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Guide to Chai Nat: Why This Central Province is a Treasure Find!

Quite frankly, the province of Chai Nat isn’t as well-known as such touristy places as Phuket or Chiang Mai. But that could be your cue as there’s tons and tons of adventure waiting for you in this Central Thailand province on a flat river plain.

Whether you’re a wanderlust pro who can’t wait to see the most picturesque views of nature or a weekend backpacker rooting for jaw-dropping religious sites, it’s true. Underrated Chiang Mai could be your best shot at authentic Thai culture.

So, let’s get the ball rolling. If you’re planning to see historical sites and sacred temples or just soak in the quaintest of natural settings, Chai Nat is a treasure find that has you covered. Read on!

Best Time to Visit Chai Nat

The best time to visit Chai Nat Province is during the dry season, preferably from November to February. During this time, you’ll enjoy cool and dry weather conditions ideal for outdoor activities at any time of the day.

The province will also have slim chances of rain so you can make the most of your trip during these months.

Things to Know

Currency: Thai Baht (Check the current exchange rate)
Language: Thai (Central Thai)
Calling Code: (+66)
Location: Chai Nat, Thailand
Nearest Airport: Don Mueang International Airport (171 km)

How to Get to Chai Nat

Bus: Boarding a provincial bus is the standard way to get to Chai Nat from Bangkok, which usually takes 2.5 hours. We recommend the air-con buses departing from the Northern Bus Terminal.

Rental Car: Another option is to self-drive from Bangkok to Chai Nat. Renting a car is possible if you have your driver’s license and an International Driving Permit.

From Bangkok, head north using Highway 9, turn left to Highway 340, and keep going until you reach the Pak Nam Intersection. 

From there, turn right to Highway 3184, turn left to Highway 3251, and continue north via Highway 340 at the Sanburi Intersection. Keep going until you arrive at Chai Nat Town.

Where to Stay in Chai Nat

111 Resort & Spa

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Address: 121/1-18 Ban Tharabad, Moo 4, Phraek Si Racha Subdistrict, Sankhaburi District
Operating Hours: 2 p.m. (Check-in) & 12 p.m. (Check-out)
Contact Number: +66 93 221 1022
Website: https://111resortandspachainat.com/
Pricing: ฿฿

111 Resort & Spa is a popular family hideaway in Chai Nat. It’s in a secluded location, surrounded by vast rice paddies, so expect to wake up to breathtaking natural views while staying at any of its concrete bungalows or glamping domes.

The hotel’s photo spots in its large garden, in particular, are popular with children because they have statues of dinosaurs, animals, and comic book characters. 

There’s an on-site cafe and restaurant as well, so you don’t need to travel far for food, snacks, and drinks.

Fantasy Resort

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Address: 666 Phahonyothin Road, Ban Kluai
Operating Hours: 1 p.m. (Check-in) & 12 p.m. (Check-out)
Contact Number: +66 92 093 5555
Website: https://www.facebook.com/FantasyResort.Chainat/?locale=th_TH
Pricing: ฿

Paradise Resort is a quirky hotel known for its rainbow-colored Caribbean Colonial-style bungalows. Inside, you’ll find equally vibrant interiors with colorful striped walls, cabin windows, and artsy wall collages.

The bungalows are not spacious but they each have two beds, a wardrobe, a mini-fridge, and an en-suite bathroom.

There’s also a sizable indoor swimming pool facility with deep and shallow zones which is great for families with small kids. They also have complimentary bicycles in case you like to explore the surrounding area.

Baan Ton Jaeng Resort Hotel

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Address: 129 Moo 4, U-Tapao, Manorom District
Operating Hours: 1 p.m. (Check-in) & 12 p.m. (Check-out)
Contact Number: +66 94 625 8884
Website: http://facebook.com/baantonjaeng
Pricing: ฿฿

Baan Ton Jaeng Resort Hotel is a farm-style resort, so expect to see numerous chickens, goats, guinea fowls, and geese. Its riverside location also means you’ll also spot other animals like frogs and herons. 

Best of all, this place is also pet-friendly, so it’s a top choice if you’re bringing your furry pal with you.

Though Baan Ton Jaeng is nature-focused, you can still expect a comfortable stay  because their concrete bungalows have spacious interiors and all the essential modern amenities.

Where to Eat in Chai Nat

Jod Yen Jeab Restaurant

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Address: Sam Ngam Thabot, Hankha District
Operating Hours: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Tuesday – Sunday)
Contact Number: +66 56 489 110
Website: https://www.facebook.com/JordYenJeab/
Pricing: ฿

Jod Yen Jeab Restaurant is a known food spot in Chai Nat that’s popular for its authentic Thai dishes. It’s also affordable, so it’s perfect if you’re on a budget.

Just a heads up, they’re known for adding Thai coconut agar jelly to their drinks, from regular water to all the soft drinks. You can also ask them to put jelly on your beer if you like to offset the slight bitterness and improve its mouthfeel.

Aom Moo Kratha Buffet Restaurant

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Address: Chainarong Road, Ban Kluai
Operating Hours: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Monday – Sunday)
Contact Number: +66 96 826 2692
Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063694447273
Pricing: ฿฿

Aom Moo Kratha is a buffet and hotpot restaurant frequented by both locals and tourists for its relaxing riverside location.

Its open-air dining area offers a nice view of the Chao Phraya River and the Chai Nat Bridge. These look particularly impressive at night when the lamp posts are turned on!

As for the food, the buffet has a wide selection of protein and vegetable topping options, including marinated pork, tofu, seafood, and more. 

Warangsiri Vietnamese Food

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Address: 392 Chainarong Road, Ban Kluai
Operating Hours: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Thursday – Tuesday)
Contact Number: +66 83 224 3588
Website: https://www.facebook.com/vvarangsiri/
Pricing: ฿฿

Warangsiri Vietnamese Food is a local haunt for fans of Vietnamese cuisine. Their best-seller is nem noung, a smoky and savory grilled pork skewer served in a large bowl with rice paper and diced fruits and veggies—think of this as a DIY spring roll! 

Other popular Vietnamese dishes they serve include steamed dumplings, fried spring rolls, and fried rice. 

If you want something more local, they also have Thai dishes. Their tom yum and Thai pork basil with fried egg are must-tries!

What to See and Do in Chai Nat

Visit Wat Pak Khlong Makham Thao

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Address: Rural Highway, Makham Thao, Wat Sing District
Operating Hours: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Monday – Sunday)
Contact Number: +66 61 567 7418
Website: https://www.facebook.com/watluangpusukpakkhrongmakhamthao/

Wat Pak Khlong Makham Thao, also known as Wat Luangpu Suk, is a popular Buddhist along the Chao Phraya River and Chai Nat’s Makham Thao canal. This tree-lined temple offers a relaxing atmosphere suitable for meditation and pleasant strolls. 

The temple’s buildings are also adorned with murals of the Lord Buddha painted by King Rama V’s son Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse. However, the temple is best known for the amulets issued by the senior monk Luangpu Suk.

Luangpu Suk is highly revered, so many local devotees visit the temple just to get one of his sacred amulets.

Soak in the view at the Chao Phraya Dam

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Address: Taluk, Sapphaya District
Operating Hours: 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Monday – Sunday)
Contact Number: +66 5640 5266

The Chao Phraya Dam is one of the more picturesque spots in Chai Nat. Standing at 16.5 meters tall and 237.5  meters long, this concrete dam boasts 16 spillways across the great Chao Phraya River.

If you like landscape photography, this place will give you a postcard-perfect shot of the river and the lush greeneries that surround it. 

The view here is even more impressive from January to February when numerous aquatic birds are swimming around the river.

Stroll around Wat Mahat That 

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Address: 371 Liab Maenam Noi Road, Phraek Sriracha, Sankhaburi District
Operating Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Monday – Sunday)
Contact Number: +66 5642 6416
Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064414820888

Wat Mahat That, previously known as Wat Phrathat or Wat Hua Mueang, is one of the oldest and most important temples in Chai Nat. This temple is particularly known for its Lopburi-style temple buildings and Buddha images.

One of its most striking buildings is a roofless wihan that enshrines two Buddha images with different styles: Lopburi and Ayutthaya. 

It also has a 700-year-old principal Buddha image locals call Luang Pho Mor made in stone. This unique statue faces west unlike most Buddha images facing east. 

Don’t forget to check out the temple’s museum to see exhibits of various religious relics and antiques.

Explore Wat Phra Borommathat Worawihan’s temple complex

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Address: Moo 6 Tha Chai
Operating Hours: 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Monday – Sunday)
Contact Number: +66 99 703 4256
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Fro2563/

Wat Phra Borommathat Worawihan is one of the most important temples in Chai Nat. For starters, its U-thong-style chedi is said to contain Lord Buddha’s relics, so it’s revered by the locals and people from neighboring provinces.

It also has an ancient pond dating back to the Srivijaya Period. In fact, devotees use the pond’s holy water to disciple curses and protect themselves from terrible accidents and disasters.

The Chainatmuni National Museum is also within the temple complex. There, you can find exhibits of all the Buddhist antiques discovered in Chai Nat Province thus far.

Admire Wat Klai Kangwon’s cave shrine

Address: Ban Chian, Hankha District
Operating Hours: 8 a.m. –  6 p.m. (Monday – Sunday)
Contact Number: +66 95 696 2157
Website: https://www.facebook.com/watklaikangwon/

Wat Klai Kangwon, also known as Wat Khao Sarapatdee Sri Charoentham, is an ancient cave temple from the Lopburi Period. It used to be abandoned until Luang Pho Samruam Siriphatto started its renovation in 1967 with the help of the villagers.

They also planted rare plants and released animals around the temple, so you’ll find sambal deer, wild chickens, turtles, and peacocks roaming the complex to this day. 

Wat Klai Kangwon’s most notable building is its cave shrine with four Buddha footprints. This is a replica of Tham Kaew, so it’s adorned with stunning artificial rock formations. 

Spend your day watching animals at Chai Nat Bird Park

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Address: Khao Tha Phra
Operating Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Monday – Sunday)
Contact Number: +66 56 476 624
Website: https://www.facebook.com/chainatbirdpark
Admission Costs: 100 baht

A trip to Chai Nat can’t be complete without visiting Chai Nat Bird Park. It’s the most popular family attraction in the province because it has a massive aviary with over 100 bird species in its care, including sun conures, gray crowned cranes, and more.

This place isn’t just a bird park, though! You’ll also find a water park with aquariums (including a shark tunnel) filled with a variety of fishes and a 40-seat planetarium with a sky simulator.

Attend Chai Nat’s annual Straw Bird Fair

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Address: Chai Nat Provincial Hall, Nai Mueang Subdistrict
Operating Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
Contact Number: +66 56 416 383
Website: http://www.chainat.go.th/

The annual Straw Bird Fair is arguably the most iconic festival in Chai Nat. During this annual celebration, the provincial hall will host a float parade with numerous colorful bird statues made from rice straw.

There will also be contests, concerts, and shops selling local products. The province holds this event every Chinese New Year.

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