Kamphaeng Phet: An Often Overlooked City of Early Thai History

In November 2022, Michèle and I took the scenic route down south from Chiang Mai, where we had attended the Lantern Festival with the children.

We revisited Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai, which we had already seen in 2011, and made a detour to Kamphaet Phet, which we hadn’t visited before, before heading to Phitsanulok for our flight back to Bangkok.

It was a pleasant surprise, as the site is not very crowded but very interesting.

However, the modern town is uninteresting and the hotel infrastructure is underdeveloped. The accommodation found on Booking.com was a bit pretentious and not quite up to the standard it claimed to be.

The room did, however, have a lovely view of the river and the bridge. We had dinner at the popular and lively night market, as there were no decent restaurants to choose from.

Kamphaeng Phet

Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park

Temples

Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park preserves the remains of a fortified city founded in the 14th century as an important outpost of the Sukhothai Kingdom. The site includes sections of city walls, moats, gateways, and several major temples distributed between the former urban area and nearby forest zones. Its layout and defensive structures reflect the city’s strategic role along the Ping River and its continued importance under Ayutthaya rule.

An outpost of the Sukhothai kingdom, Kamphaet Phet was founded in 1347 by Li Thai, the fourth king of the dynasty, who bestowed upon it particular importance by having relics of the Buddha installed in the chedi of What Phra Boromathat. The city lies along a bend in the Ping River. The ancient city owes its name, “the diamond walls,” to the imposing fortifications that still partially encircle it. These fortifications did not, however, prevent Burmese incursions.
Kamphaet Phet later passed into the hands of Ayutthaya, remaining a regional capital.

Unfortunately, we were unable to visit the national museum, which apparently houses the finest artifacts found during excavations at the site, as it was closed that day.

The fortified city is surrounded by ramparts, once 5 meters high, forming an elongated trapezoid 2 kilometers long and 500 meters wide. The 30-meter-wide moat, fed by canals bringing water from the river, surrounds the crenellated walls reinforced by small forts.

The two most important remaining monuments are Wat Phra Tat and Wat Phra Kaeo. Centuries and the elements have reshaped the site.

Wat Phra Tat is characterized by a magnificent octagonal chedi surrounded by pillars.

Wat Phra Kaeo, a ruined royal chapel, contains several marvelous eroded Buddhas placed on brick pedestals. The saffron-draped statues and the incense sticks burning at the foot of the altars attest to the regular visits of the faithful. The group of two seated Buddhas watches over a sublime reclining Buddha whose face, imbued with perfect serenity, rests on three stone cushions. A visit at night is absolutely essential; the judiciously placed lighting enhances the magic of the site.

The Arannyik forest temples are located 2 km further into the forest, mostly built between the 15th and 16th centuries. They bear witness to the religious fervor of a Buddhist sect originating in Sri Lanka that advocated asceticism and enjoyed great popularity in the region.
The peaceful forest setting, disturbed only by birdsong, adds to the site’s appeal, offering visitors a very pleasant walk.

The most interesting monument is the What Chang Rob.
On a square base, a magnificent Sinhalese-style chedi is surrounded by 68 stucco elephants that support the structure. Guarded by stone lions, four steep staircases lead to the upper terrace.