Lamphang - Wat Suchada

We parked the car, stepped out, and this was the view right next to us . . . .

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Taken on: 27th October, 2009. Copyright: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License - See Geoff_B's page of Flickr

Read more about Lampang

The symbol of Lampang -- bizarrely, perhaps -- is a horse and carriage, and indeed the eponymous provincial capital is the only town in Thailand still using this method of transport.

Lampang was once known as Kukutthanakorn, or City of the Roosters. The name was derived from a local legend that describes a visit by the Lord Buddha. Beforehand, the god Phra Indra was worried that the locals would not wake up in time to give him alms, so he created a white rooster to crow at dawn.

So if you're wondering why there is a statue of a huge white rooster in the centre of town (which you'll pass by on the inevitable horse and carriage tour), now you know.

The provincial capital of Lampang is a mid-sized Thai city which superficially doesn't offer much to travellers but upon closer inspection is home to some outstanding guesthouses, bars and restaurants along and a handful of sights.

Lampang's most famous attraction are its overpriced, cheesy horse carts, but the ... Read our complete Lampang travel guide

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