Phrae

The province of Phrae may be off the beaten track, but its undiscovered treasures are worth a visit, the annual Rocket Festival, which marks the beginning of the ricegrowing season begins in May.

Phrae is quite a prosperous province due to lucrative coal mining and until recently, logging businesses. The town is popular as a manufacturing centre for rattan furniture and the indigodyed farmers' shirts which are worn all over Thailand as a symbol of solidarity with rural Thai life.

One of the attractions of Phrae is its blend of temple architecture. Traditional Lanna architecture, with its multi-tiered roofs, is seen side by side with examples of Burmese and Lao temple architecture.