History[edit]
The history of Phrae dates back to the Haripunchai kingdom of the Mon. It became part of the Lannathai kingdom in 1443, when King Tilokaraj was on an expedition to capture Nan.
§Symbols[edit]
Provincial seal: According to legend the two cities of Phrae and Nan were once ruled by brothers. When they met to divide the land between them the one from Phrae rode on a horse, the one from Nan on a buffalo to the meeting point on top of a mountain. Hence Phrae uses a horse in their seal, while Nan uses a buffalo. When the provincial government proposed the seal in 1940, the Fine Arts Department suggested adding a historic building to the seal in addition to the horse, thus it now has the stupa of Phra Tat Cho Hae on the back of the horse. This temple is located about 9 kilometers south-east of the city Phrae.
The provincial flower and tree is the Burmese Almondwood (Chukrasia tabularis).