Phrae was once the center of Thailand's timber industry. The city of Phrae is a 4-5 hour trip from Chiang Mai, and the province is home to the Mae Yom National Park , a huge natural reserve of forests, reservoirs and wild life. Part of Mae Yom National Park is Thailand's last remaining giant teak forest. This forest covers an area of 40,000 rai (i.e. 61.5 square kilometers) and remains an incredible example of what most of northern Thailand was once like. People are very friendly and hospitable.
Phrae is one of the most ancient cities in Thailand, an old establishment having been founded in the same period as Sukhothai and Chiang Mai. The town was built over 800 year ago, allegedly by Thai Khern and Tai Lue people. It is laced with romance and enchants visitors with the famous love legends called "Phra Lor" and "Phu Chana Sibtid". The former name was Wiang Gosai which means Silk Cloth.
Local museum is near the town on Phrae-Soong Men road, in the same area as Baan Fai restaurant. This museum is a replica of the typical house existing about 100 years ago.
The province of Phrae offers visitors some unusual sights. Pae Muang Phee in a folk tale describes a woman who entered the magic forest looking for mushrooms. To her amazement, she found gemstones scattered throughout the forest. She gathered the gemstones in her basket and took leave of the forest. The forest spirits would not let her return to the village. The trees moved around to make her confused and prevented her from finding the path out of the forest. And then to further repel other humans, the red land grew up in to steep sided harsh canyons. Sensing the great displeasure of the spirits, she left the basket of gems and gladly returned to town with her life and sanity.
Phrae is a place of mystery. We visited the ticklish tree at a temple in the city. The tree was tied with a monk's robe to protect it. When the trunk is tickled in the correct place, the branches and leaves shake as a reaction to being tickled.