The famous Phra Chinnarat Buddha image at Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat
Phitsanulok wouldn't be at the top of anyone's "must see" lists of Thai destinations. There really isn't enough to see in the small provincial capital to make it worthy of being a destination in itself. However, if you're visiting Sukhothai, a stop in Phitsanulok may be interesting, or even necessary, if you're traveling by train or budget airline.
The central tower with the main west chapel on the right of Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat
You can see the sights of the city in a day, easily, so you may not want to plan more than a night in the city. However, there are two big festivals held in Phitsanulok every year. A big temple fair is held in the grounds of Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat every January, while the river running through town hosts very popular long boat races every October. A longer stay at these tmes may be in order.
June 2011
A standard room at the Ayara Grand Palace Hotel in Phitsanulok The Ayara hotel is a relatively new hotel not far from the train station in Phitsanulok. The location is relatively central, within a 15 to 20 minute walk from most of the sights. The room was comfortable enough, although the first impression is a little over the top, with pick mood lighting bouncing off silvered curtains. The desk was okay for working, and there was free wireless Internet access available.
A newly cast Buddha image at the foundry The Buddha image foundry of Buranathai, also simply known as the Sgt. Maj. Thawee factory, is one of Phitsanulok's more unique attractions. The foundry specializes mainly in the reproduction of the Chinnarat Buddha image found in Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat. Visitors are free to wander through the factory, observing how the images are cast using the lost wax method, finished, then lacquered and sometimes gilded.
Phitsanulok's City Pillar shrine The city pillar for Phitsanulok was only built around 2007. It sits right on the river across from Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat. The pillar itself, housed withing the pavilion, stands over two meters from the floor.
The gardens and buildings of the Sgt. Maj. Thawee Folk Museum The only museum in Phitsanulok is privately run and quite a refreshing change to the provincial museums full of dusty display cases. The museum is owned by the same man (Sgt. Maj. Thawee) whose family runs the town's famous Buddha foundry. The aim of the museum is to collect everyday items and memorabilia from around the north-central region of Thailand.
Phitsanulok's Main Bus Terminal Phitsanulok is fairly well served by all the major transportation methods.
Flights: You can fly to Phitsanulok from Bangkok. Currently, only budget airline Nok Air services the route, flying out of the old Don Muang airport in Bangkok. The airport is only about 20 minutes drive from the city.
Trains: There are trains more or less hourly from Bangkok to Phitsanulok. The trip takes about eight hours, depending on the service.
There isn't a huge selection of hotels in Phitsanulok. Within the city there a just a few locally run hotels, most of them decidedly tourist class. The Yodia Heritage listed below is probably the best the city has to offer. It and a few other in-town options are listed below. If you aren't satisfied with my selections, you can use the search box to find the best rates from dozens of sites.
Phitsanulok City Map Phitsanulok sits on the Nan river, and the old sights of the city are all located along the river-front. The folk museum and Buddha foundry are about a 15 minute walk from the old temples by the river.
The new ordination hall and ancient pagodas of Wat Nang Phaya Wat Nang Phaya dates from the middle of the fifteenth century. It is immediately next to Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat, which was built about the same time. It was the practice back then for major royal temples to have smaller 'satellite' temples around them in each of the four cardinal directions. Wat Nang Phaya is the only one of these still in existence, although very little remains of the original temple.
The famous Phra Chinnarat Buddha image Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat, or simply 'Wat Yai' to locals, was established in the mid-fifteenth century by the king of Sukhothai. At the center of the temple is a large Khmer style tower (called a prang). Chapels abut the tower on three sides, and the entire grounds are enclosed by a gallery lined with Buddha images.
The chapel on the north side of the tower houses the Phra Chinnarat Buddha image, one of the most famous images in Thailand, and widely reproduced.
Wat Ratburana from across the river Wat Ratburana was built in the early fifteenth century by the king of Sukhothai to house the ashes of two of his brothers, who killed each other fighting over who would succeed him. The ashes are housed, presumably, within the large pagoda, which has a stepped base topped by a classic bell-shaped stupa.
The altar of the prayer hall Other structures in the temple include a very old ordination hall with some rather interesting, if badly degraded, murals.
Like all of Thailand, Sukhothai has three seasons: the "cool" season from November to February, the "hot" season from March to May, and the "rainy" season from June to October. The cool season is the traditional time to visit, but it's also when sights will be the most crowded, and hotel rates the highest. Conventional wisdom has it that the rainy season is the worst time to come, but this is not necessarily true.
