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Located roughly 345 kilometres north of Bangkok,
Phichit is known as the land of the crocodiles. In
the past, this area was home to a large number of
ferocious land crocodiles and now contains several
fresh-water crocodile farms.
There are many interesting sites to explore in Phichit
and many visitors find it necessary to extend their
stay by several days in order to see everything. A
great way to explore is to hire a motorbike or bicycle
and cycle through the province at your own pace, noting
the scenery and interesting architecture.
If you are interested in history, pay a visit to
Utthayan Mueang Kao Pichit, which is a large park
with an ancient town dating back more than 900 years.
Most of the structures were built during the Sukhothai
and Ayutthaya periods and the old town is surrounded
by city walls and moats. In the town centre is Wat
Phra Si Rattana Mahathat with its large bell-shaped
chedi, containing numerous votive tablets.
Another site of historical and cultural interest
is Ku Mahathat, where you can see ancient Khmer ruins,
whilst Bung Si Fai is a large fresh-water lake to
the south of town. There is a pretty landscaped park
along the banks of the lake, which is a good place
for a picnic. There is an aquarium on the other side
of the park, which contains species of native fish
and local fishing equipment.
There are a large number of interesting temples in
Phichit. Among the best are Wat Pho Prathap Chang
with its bronze Buddha statue, Wat Tha Luang and the
extremely beautiful Wat Nakhon Chum.
Wat Bang Khlan was once the resident temple of the
highly revered monk Luang Pho Ngoen and many people
visit the temple in order to pay homage to a statue
of Luang Pho Ngoen. Worth visiting is the Chai Bowon
Museum inside the temple, which displays ancient items
such as votive tablets, Buddha statues and earthenware.
It is open every Saturday and Sunday.
Another interesting temple is Wat Khao Rup Chang,
which is located along the Phichit-Taphan Hin road,
15 kilometres from town. On the hilltop is an old,
Ayutthaya-style Chedi built from bricks. There is
also a Mondop featuring interesting if slightly faded
wall murals. The main purpose of the Mondop is that
it houses a bronze Holy Relic.
The long awaited boat racing festival is usually
held after the homage-paying rites to the province's
principal Buddha statue during September of each year
and takes place on the Nan River in front of Wat Tha
Luang. The
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