Readme before you journey
Greetings, fellow Readme readers. This review is written after returning from a trip to Uthai Thani Province last year, in 2017, during the month of October, the late rainy season and early winter. At that time, there was still flooding in many places, including several provinces, and Uthai Thani was no exception.
The journey began in the late afternoon, passing through Suphan Buri. Along the way, we stopped to buy fresh, live shrimp from several roadside vendors. We plan to grill them for dinner tomorrow at Baan Phupha. We also bought some ice.
We purchased the largest size available.
As the rain began to fall more heavily, we continued on our journey to our destination, the Kraseaw Reservoir.
We spent the night at Dan Chang in Suphan Buri, near the Khasew Dam. We stayed at Chan Phet Resort, which cost 600 baht per night. We arrived at the resort late in the evening, just as the rain had stopped.
Evening atmosphere around the resort.
The resort was reached late in the evening, so I didn't have a chance to take any photos of the accommodation. Plus, I was hungry, so I asked the resort caretaker, Auntie, about restaurants. Auntie recommended Suan Nam Ruam Jai Restaurant. The atmosphere was a large, quiet pond, very peaceful. However, I don't know if it was too peaceful during our visit, as we were the only table dining in the entire restaurant. It was eerie, haha.
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The food arrived very quickly (of course, we were the only table there). The first dish, deep-fried fermented pork sausage with pork ribs, was decent. The restaurant provided a generous amount of side dishes, making it an excellent choice for a drinking snack.
The second dish was a stir-fried kale with fresh shrimp salad. I found this dish to be average, similar to other salads I have had.
The third dish, steamed snakehead fish with soy sauce, was decent but not particularly delicious. However, the fish was large.
The restaurant serves generous portions, so much so that we couldn't finish everything and had to take some back to our room. The highlight of the restaurant, however, is its wonderful ambiance. If the weather were colder, it would be even more relaxing.
Upon returning to the accommodation, I entered the room to rest and took some pictures of the interior. The room was as shown in the pictures, with the bathroom located outside on the balcony behind the room. Personally, I did not like this arrangement as it required opening the door to access the bathroom, allowing insects to fly in. There were many insects, and the bathroom was also full of insects attracted to the light. While the insects were not a major issue, the mosquitoes were particularly troublesome. I was bitten several times while brushing my teeth.
Another angle.
This morning, we captured the serene atmosphere of the resort. The weather is pleasantly cool, as shown in this image taken from the balcony behind the guest room.
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The bathroom is located outside the room.
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That's about it.
The balcony behind the room is a relaxing space, with the constant sound of flowing water.
There are nine tables for sitting and playing.
Stepping out to explore the front of the room, which is a glass sliding door, the room we are staying in.
Let's explore the area around the resort.
Front of the resort
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This door is next to the bridge.
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Strolling onto the bridge
The **Khaseo Dam** is currently releasing excess water. This year, the water level is exceptionally high.
From the bridge, you can see the waterfront area behind the resort where we are staying. I think we should go down and explore it later.
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A path leading down to the stream
The restaurant offers tables suitable for grilling, making it an ideal spot for enjoying a barbecue with friends.
The water pressure is very high recently.
This corner behind our room offers a perfect atmosphere for families to relax and enjoy a barbecue at Chanphen Resort. During the winter season, the weather is even more pleasant.
Leaving the resort, we headed towards Uthai Thani Province, but decided to make a detour to visit the Kraseaw Reservoir. However, upon arrival, disappointment struck! The guard at the entrance informed us that it was closed for renovations. Undeterred, we consulted our GPS and decided to explore the reservoir from a different angle.
However, upon arrival, I encountered this situation: the road is flooded and impassable.
The decision to leave Khao Kaew Reservoir meant that we couldn't tour along the reservoir's edge as planned. Several sections of the road were impassable due to flooding. Instead, we stopped for breakfast at a roadside restaurant along the Dan Chang - Uthai Thani route.
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The menu is approximately like this.
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We ordered three dishes to eat.
The first dish, braised chicken noodles, was a spicy, hot soup that instantly cured my hangover and left me feeling refreshed.
The second dish was seafood pad thai. The shrimp and squid were fresh, which surprised me since Suphan Buri is not near the sea. On the bright side, they must have been kept… well… very cold from the sea to be this fresh. Haha.
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I highly recommend this dish, rice mixed with shrimp paste. It's delicious and considered the signature dish of the restaurant.
The dish comes with a side of broth. Overall, it was a satisfactory experience.
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Departing from the Chang checkpoint, heading towards Lan Sak district, Uthai Thani province.
We entered Ban Rai District, Uthai Thani Province, which leads to Lan Sak District. We stopped by Wat Tham Khao Wong to pay our respects to the Buddha.
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The road leading to Wat Tham Khao Wong is lined with cornfields on both sides.
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I have arrived at Wat Tham Khao Wong. This temple is incredibly beautiful.
Wat Tham Khao Wong is located in Ban Rai Subdistrict. The temple is a 4-story building with Thai architecture. The ground floor is a multi-purpose courtyard and shop. The second floor is the wiharn, the third floor is the kuti, and the fourth floor is the bot, which is made of teak and makha wood. According to the information, the old wood was obtained from Thai houses in Ayutthaya and Ang Thong. The roof was brought from Lamphun. The carpenter who assembled the house, including the gable and eaves, came from Ayutthaya.
The landscaping in the temple is very beautiful. The backdrop is a towering limestone mountain. In front, there is a pond with many fish. The temple has decorated the garden with rocks, bonsai trees, and ornamental plants. We walked up to see the kuti and saw the path leading up to the cave. There is an artificial waterfall that blends in with the atmosphere. At the back, there are 7-8 caves. Some caves are used for meditation by monks, some are bat caves, and some have stalactites and stalagmites. It is said that there is a flat area on the mountain where some wild animals live. Wild boars sometimes come down, but I did not go up because the path was difficult to walk on due to the waterlogged areas. It was also starting to rain.
The path ends here, revealing a small waterfall.
Leaving the Wat Tham Khao Wong, we headed to Khao Samor Thong. Along the way, locals were selling fresh pineapples from their gardens.
Before reaching the Som Oeng Hot Spring, cross the bridge over the reservoir to enjoy the beautiful view of the Klong Khok Kwai Reservoir.
The view from both sides is incredibly beautiful, especially during sunset.
To the Samo Thong Hot Spring
We were a little disappointed because the hot springs by the dam were flooded. There was too much water this year, so we couldn't go.
Finished and not soaking in the view
The flood is so bad, I don't even need to soak.
Let's continue exploring the area around Somot Hot Spring. This is a hot spring soaking room, but it was fully booked on the day we went. We could only walk around the hot spring area.
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The large hot spring bathhouse has two buildings.
It is divided into small rooms for 6-7 people
Large rooms for 7-10 people
There will be staff to service, drain the old water and clean it.
Turn on hot and cold water and teach us to adjust the water to suit us.
It should be soaked for about 15-20 minutes only. As for the price, I really don't know because I didn't soak it, so I didn't ask about the price.
This is a foot soaking area.
We explored the area around the accommodation, but it was not yet open to the public when we visited. Officials informed us that there was an ongoing dispute over who would manage the accommodation, with the Forestry Department and the Tambon Administrative Organization (TAO) both vying for control. The officials stated that they would not interfere in the political process and would allow the relevant parties to reach a decision at their own pace.
However, if you get to stay here, it would be incredibly relaxing, especially during the winter. Oh, I really want to stay here. The view is amazing, but unfortunately, there seems to be a problem.
This house has a great view.
Wow, it's beautiful, but I can't rest.
There are many houses to choose from.
After leaving the Samor Thong Hot Spring, we continued our journey to Ban Phu Pha, our accommodation for the night. Along the way to Ban Phu Pha, we passed through a field of yellow hemp flowers that stretched as far as the eye could see. The scenery was breathtaking, with the vibrant yellow flowers contrasting beautifully against the backdrop of the limestone mountains.
Just before reaching Ban Phupha, we passed Tham Hub Pa Tad Cave. However, we didn't stop to visit today. We plan to visit on our check-out day from Ban Phupha, as we are staying for two nights. The view is stunning.
We have arrived at Baan Phupha Resort. We booked our accommodation directly with the resort and, even better, we were lucky enough to win a prize from their Facebook raffle. This means we get to stay in a room for free for one night! Yay... We're so lucky! We never thought we'd win. Haha. We really have to thank Baan Phupha Resort for this great activity. If you're planning to stay here, you'll need to call the resort to inquire about the prices, as they vary depending on the season. When we visited, the price was around 1,500 baht.
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We arrived almost at dusk, so there was no time to capture the atmosphere of the day. This building is the room we won from the resort. It is a VIP house. This building has 2 floors, separated between the lower and upper floors. We stayed on the 2nd floor, the lower floor. But tonight, no one is staying here. The resort is all ours, completely private. The weather is cool and comfortable too.
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"Walking into the room, they started filming in the bathroom. Don't misunderstand, they weren't filming someone using the toilet. The bathroom here is open, with a view of the limestone mountains. I was actually worried a monkey might peek in while I was showering."
Prepare food for grilling tonight. It will be late later.
Shrimp from Suphan Buri, clams from the market
Grilled shrimp... grilled shrimp, so fragrant.
Seafood dipping sauce mixed with wasabi, becoming Chef Thanat's Wasabi Recipe.
After finishing the grilled shrimp, we decided to sit down and eat near the barbecue area. However, we were overwhelmed by the large number of insects and mosquitoes. Some of them were so hungry that they flew down into our dipping sauce cups. As a result, we had to retreat back to our safe haven.
Upon entering, we were immediately captivated by the interior of our room, prompting us to capture its essence through photographs.
Good morning. The view from our room is amazing. If we came here in the winter, we wouldn't even need to turn on the air conditioning.
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Looking out, I saw our barbecue from last night.
Come down to the cafeteria for breakfast (we had a barbecue here last night).
What a difference between yesterday and this morning! Haha
This morning's breakfast at the resort includes bread, Ovaltine, instant coffee, and rice porridge.
After breakfast, I walked to the room and took some pictures of the view from the balcony.
Another view of the bathroom. It's quite enjoyable to sit and admire the view.
Today, we had to move from the VIP room to a small house, which is another room rate at 1,000 baht. The house is not very big.
A view from the window
After breakfast, we set off on our journey to explore the **Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary**.
Turn right at the entrance to the office.
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After driving for a while, the smooth road turned into a gravel road. If you come here during the rainy season, I can only say that you need a 4x4 vehicle.
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A flash of movement caught my eye as I drove, a fox darting across the road. I reached for my camera, but it was too late. The creature vanished into the dense undergrowth, its swiftness leaving me with only a fleeting glimpse.
The trail was punctuated by numerous streams.
Upon arriving at the office, they took a walk and visited the residence of Uncle Suan Nakhasathien.
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A stream called Khao Khang Stream flows in front of the house.
The atmosphere around Uncle See's house
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Leaving Huai Kha Khaeng, we made a stop at the Rabam Dam for another visit.
The sky is full of clouds today.
Villagers are fishing.
The sky is truly beautiful and clear.
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The viewpoint is inaccessible due to flooding. Many areas are currently inundated with water. It is advisable to admire the view from a distance and exercise caution.
Survey the houses of the Thap Salao Dam.
The flood has completely submerged the area, leaving no dry land to walk on. The water has even reached the houses. Haha.
If you plan to sit at the fishing spot, it's a good idea to bring your fishing rod. You might catch some fish for snacks.
Before checking into our accommodation, we stopped for dinner at Tan Restaurant, which was highly recommended on Pantip.
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It is located on the side of the road in Lansak.
The atmosphere in the restaurant is like this.
Recommended menu items
We ordered four dishes.
Spicy Jungle Curry with Fresh Shrimp The jungle curry is incredibly flavorful, with an authentic jungle cuisine taste. If you can't handle spicy food, I wouldn't recommend it because it's quite hot. However, I personally enjoy it.
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Lemongrass Salad: A Healthy Option with a Neutral Flavor
The lemongrass salad is a healthy choice, but the flavor is rather neutral. It depends on individual preferences, but it's not unpleasant.
Spicy minced catfish salad This is delicious, I like it. It goes very well with beer. Approved.
The "Fried Chicken with Grass Shoots" was similar to a typical fried chicken salad, but it wasn't particularly impressive. I wasn't a fan of this dish.
Overall, it's okay. If you're looking for local food with a jungle-like flavor, you can try eating at the Tan restaurant. Because there are not many restaurants to choose from in this area. But for me, it's not as amazing as Pantip suggests.
On the way to the accommodation, I couldn't help but get off the car to take some pictures. The weather was really nice.
The morning of the checkout, the atmosphere was truly wonderful.
This place raises goats that are not afraid of people. I stood by the fence, and they walked up to me as you can see in the picture. I was really scared that they would jump over the fence.
Several chickens were scratching around, looking for food.
Sneaking a peek at the chicken coop, hoping to find an egg or two to collect.
Taking a last look before leaving the accommodation.
After leaving the accommodation, we continued our journey to **Hup Pa Tad**, which is less than a kilometer from Ban Phupha.
The Huai Pa Tat area is located in Lan Sak District, Uthai Thani Province, and is under the management of the Tham Prathun Wildlife Sanctuary.
The entrance fee is 20 baht for Thai adults, 10 baht for Thai children, and 200 baht for foreigners. Visitors will be provided with a flashlight. Before entering the cave, there will be a group of young tour guides who will lead the way and tell stories about the Hup Pa Tad Cave to tourists. The service fee is at your discretion. I think it's great that these young people are helping to tell stories and educate tourists. This allows visitors to learn more about the site, the creatures inside the cave, and the various plant species.
The nature trail in Hup Pa Tad is approximately 700 meters roundtrip, taking about 1-2 hours to complete depending on individual pace and activities. The trail is considered easy to moderate, offering a pleasant walk through the forest. The starting point is a dark cave, leading to a large sinkhole with sunlight streaming in. The area is densely populated with Borassus flabellifer palms, surrounded by cliffs adorned with unique stalactites and stalagmites.
Upon entering the cave, one is immediately struck by the sight of bats flying everywhere.
Descending into the cavern, one encounters stalactites and stalagmites of peculiar shapes.
Stone inscription: This stone served as a seat for Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn during her visit to Hub Pa Tad on October 2, 2000.
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Leaving the Tad Pa Forest, we headed towards Uthai Thani city center, which took about 40 minutes. We stopped to eat Sukhothai noodles at a roadside restaurant on the way to Uthai Thani city. This restaurant offers a variety of menus, including rice and noodles.
Braised Chicken Leg Noodle Soup
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Cold Noodle Soup
After recharging, we arrived at Khao Sakae Krang.
The ascent to the summit of Mount Sakae Krang can be achieved in two ways: by car or by the temple grounds. The latter option involves climbing a **449-step staircase** that leads directly to the **peak of Mount Sakae Krang**. However, for those who prefer to avoid the stairs, there is a road leading up from the side of the **provincial sports stadium**.
On the summit of the mountain, there are several significant religious sites, including the beautiful Thai-style Phra Mondop. The most important part is called Siri Maha Maya Kutakara, which is believed to be the place where the Buddha preached to his mother, Queen Maya, in the Tavatimsa heaven. After the sermon, the Buddha descended back to the human world. According to Buddhist scriptures, the Buddha descended to the city of Kasana, which later became known as Wat Sangkat Rattanakhiri. During the end of the Buddhist Lent, a grand ceremony called Tak Bat Thevo is held at the temple, where locals offer rice, dried food, and floating rice balls to the monks. This ceremony is a spectacular sight, as depicted in many images.
From the mountaintop, one can enjoy a panoramic view of Uthai Thani city.
449 steps to the top of Khao Sakae Krang
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The Pavilion and Replica of the Buddha's Footprint
The sacred bell, which brings good fortune to those who strike it, is located at the pavilion and replica of the Buddha's footprint.
The Holy Buddha of Auspiciousness
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A panoramic view of Uthai Thani town from the peak of Sakae Krang mountain.
The statue of King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty, is a two-times life-size bronze casting depicting him seated on a platform, his left hand holding the sword of the Lord Chakri.
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From the Shrine of King Rama I, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Uthai Thani city.
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After descending from Khao Phra Chunlachakree, we checked in at Baan Klang Muang Villa. We booked directly with the accommodation, which offers rooms at various price points. We stayed in the Ratchawadee room with a single bed for 800 baht per night.
The room is affordable and clean. It's a good value for the price.
In the evening, I went for a walk at the walking street, which is about 1 kilometer from my accommodation. I had a cold drink and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. If I had driven, I would have been worried about finding parking.
We have arrived at Trok Rong Ya Walking Street.
There are snacks and drinks for sale everywhere.
Children's favorite drawing angles
This is my favorite. I love it. It's delicious.
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During this period, even walking is difficult because there are so many mosquitoes. I can't even stand still. I didn't think there would be so many mosquitoes during the flood.
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After checking out of the hotel, I went shopping for souvenirs and had breakfast.
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The morning market offers a variety of souvenir shops.
The bakery caught my eye because it sold both sourdough bread and steamed buns, my favorite. There were many customers, so I thought it must be delicious, so I decided to try it.
The miniature steamed cup cakes, known as "Khanom Thuay Kae," particularly captured our hearts. These delectable treats, a relic of the past, are becoming increasingly difficult to find, especially within the city limits. Their absence evokes nostalgic memories of my childhood, when I would eagerly follow the vendor's cart as it made its rounds through our neighborhood.
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After a short walk, we arrived at our destination, the renowned Go Tee Chicken Rice restaurant. We were eager to savor its culinary delights.
The menu is approximately like this.
The taste was not impressive. It was just average in my opinion. It depends on your personal preference.
Bamboo Shoot Soup
Pork steak
After finishing my meal, I took a walk to digest along the Rim Nam Sa Ka Krang. However, as you can see, the water is flooded, so I can only walk this far. I suspect that my recent trips have been plagued by getting soaked everywhere I go. I should buy a lottery ticket and see if I have any luck. Ha ha! Is that right…?
The temple is flooded. I can't go down to visit and pray. I have to come back and sit at the coffee shop.
Mook Saga Cafe is visible from the bridge and is located right by the river.
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Sipping coffee slowly, watching the floodwater go by. It's a different kind of fun. I mean, the river, haha.
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After leaving the coffee shop, I went to pay my respects at the temple before returning to Wat Ban Rai. It was very crowded, making it difficult to walk and find parking.
After paying respects at the temple, we drove back home as planned. However, the journey to the Asian Highway was extremely challenging. We had to drive through several kilometers of flooded roads. Fortunately, local residents helped us navigate and avoid falling off the road. This concludes our trip to Suphan Buri and Uthai Thani. For future trips during the rainy season, careful planning and consideration are necessary, as many locations may be inaccessible due to flooding.
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Wednesday, February 26, 2025 6:43 PM
