Kamphaeng Phet province
Rarely squeezing onto the itinerary of independent travellers, Kamphaeng Phet is an important place for Thai history buffs and an ideal getaway for anyone wanting to well and truly escape the crowds and relax in a small Thai city.
The province, whose name means "diamond wall", is more than 900 years old and was first mentioned in chronicles from 1004 when King Chaisiri fled his enemies and settled in a new town called Kamphaeng Phet.
This mention makes it older than its better-known neighbour, Sukhothai, but Kamphaeng Phet -- both the capital and the surrounding province, see far fewer foreign tourists.
While not on the tourist highway, its location did find Kamphaeng Phet in the bad lands between Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai and the Burmese. At Sukhothai's peak, Kamphaeng Phet formed part of that kingdom's southern defences and the Kamphaeng Phet town retains today the earthen and brickwork walls that once surrounded it -- strategically offset from the left bank of the Ping River.
Away from the battlefield, this mix of influences led to a uniquely Kamphaeng Phet-style of sculpture which can be seen both within the Historical Park and the museum. The Historical Park, located at the northern edge of the modern-day city was declared a part of the World Heritage listed Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns in 1991 -- the other parts of the park are at Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai.
The remainder of the province today is home to several national parks, the best known of which, Khlong Lan National Park, has an almost 100m tall waterfall.
