Phrae

About

Founded shortly after Chiang Mai was made the capital of the Lanna Kingdom, Phrae was historically an important regional center, and later, prospered from logging teak. Today, it’s a sleepy provincial city, but it still has plenty of landmarks from its glory days. There’s a bounty of beautiful teak homes, such as the striking, 2-story Vongbury House Museum, which is filled antiques, documents, photos, and other artefacts from the town’s teak dynasty. The Khum Chao Luang was built by the last lord of the city and was where the king and queen stayed when visiting. There’s also an abundance of temples in town, some of which date back to the 12th century, like the charming Wat Luang.