Rediscovering PHRAE

The villagers of Ban Mae Phuak recently opened their homes to the first batch of homestay guests, hoping to become a base for culture and history enthusiasts

M ore than a decade- and- a- half before the northern railway reached Chiang Mai in 1926, the villagers of Ban Mae Phuak in what is now Den Chai district of Phrae province already had their own train station. A century later, this small station, which is less than 6km from the larger one in Den Chai town, was degraded to a “train stop”. Unstaffed and unmaintained, the twin two- storey teak architecture was left to decay. Thanks to concerted efforts between Ban Mae Phuak villagers, academics and social groups, the once neglected wooden buildings won a conservation award from the Association of Siamese Architects (ASA) in 2016. Last weekend, Ban Mae Phuak welcomed its first group of homestay guests. The community is exploring its potential to become a base for culture and history enthusiasts wishing to explore this part of Phrae, which includes Muang Phrae, Den Chai and Long districts.

“Income from tourism will help make villagers realise the benefits of keeping our historical train station. This is a way to make our conservation efforts sustainable,” said Noi Thianmanee, or Phuyai Noi, the headman of Mu 5, Ban Mae Phuak, where the award-winning train stop is located.

Asked how it all started, Phuyai Noi recounted that in 2004, while watching TV news about the Sam Chuk community in Suphan Buri — which these days is one of the province’s major tourist attractions — he was inspired to preserve the village’s train stop buildings which sport a design he had never seen anywhere else.

Once permission was granted from the State Railway of Thailand, Phuyai Noi and other villagers joined forces to clean the ex-train station, repainted it and keep the surroundings tidy. “We used the buildings for many purposes, from village meetings to receptions of visiting groups of students and villagers from other communities,” he said.

Then five years ago, Prinya Chukaew, an architecture lecturer at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang ( KMITL) visited the Mae Phuak train stop and met Phuyai Noi. Prinya has a passion for old railway stations and has been active in conservation projects at other sites in Nakhon Ratchasima. “The twin- tower design of this place makes it unique,” said Prinya, who was also in Ban Mae Phuak last weekend. The academic added that after his first visit, he soon returned to the train stop with colleagues and architecture students to conduct a systematic study of the buildings. From then on the villagers and the team from KMITL’s Faculty of Architecture has been working hand in hand making sure the heritage buildings will not see the same fate as many other old train stations torn down to make way for new developments such as the dual track railway project.

“The conservation award from the ASA will help prevent such a thing happening here,” he revealed.

Putting Ban Mae Phuak on the tourist map is another measure that Phuyai Noi and Prinya believe can immunise this one-of-a-kind former train station. Ban Mae Phuak now receives support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and local government agencies, as well as social groups such as Ride Explorers, which brought in the first batch of homestay guests.

For visitors, the new overnight service will allow them to get first-hand experience of village life. The locals have planned many activities for this purpose. From Ban Mae Phuak, homestay guests can make short trips to explore the many interesting places in nearby districts, especially Long, which is home to another unique train station in Ban Pin and a number of museums and temples.

At least for now, the future of this former train station and the local community doesn’t look as gloomy as it used to be.

Beloved by the local community, the former Mae Phuak station of Den Chai district boasts twin two-storey structures, the only one of its kind in the country with such a design. The upper floor served as the residence of the train station’s chief. The...

Ban Pin Railway Station in Long district is another unique station. It was designed like a Bavarian timbre-frame house, a reminder of German engineers’ contribution to the construction of the Kingdom’s northern railway. Unlike the one in Mae Phuak,...

Mae Phuak and Ban Pin are five stops apart (about 35.6km). Along the way, you will pass nice scenery, especially the Yom River near Kaeng Luang station. Be careful not to stick any part of your body too far out of the train window. Crashing your head...

Mae Phuak villagers are friendly folks rich in tradition. They are excited about having culture enthusiasts visiting their community. They also hope that tourism will spur the local economy and bring back the village’s young men and women, who left to...

Currently, four houses in Ban Mae Phuak have joined in the homestay project. Many families in the villages have empty rooms or even houses because their sons and daughters have moved out to live elsewhere. It is hoped that in the future, more...

Wat Si Don Kham in downtown Long houses Phra Chao Phra To wooden Buddha images. Each was carved using farm knives and must be finished within a day. Apart from the main images shown in the photograph, the temple’s museum also houses over a thousand...

These photographs of Their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit during their visit to the town of Long on March 14, 1958, are among many exhibited at the Chalong Sin Photo Studio Museum. From these precious photos, you can learn about...

Komol Pha Boraan Local Museum showcases a priceless collection of Phrae’s loin cloths ( phasin), both antique and new creations, many of which were award winners. Here, you will learn about various aspects of the art of making these exquisite...

Apart from the charming former train station, Ban Mae Phuak also offers several activities for visitors, from ordaining the teak trees in the country’s oldest teak plantation, cycling and alms offering to cloth dyeing with natural colours and cooking...