Uthai Thani
Quiet River Town Of Floating Raft Houses; Wat Tha Sung'S Glass Hall; Gateway To The Huai Kha Khaeng Forests · Uthai Thani, Uthai Thani
Uthai Thani is a small, quiet provincial capital on the Sakae Krang river in the west of central Thailand, about 220 kilometres north of Bangkok, and one of the least hurried towns in the country. Its signature is the river itself: a line of floating raft houses moored along the banks, where families live, keep flowerpots and fish cages and tie up their boats, and where some raise fish in nets under the houses. The old centre has a morning market, wooden shophouses and an old lane, Trok Rong Kraam, that comes alive with a weekend walking street. Above the town the hill of Khao Sakae Krang carries a temple, a long stair and a monument honouring the father of King Rama I, whose family, by tradition, came from here. Outside town, Wat Tha Sung is known for its long hall of glass and mirrors. Further west lie the forests of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of South-East Asia's key refuges for tigers, where the conservationist Seub Nakhasathien worked and is remembered. Come to slow down, cycle and eat fish.
Sakae Krang River, Uthai Mai, Uthai Thani, Uthai Thani, 61000, Thailand
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the town and river are open at all times; the morning market runs from before dawn to about 9 or 10 am. Khao Sakae Krang is open daily from early morning to early evening, roughly 6 am to 6 pm. Wat Tha Sung is open daily from about 7 or 8 am to about 5 or 6 pm, with the glass hall possibly closing earlier. The walking street on Trok Rong Kraam runs on weekend evenings, usually Saturday, roughly 5 to 10 pm; check. Huai Kha Khaeng's Khao Nang Rum visitor area keeps daytime hours, commonly about 8 am to 4.30 pm, with access subject to permits and closures. The traps that ruin a day are arriving on a weeknight for the walking street, climbing Khao Sakae Krang at noon in the hot season, driving to Huai Kha Khaeng without checking access, and arriving on a Buddhist holy day expecting a drink. Confirm current times before relying on them.