erosion, one can still discern the full richness of the decoration. Each side has staircases leading to an intermediate platform at the foot of the chedi, which is now inaccessible.
At the rear of the building, one comes across a large rectangular hollow, the remains of bricks of which, visible in places, suggest that it was once a basin connected to the religious complex. This detail helps to better understand the scale of the site: Wat Chang Rop was not limited to its chedi but was part of a larger complex, with secondary structures and utilitarian areas.
Just beside this hollow, for example, remained the foundations of a viharn, recognizable by its aligned laterite pillars, as well as several small satellite stupas. Despite the rain which somewhat spoiled the moment, the whole site is surrounded by forest, creating a rather unique atmosphere.
3 – Wat Sing
Next, there are three temples side-by-side, making them easy to visit consecutively. The first is Wat Singh, which should really be spelled "Singh," since it's the Sanskrit word for "lion" (like Singha beer!). The temple owes its name to the lion statues that once lined the main platform, although most are now badly eroded.
The site remains typical of Kamphaeng Phet's laterite architecture. The layout is clear: a large rectangular terrace, accessible by several staircases, once housed a viharn, of which only the columns and base remain. At its center stands a laterite statue of a seated Buddha, whose proportions and posture are reminiscent of Sukhothai's aesthetic.
Several secondary structures are clearly visible nearby: the bases of chedis, former rooms, and traces of the monastic quarter. The site is very open, but surrounded by large trees, giving it a particularly peaceful setting.
It is not a major temple like Wat Chang Rop or the nearby Wat Phra Si Iriyabot, but it is a logical and pleasant stop in the continuation of the visit to Aranyik, especially as it illustrates well the more "sobriety" and monastic style of some of the secondary temples in the historical park.
4 – Wat Phra Si Iriyabot
After Wat Chang Rop, this is clearly one of the major temples in the Aranyik forest area. Due to a lack of precise sources, the dating remains broad: somewhere between the 14th and 16th centuries.
Here, one discovers a large laterite platform, dominated by the columns of the former viharn that once stood above it. Behind it, one can see the remains of a brick mandapa (or mondop), now largely open, of which only the central section remains. This is the site's main attraction, along with its monumental standing Buddha statue, still in place in the main niche.
This cross-shaped mandapa once housed four Buddhas, one on each of the building's inner faces, which explains the structure's size. Today, only the statue on the north wall survives, but the bases of the niches on the sides and the remains of the old walls allow us to identify their locations.
In particular, the legs of a seated Buddha can be seen on one side, while on another, the silhouette of a standing Buddha typical of the Sukhothai period, depicted in motion — the famous “walking” Buddha.
Around the mandapa, there are several small chedis and the foundations of what was probably the monks' quarters. The whole area is very pleasant to explore: the temple is nestled under large trees, and the forest setting reinforces the timeless atmosphere that is so characteristic of Kamphaeng Phet.
This is an essential stop on any visit to Aranyik, particularly because it allows you to see a type of religious architecture that is rarer in the region, and to understand the spiritual importance that this area must have had during the Sukhothai era.
5 – Wat Phra Non
As its name suggests, Wat Phra Non once housed a large reclining Buddha carved from laterite, which has since disappeared. The square viharn that housed it, however, has retained its walls, with its narrow, slit-like windows still clearly visible. Like its neighbor, its exact date of construction is unknown.
Around the main building, several ancillary structures can be seen: the Ubosot, an octagonal chedi still standing between the prayer hall and the former monks' quarters, an old sala, a basin, and even what is indicated as the former monastic toilets. The whole site can be visited at a leisurely pace, in a rather timeless atmosphere that suits this wooded area well.
Other secondary temples
If you like to extend your visit a little and you are on a bicycle or in a vehicle, you can supplement it with some sites scattered in the area, most of them are small ruins — about fifteen — but the wooded setting more than makes up for the lack of spectacular structures.
The whole area is very easy to explore by bike: the temples are shaded, the paths are pleasant and the forest atmosphere makes the ride really enjoyable.
The ruins of the southern area (Nakhon Chum)
As mentioned earlier, if you have your own vehicle, it might be worthwhile to explore the area surrounding the city. You can see several other ruins there. Most have a sign indicating their location and a plaque with their name on site, but during my visit, I noticed that these secondary sites were clearly lacking in maintenance.
For those I saw, they were essentially small temples, but I appreciated the "lost" aspect in the middle of the countryside, with no one around or only a few houses of the locals, who sometimes smiled at me, probably wondering how I had ended up there.
I was thus going respectively to Wat Nong Phikun and just a little further on, the Wat Mong Ka LeThe first, Wat Nong Phikun, is a temple dating from the beginning of the 14th century and has a small architectural difference since here the central room is a square-based mondop and not the traditional bell-shaped chedi.
However, we are on a more classic model with the following one, Wat Mong Ka Le, which contains a rather well-preserved chedi.
In this same area, there are several well-preserved chedis, the most imposing of which is that of the Wat Nong Langkawhich you can't miss as it rises above the middle of the rice paddies.
Not far away, literally in the middle of a field and surrounded by dirt paths, you will see an octagonal-based chedi. Wat Nong Yai Chuai. As you walk back towards the main road, you can then take a look at the lotus bud-shaped chedi, typical of the Sukhothai period style, here dated to the mid-14th century.
Thung Setthi Old Fortification
If you simply stay along the main road, you will see, in addition to the ruins of the small Wat Sumko and its rather orphaned chedi, the well-preserved remains of a fort, which served as an outpost 2 km from the entrance of the ancient city.
Here we are faced with a fortress built on the model of a European-style star fort, a square-plan bastion and arrow-shaped ramparts, indicating a later construction than most of the surrounding temples, between the 16th and 17th centuries, when the kingdom of Ayutthaya dominated.
The old Town
The town isn't exactly new, so you can still find some old wooden houses that give the streets a certain charm. You'll also find small, typical shops—jewelers, noodle vendors, cafes, and so on—enhancing the quiet streets.
Out of curiosity, you can take a look at the more "modern" temples, sometimes giving you the opportunity to wander alone as a foreigner (or even completely alone) in these sacred places.
Alternatively, you can take a stroll along the city's quays, where the Ping River flows, the same river that runs through Chiang Mai further north.
You can see what looks like an unfinished Chinese temple on an island in the middle of the river, while nearby you can stretch your legs in several small parks where, at the time I was there, there wasn't much activity other than the few street vendors setting up shop.
There is also a public swimming pool, as well as a Chinese shrine next to another public garden. Finally, like any good city in Thailand, you can visit the night market, the Cha Kangrao Night Bazaar, also located on the riverbank, opposite the island with the Chinese temple. Next door is also the Rim Ping market, which operates during the day.
Overall, it's a small town of barely 30,000 inhabitants, so with a typical provincial town atmosphere in Thailand, activity around the center and markets and outside... not many people.
How to get to Kamphaeng Phet and beyond
Kamphaeng Phet is a city approximately 360 km from Bangkok and 340 km from Chiang Mai. There is a bus terminal located before the main bridge leading to the city center, about 3 km from the historical park.
From Bangkok, you just need to take a bus to Chiang Mai, for example, some companies stop at Kamphaeng Phet. To do this, you need to go to the Mo Chit bus station, which serves destinations in the north of the country.
From Kamphaeng Phet, you will have enough connections to reach many other destinations.
If you are heading to other destinations further north, you have the choice between a transfer to Phitsanulok, Lampang and Chiang Mai. If you are planning to go to the northeast, you will have to go to Phitsanulok. Finally, for other destinations further south, but in the central part, the "local" hub is in Nakhon Sawan, 110 km south of Kamphaeng Phet.
If you are heading to Chiang Mai, the most popular destination, you can also stop at Tak (and from there go to Mae Sot if you are interested in Burma). Sukhothai, the other important historical city, is only 80 km away, there are buses every hour between 8am and 18pm for 70 baht, also possible by songtaew for 60 baht.
If you want to travel locally in the province, it is precisely by songtaew that it happens. You can take them from Bumrungrat Street, next to the market.
Where to sleep in Kamphaeng Phet
Besides the hotel tested, which remains a good address (see below), I give you some accommodation recommendations in Kamphaeng Phet.
I'll start with the Jasmine Lodge Hotel, which has the advantage of being close enough to the old town area to walk there. It's friendly, well-maintained, and very affordable (~€20). A reliable option, slightly further from the historic center, is the Hop InnAnd for a similar distance (less than 3 km), there is the Three J Guesthouse which has a good reputation, for a similar price but a decidedly local atmosphere.
FIG Boutique Hotel
Note: 7,6 / 10
Budget: from 15€
I opted for a hotel a little out of the way, but with excellent value for money. Luckily I had the GPS because it's somewhat hidden away on the outskirts of town; the advantage is that it's quiet. It's also a comfortable and modern hotel.
On foot, it's a little over 4 km to get to the main area, so it's a bit far and it's preferable to have a vehicle in this case.
In summary, what to do and see in Kamphaeng Phet is shown on a map.
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