Phichit sees almost no foreign visitors, which is precisely what makes a day here worthwhile if you are already passing on the Northern Line. For a small agricultural province it carries an unusual density of story: a folk epic that gave it its nickname, a town site founded in 1058, an Ayutthaya king's birthplace, and one of the most revered monks in Thai amulet history. None of it is packaged for tourists, and that is the appeal.
The best of Phichit
Bueng Si Fai & the Chalawan statue
The freshwater lake in Nai Mueang sub-district is Phichit's emblem and its main public space — a wide, calm stretch of water with walking paths, sunset views and a giant statue of Chalawan, the crocodile lord of the Krai Thong legend, standing at its head. It is where the town goes in the evening, and it is the single image most associated with the province.
Phichit Historical Park & Chalawan's cave (Mueang Kao)
The old city site preserves the earth ramparts and moat of the town founded in 1058 — first Sa Luang, the 'city of the royal pond', then Okhaburi, 'the city in the swamp', before it became Phichit, 'the beautiful city'. Within the park sits the cave that local tradition assigns to Chalawan himself, along with statues depicting his battle with Krai Thong. Quiet, green and genuinely atmospheric.
Wat Pho Prathap Chang
Built in 1701 by King Suriyenthrathibodi of Ayutthaya — Phra Chao Suea, the 'Tiger King' — at the village reputed to be his birthplace, and named for the banyan and sacred fig between which he was born. The site is enclosed by unusual double walls and shaded by trees now over two centuries old, and the banyan appears on the provincial seal to this day.
Wat Bang Khlan & Luang Pho Ngoen
The temple in Pho Prathap Chang district where Luang Pho Ngoen served as abbot until his death in 1919, reputedly aged 111. He was a healer as well as a monk, and the amulets cast at the temple are among the most collected and most valuable in Thailand — a pilgrimage point for Thai visitors and one of the four things the provincial motto names.
Wat Tha Luang & the long-boat races
Wat Tha Luang, on the Nan River in the town centre, houses Luang Pho Phet, the province's most revered Buddha image and the one the provincial motto says the people are 'unified by'. The river in front of it is the setting for Phichit's traditional long-boat racing festival, the province's signature annual event and by far the best time to visit.
Rice country, pomelo & the Yom
Phichit is farmland: about 73.5% of the province is agricultural land, and 64% of it is paddy. Beyond the temples there is the flat, quiet pleasure of the rice plain itself — the Yom River running down the western side, the Nan through the middle, and the Tha Khoi pomelos and limes that the province is known for. It is not a sightseeing destination; it is a place to move slowly through.
Things-to-do questions
What is Phichit famous for?
The Chalawan crocodile legend above all — Phichit is Mueang Chalawan, the city of the crocodile, from the Krai Thong folk epic, and its provincial aquatic animal is the Siamese crocodile. It is also known as the birthplace of King Suriyenthrathibodi (Phra Chao Suea), for Luang Pho Ngoen's amulets at Wat Bang Khlan, for Bueng Si Fai lake, for the long-boat races on the Nan, and for its rice, Tha Khoi pomelos and limes.
Is Phichit worth visiting?
For most travellers it is a stop rather than a destination — the province drew around 280,908 visitors in 2021 and all but roughly 94 of them were Thai. But if you are already on the Northern Line, a day around Bueng Si Fai, the old city and Wat Pho Prathap Chang is a genuinely rewarding, entirely untouristed slice of provincial Thailand. Time it for the long-boat races and it is much more than that.
What is the Chalawan legend?
Krai Thong is a Thai folk epic set in Phichit in which Chalawan, a crocodile lord able to take human form, carries off a merchant's daughter, and a commoner named Krai Thong hunts him into his cave and kills him. It is the province's defining story: a giant Chalawan statue stands at Bueng Si Fai, the cave sits in Phichit Historical Park, and the Siamese crocodile is the provincial aquatic animal.
When is the Phichit long-boat racing festival?
The traditional long-boat races are held on the Nan River at Wat Tha Luang and are one of the four things named in the provincial motto. Dates follow the Thai lunar calendar and the river's water level and shift year to year, so confirm the current schedule with the Tourism Authority of Thailand or the provincial office before planning a trip around it.
Sources & References
- Phichit province — Wikipedia
- Bueng Si Fai — Wikipedia
- Krai Thong — Wikipedia
- Tourism Authority of Thailand
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
Hero photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels. Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and move — confirm opening hours and event dates before travelling.
