Nan
Quiet Northern Provincial Capital; The 19th Century Murals Of Wat Phumin Include The Famous Whispering Couple · Nan, Nan
Nan is a small, unhurried provincial capital in a green valley of the far north, close to the Lao border, that was for centuries a semi-independent kingdom before joining Siam. It is loved by Thais for its calm and its old temples and is far less visited by foreigners than Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. The heart of the town is Wat Phumin, a cruciform temple hall carried on the backs of two great nagas, whose nineteenth-century murals by Tai Lue artists show everyday life, foreigners and a man whispering into a woman's ear, a scene known as Pu Man Ya Man that has become the symbol of Nan. Across the road stand Wat Phra That Chang Kham with its elephant-buttressed chedi and the Nan National Museum in the old palace, and a hilltop Buddha at Wat Phra That Khao Noi looks over the valley. Beyond town lie Tai Lue weaving villages, the mountain salt wells of Bo Kluea, the forests of Doi Phu Kha and the viewpoints of Sri Nan, best in the cool season from November to February, when mist fills the valleys at dawn.
Wat Phumin, Phumin Road, Nai Wiang, Nan, Nan, 55000, Thailand
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: Wat Phumin and the other town temples are open every day from about 6 or 7 am to about 5 or 6 pm; the Nan National Museum opens roughly 9 am to 4 pm and, like most Thai national museums, closes on one or two weekdays, often Monday and Tuesday or one of them, with last entry before closing; the walking street runs on selected evenings, usually around the weekend, from about 5 to 10 pm; national park viewpoints are open from dawn, with camping by arrangement. The traps that ruin a day are finding the museum closed, arriving on a weekday when the walking street is not running, driving mountain roads in the dark, and hazy smoke in March and April hiding the views. Confirm current times before relying on them.