You must start early if you want to visit Wat Phrathat Sri Chom Thong (60km) and go to the summit of Doi lnthanon (47km from Chom Thong) in one day. The road to the top passes several famous waterfalls and goes through some dramatic mountain scenery. Alternatively you can just visit a waterfall in the park and then continue south on H108 to see a cotton-weaving village before returning.


A longer scenic circular (overnight recommended) route goes via Doi lnthanon, Mae Chaem, Ob Luang National Park (44km from Chom Thong) and Hot. The Mae Chaem valley west of Doi lnthanon offers beautiful scenery and relatively undeveloped rural villages.

Sanpatong

24km

The Saturday morning cattle market is the best known feature of this small market town. At the front of the market, tarpaulins cover stalls selling clothing and household goods, while the middle part is a huge second-hand motorcycle market.

The cattle market itself is at the back. There you can see animals change hands for 6000-8000 baht and listen to forlorn calves mew pathetically for their mothers. The site of the market is next to Wat Pa Charoentham, which has large grounds occupied by a number of gaudy modern statues. A very large reclining Buddha image lies on the south side.

Mae Wang Elephant Camp

21km fr. Sanpatong

300Bt. for 1 hour plus ride. Longer rides negotiable & rafting available (Tel: 229040). This camp is less developed than those north of Chiang Mai and a Thai speaker would be helpful for communications.

Chom Thong

The high street is typical of northern Thai towns, and wooden buildings cluster on the back streets to the west. The town market is a good place to stock up with grilled meats, sticky rice and fruit for a picnic.

Wat Phrathat Sri Chom Thong

59km

Chronicles suggest Nagas are seen as strong the origins of this famous temple go back as early as 749AD, when the highly revered Phra Boromathat Chom Thong relic was found. A viharn has been on the site since at least 1466. The current viharn was built in 1817 and is extensively decorated with wood carvings.

The building contains a mondop, a chedi-like reliquary which houses the Buddha relic decorated with golden stucco. The revered Buddha images and finely carved elephant tusks around the mondop give the viharn the feeling of a museum.

On the main Buddhist holidays, the relic, which is reputed to be from the cranium of the Buddha, is brought out of the mondop for display. At the back of the mondop, past cages containing valuable Buddha images, a small room contains a 'Buddha bed' donated by King Muang Kaew, (r.1495-1526) who probably sponsored development of the temple.

The Naga and the Garuda

Nagas are seen as strong guardians on temple balustrades, yet on temple roofs they appear to be victims in the clutch of a garuda (much as snakes in the clutch of an eagle in flight), the sworn enemy of the naga. The garuda is symbolized by the cho fa at the apex of the roof. The garuda, an eagle-like bird with a human-like head and torso, serves as a mount of Vishnu (the garuda is the symbol of the Thai government). A legend states that a naga was once caught by a garuda at the time of Buddha. The naga grasped onto a bo tree under which the Buddha was seated and asked for his help. Whereupon the Buddha taught both creatures the value of the dhamma- symbolized in the temple by the cho fa and naga on the bargeboards.

Cotton Weaving

15km S fr. Chom Tong

Several cotton weaving villages lie a short distance south of Chom Thong. Mon Duang Duan (km65 east side) has a workshop with looms as well as a riverside restaurant.

The Nang Ap Chang women's weaving group (km68 east side just after the cement elephant is a little further. Ban Rai Pai Ngam - Pa Saeng Da Textile Museum offers an excellent textile weaving display (68km E 400m).

Where to Eat and Stay in the Chom Thong Area

(Tour Route 8: North to South)

Porn Prom Paradise (1030- 1900: Non member tariffs are l00Bt.) Water park with large sliders, health club, restaurant and golf driving range Hotel and 18 hole golf course scheduled for completion in 1997. Tel: 311651.822935-40

Kao Mai Lanna 1-1108 km 29 5anpatong Restaurant hrs 1000-2200. Restaurant and antique shop in pleasant setting by a grove Tel: 481201.

Pang Thong Hotel 199 Mu 9, Chom Thong C M 50160 H108 km 57 (Rest. hrs. 0730-2400) New medium-rise building Nighttime delights include a coffee shop, karaoke. snooker and traditional massage Tel: 826605-8 Fax 8266O9

The Riverside (Rim Nam) Restaurant H108 km60 1km down east turn on lane just south of the police station Hrs: 1000-2300. Pleasant riverside setting on the ground floor of a Thai style building Tel: 826154

Mon Duang Duan H108 km 65 Limited number of rooms Call Chiang Mai for reservation Restaurant hrs Weaver af Rai Pai Ngam 0600-2100. Weaving shop e riverside restaurant and small guest house setting.

Little Home Guest House R1009 km 6 nr Mae Klang waterfalls. Clean rooms in basic cabins.

Rung Thiwa Garden Restaurant R1009 km 6 Hrs: 0900-2100. Small restaurant in a sala the last proper restaurant before R1009 enters Doi lnthanon National Park.

Doi lnthanon National Park

(Hl08 km57 west turn onto R1009 - 47km to summit. Adult foreigners 25Bt., Children 15Bt. Pay one vehicle (car] entry charge of 30Bt. and individual charges for passengers are waived. Keep ticket to enter at any gate and for a checkpoint (at km38).

At 2,565 METRES, the granite mass of Doi lnthanon is over 200 metres higher than anything else in Thailand and has true upper montane forest. R1009 passes waterfalls (signposted as nam tok) and viewpoints on the route to a radar station on the summit. Facilities inside the park are limited. Food stalls may be found at the main waterfalls and there is a canteen-style restaurant at the royal chedis. The park entrance on R1009 is at km8. Drop into the visitor centre at km9 for an English brochure.

Mae Yai Falls

(R1009 kml south turn - 13km) To visit these falls you must buy or show a park entry ticket at the gate located just after the road begins to climb. The falls, which drop l00 metres in a stepped cascade, are best seen in the early part of the morning. It is possible to get to R1009 up Doi lnthanon by taking a concrete road north from the Mae Ya approach road just before it begins to climb up to the park gate. The road becomes a dirt track that skirts the hills.

Mae Klang Falls

(R1009 km7 left turn - 400m) These falls are very popular, especially at weekends, and there are numerous food stalls at the car park. Thais typically like to eat raw papaya salad som tham (this is a tasty dish, but it can be very spicy indeed - try it with peanuts before tasting one with crab), grilled chicken and sticky rice. Cross over the bridge to enter the tidy gardens of the Kamphaeng San Buddhist college. You need a park ticket to take the footpath (a vehicle ticket will let you pass) to the falls. The path continues up to the visitor centre and pools and the open rock beyond.

Brichinda Cave

(km8 Right turn - walk 1.5km) The walk to the large, the other side is clearly marked, but crossing the torrent at the bottom may be awkward if the logs have been washed away.

Vachiratarn Falls

(km20) The water tumbles down a steep slope before the main drop. The falls make a good point to break the journey up the mountain. A food stall is located on the path that follows the water chute down above the falls proper.

Karen Village

(km23) At km23 a dirt road to the north (right) leads to the Karen village of Ban Pha Mon and a rough circular route (4WD).

Siriphum Falls

(km30 north turn) A road gives access to the Siriphum Waterfalls nearby and to a rough dirt road (4WD) that connects in the uplands with R1013 from Sanpatong.

Walking on Doi lnthanon

The easiest walk is the short Aangka Nature Trail near the visitor centre at the summit. The best walk, however, is the Giw Mae Pan trail(approx. 4km) which starts and ends opposite the km42 stone.

The trail leads through overgrown forest before emerging onto a grassy range along the west facing ridge. Views on clear days are superb. The area around the Mae Pan Falls (R1192 km6) is also pleasant for walking and camping, but permission is required to enter other areas of the park.

The remaining mammal species that include primates, deer and small cats are under constant threat from encroachment and hunting.

Park Headquarters

(km31) Bungalow accommodation is available (advance booking advised) and tents may be rented. A covered dining area contains food stalls which offer food to order till 8 pm.

Mr Daeng's Birding Centre

Mr. Daeng serves basic food (a limited English menu is written on the wall) and has information to help birders to see some of the more than 38O species of bird sighted on the mountain (bird watching is best between February and April).

The Royal Chedis

(km40 west turn 200 m.) The southern Napamethaneedon Chedi commemorates the 60th birthday of His Majesty the King (December 5, 1987); the Napapolphum-siri Chedi that of the Queen (August 12, 1992). The modem chedis contain stylized Buddha images and are decorated with interesting tiled murals that are worth close study. The chedis are excellent viewpoints.

The restaurant at the car park C0800-1700.) serves Thai food from display trays and is the best on the mountain.

The Summit of Doi lnthanon

After the final steep climb, the summit of the mountain is surprisingly flat. Often shrouded in mists, the trees are covered in moss. A visitor station has a good display of information (English and Thai) about the ecology on the mountain.

The Aangka nature trail on the opposite side of the road leads to a boardwalk across a small bog with sphagnum moss. A side path leads to a shrine at a helicopter crash site.

A small chedi above the visitor centre contains the remains of Chao Inthawicha- yanon who died in 1897, the last independent ruler of Chiang Mai before Lan Na was incorporated into Siam.

©ChiangMai Mall 2001
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