“Thai Smile is committed to delivering excellence services beyond customer’s expectations as always. We provide inflight meals and beverages to all passengers for free on all flights and during festivals offer a special dish that symbolises the occasion,” said Nednapang Teeravas, chief customer service officer of Thai Smile Airways.

The Songkran treats are Mango Sago Panna Cotta that gets its crunch from pearl tapioca crumbled with young coconut meat and topped with mango. Marian Plum Panna Cotta adds a sweet and sour taste thanks to the slightly sour plum sauce.

“Audrey Cafe is delight to create these two special dishes with local seasonal fruits,” said Janista Charoonsmith, chief executive officer of Audrey Group.

“Panna cotta is our best seller. We’ve crafted two new desserts to cool passengers throughout the Songkran festival.”

The desserts are available on both domestic and international routes (except WE011, WE051, WE177, WE419 / 420, WE426 and WE609).

For flight information, go to http://www.ThaiSmileAir.com.

SITTING ON a border of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF) in Chiang Rai recently opened its camp to celebrate the National Thai Elephant Day and give local and foreign visitors a chance to experience several educational activities about elephants and mahouts.

Set up in 2006 by the five-star Anantara Hotels chain, the foundation aims to solve the problem of elephants coming to city streets and generally improve elephant welfare in Thailand. Today, all elephants in its camp are rented from different villages to conduct the exclusive mahout and trekking programmes for the guests staying at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort and Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle.

 The Elephant Buffet is stacked high with fresh fruits.

“Anantara took over this property with its elephant camp back in 2002. We recognised the potential for tourism in the Golden Triangle and wanted to do more with the land. That gave birth to the idea of setting up the foundation and inviting mahouts to work with us rather than taking the elephants to towns to walk on the streets,” says John Roberts, director of Elephants and Conservation Efforts of Anantara.

“In those days, tourism in this part of the world was still relatively small and the mahouts had no other ways of making money.”

But despite the good intentions, the foundation hasn’t always had it easy. Last year, Anantara Hotels was put in the hot seat after the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) released worrying video footage showing mahouts using bullhooks to beat and jab elephants during the polo matches, resulting in all the big names drawing back their sponsorship.

Anantara took quick action and launched the inaugural King’s Cup Elephant Boat Race and River Festival to replace its annual polo match. The charity event is taking place this weekend, joined by veteran Thai Navy paddlers and international teams from China and the Philippines.

“To improve the situation, we provide a positive and targetted training programme that can help the villagers teach their elephants without using bullhooks or hitting them,” Roberts explains.

“All mahouts learn the basics for controlling an elephant from their parents. It’s like learning to drive with our parents. It might not be the best way but this is tradition and the techniques have been passed on from generation to generation for 4,000 years. We don’t want to touch their heritage. We just come up with a different way that can help them do better.”

The GTAEF camp in the luxury Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort occupies 2,000 square metres as is home to 25 rescued elephants and a small village of mahouts and their families. Many of elephants here came from the streets but others used to work for illegal logging camps or elephant shows. The camp pays Bt25,000 a month to provide mahouts with an guaranteed income and also supports their spouses in their silk weaving group.

For the recent celebration, the lush jungle was transformed into a ceremonial ground, where a group of elephant spirit men from Surin’s Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village performed a Kui traditional ritual to pay respect to the guardian spirits.

A long table was set up in the middle of the lush grounds packed with offerings and nang pa kam, a sacred 100-year-old robe made from buffalo leather that has been used to capture a wild elephant in the past.

“Being an elephant spirit man is local wisdom and passed down from father to son. We pray in the Kui language and blow sang (a buffalo horn), which is traditionally used to capture wild elephants. The offerings include a chicken chin, a pig head, fruits and bai si,” explains Uncle Chalerm Salangam, 70.

“Today, our village has 300 elephants and we’ve trained a new generation of elephant spirit men to maintain our traditions.”

The elephants themselves were more excited about the buffet, eagerly tucking into watermelons, coconuts, bananas, sweet corn, pumpkins and pineapples.

Elephant masters from Surin’s Ban Ta Klang elephant village perform a traditional ritual to celebrate the Nation Elephant Day. 

A short walk from the ceremonial venue, development manager Laddawan Yonthantham was acting as a tour guide to give visitors an introduction to sustainable elephant welfare management.

“About 30 years ago, the government enacted legislation to ban logging in the jungle and mahouts became unemployed. To generate income, they shifted to putting on elephant shows at tourist attractions or took their elephants to the city essentially to beg. Raising elephants is expensive as they need 200 to 300 kilograms of pineapples, watermelons and sugar cane, depending on their weight – and the average weight of an elephant is 2,500 kilograms,” Laddawan says.

“Our camp offers natural space near the river so that the elephants can exercise and eat organic fruits from the local plantations. Initially, we purchased some overworked and street elephants from mahouts but they bought new elephants to sell to us again. So, we rented the elephants and hired the mahouts to conduct eco-friendly activities for our all-inclusive hotel packages.

“Mahouts can take advantage of Anantara’s staff welfare programme, which includes a residence, uniforms and three meals a day. Based on sustainable living, it aims to keep them from falling back into the same cycle.”

Hotel guests can register for trekking and riding an elephant or learn the basics of being a mahout while the elephants get additional exercise. As we walk around the property, we see domesticated giant Bo and her friends jumping into the Ruak river and having fun in the clear water as they take their daily bath.

“We limit work to three-and-a-half hours and even have a customised exercise routine for elephants so that they can stay healthy. They love jumping into a mud pond to cool down,” says Laddawan.

Mahout Wattana Salangam and his giant friend Bo have worked with the elephant camp for 14 years. Before that they were in Bangkok, roaming the streets to earn money.

“I was in debt so I took Bo to Bangkok. We would walk around the streets and would collect about Bt2,500 a day. We made ourselves a camp on vacant land to save money. Then we moved to the elephant foundation in Phetchaburi and had to take care of many elephants, most of them belonging to other people. It was dangerous because most elephants only obey their owners,” Wattana says.

“Here, I started on a salary of Bt18,000 and now receive up to Bt25,000, plus extra income from guest activities. I’m happy to work here. My elephant has enough food no matter if I have work or not.”

An elephant splashes dirt to chase off bugs on his back.

“Our foundation doesn’t support mahouts to breed their elephants. Today, there are more than 4,200 house elephants and not all of them live in good conditions. We can’t release them to the forest because they have no skills to survive. Normally, elephants live in a group and don’t accept strangers,” Laddawan says.

An in-house veterinarian team is in charge at the positive reinforcement target training station where elephants learn to perform certain tasks such as raising a foot in a purely positive manner. A small branch is used but no punishments are meted out. Instead the elephants quickly learn about rewards.

“Our camp set up this training in cooperation with Dr Gerardo Martinez, a world renowned large animal trainer from the Africam Safari Park in Puebla, Mexico. This target training can be used to train the elephant in the event that they need veterinary treatment. It can help feel free and release stress for both elephant and vet,” says Laddawan.

The camp also conducts Elephant Cognition (problem solving) Research. Here, visitors can see the elephants using their trunks to pick up tokens of different textures and work as a team.

Next door was the space for Elephant Osteopathy Demonstra-tions undertaken in collaboration with veteran British animal osteopath Tony Nevin. Adapted from techniques used with humans, the massage treatment is designed to relieve muscle tension and pain.

“We focus on the elephant’s spine and balance while walking. The massage starts from the neck and goes from rib to hip. This treatment can be used for other animals too, like giraffes, horses and ostriches,” Nevin says.

The Walking with Giants activity takes place in the early morning and takes guests to explore a trekking trail around the camp and learn about daily life of elephants. For example, elephants splash dirt over their back to chase bugs and black dung means they are eating too much dirt probably have flatulence.

Animal osteopath Tony Nevin teaches visitors how to massage the elephants.

“For the next step, we would like to help the elephants in several trekking camps have access to better welfare. We will also continue to train mahouts across Southeast Asia in positive reinforcement and elephant friendly training and handling techniques,” director Roberts says.

“We have teamed up with US Agency for International Development (USAID) to teach travellers not to buy ivory. We’re also working with Srinakharinwirot University, which is going to send students to the area where villagers are facing problems with elephants coming out from the forest. We will try to identify what is the best practice to keep both people and elephants happy when they come out from the national park.

PACHYDERM PARADISE

>> The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation is located in Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort, Chiang Rai.

>> Find out details at http://www.HelpingElephants.org.

TEN YEARS AGO, the Preah Vihear dispute between Thailand and Cambodia put paid to Si Sa Ket’s tourism hopes. Now, though, it’s back on the map, offering visitors a wide range of interesting historical sites and wildlife sanctuaries plus eco-cultural activities for people of all ages to enjoy.

The province is home to four ethic groups –Kui, Lao, Khmer and Yer – as well as 300-rai of rice fields and 500,000-rai of plantations of rubber trees, durian, mango, sweet corn, shallot and garlic.

Pha Mo I Daeng is the best viewpoint from which to admire the sunrise. 

“Si Sa Ket’s average income decreased significantly after the road to the controversial Preah Vihear Temple was closed in 2008 and this province was regarded as the home of Thailand’s poorest population who only survived by eating dirt,” says Governor Verasak Vichitsangsri.

“Now, we promote sustainable tourism to generate more income for the communities. Our residents are farmers and the ethnic groups co-exist happily, each happy to show off their own cultures. This is an asset for Si Sa Ket.”

Located a one-hour drive from Ubon Ratchathani Airport, Bueng Ban Bok in Non Khun district is a popular stop for visitors to admire a sea of pink lotus blooms and fields of sunflowers that stretch as far as the eye can see.

The swamp is linked by a striking 300-metre- long bamboo bridge with relaxing corners where visitors can lounge on a bamboo hammock and take in the cool breeze, a welcome relief from the 40 degrees Celsius the area reaches in the middle of the day.

At the end of the bridge is a small cafe serving Thai-style coffee and refreshing herbal drinks along with a shopping area selling handicrafts and local snacks.

Bueng Ban Bok is a new attraction in Si Sa Ket. 

“This swamp was originally used for agricultural purposes and we converted it into a new tourist attraction last year. Our village took part in the Nawatwithi One Tambon, One Product (Otop) Community Tourism project and spent Bt500,000 renovating the landscapes and building the bamboo bridge. This is the best viewpoint to see the pink lotuses that are in full bloom in December and January,” says village head Kingthawee Pokaew.

“We also plan to offer rafting to a nearby horse farm, a cycling route and a homestay service.”

For now, however, , the Northeastern province is covered in fragrant white cheesewood flowers known as lamduan, which welcome visitors to Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park in downtown Si Sa Ket, the venue for the annual floral festival.

The festival, which runs for three days, features four markets, each representing one of the ethnic groups, cultural performances, a photography exhibition and an extravagant light and sound show telling the tale of the founding of Si Sa Ket, – Kurukaset as it was originally known – by King Jayavarman VII back in 1037.

A popular venue with local families is the Si Sa Ket Aquarium, the first in the lower Northeast, that’s home to more than 100 rare species of fish and creatures both from the river and ocean. It is divided into seven zones, where kids have fun learning about different aquatic ecosystems.

Its highlight in the 24-metre-long tunnel in the centre, where visitors can get up close and cosy with giant catfish, Siamese giant carp, albino striped catfishm royal knifefish and manta rays.

Visitors are greeted with a tempting feast of Isaan specialities.

The next day, we’re up long before the roosters start crowing to greet the morning and climb up to Pha Mo I Daeng, the best vantage point to admire the sunrise over the Khao Phra Vihan National Park. The temperature is lower than 20 degrees and the astonishing views of Dangrek mountain range, which forms the natural border between Thailand and Cambodia, take my breath away.

Facing east, this sandstone cliff boasts three 1,500-year-old bas reliefs. In the centre is a man with a sandalwood flower behind his ear, who is supposed to be the Giant of Hell’s Gate or a Khmer king who performed a ritual before the construction of Preah Vihear began.

A few minutes away from Pha Mo I Daeng are the ruins of Don Tuan Sanctuary built between the 10th and 11th century. A mixture of wood, laterite and brick, it has four sandstone pillars that are shaped to resemble an arched gate, with a rectangular sandstone base of an assembly hall and a pond on the southeast side of the complex.

In addition to the Khmer-style historical sites, Kantharalak district is home to Pan Koon Garden, which is promoted as a learning centre for mixed farming.

Set up in 1987 by Phatthasat Masakul and spread over 50 rai, it boasts some 500 volcanic durian trees, more than 2,000 mangoes of different species, mangosteen, rambutan and bananas as well as a rice field. Visitors pay just Bt30 to pick and eat the fresh fruit though the durian is excluded.

Phatthasat Masakul and his wife grow durians in the rich volcanic soil of Pan Koon Garden.

“For more than two decades, I have cultivated four types of durian– Mon Thong, Chanee, Kan Yao and Long Hin – using the volcanic soil rich in minerals and peculiar to Kantharalak, Singharn and Sirattana. My durian is less sweet and has a soft but crispy texture and doesn’t smell strong,” Phatthasat says.

The garden also offers 12 comfortable guestrooms as part of a homestay programme with a night’s stay priced at just Bt500 including breakfast and fruit picking. Guests are also invited to check out a variety of products including honey baked banana, dehydrated durian and banana cake, all of them delicious.

We arrive at Trakuan village in Sirattana district just in time for lunch and are greeted with a tempting feast of Isaan specialities. We enjoy kaeng kluay (coconut curry with unripe bananas), tom yum with chicken, spicy minced catfish salad, fried morning glory and fried crickets, while the villagers, both young and old, entertain us with traditional dance.

After the meal, a Brahmin and senior residents invite us to join a Bai Sri Su Kwan – a traditional welcoming ceremony to bring guests luck, good health and success. The offerings include coconut, khao tom mad (sticky rice with banana), boiled eggs, banana and marigolds, which symbolise purity, prosperity and abundance.

The villagers also take us around their homes, some of which are used for workshops in making herbal medicine, cultivating silkworms and preparing local desserts.

In the middle of the village, Yongyuth Mettaboon proudly reveal his integrated farm. He has a big mushroom farm and organic rice paddies and also raises pigs, ducks, chickens, fish and crickets.

“Focusing on sustainable living, I started an integrated farm in 2007 and use pig manure, sawdust, husk and microbes to produce organic fertiliser. I’ve planted Yang Na trees to absorb water and serve as an underground bank for my rice field.”

On the last day of our journey, we are taken to the historical ruins of Sa Kamphaeng Yai Temple in Uthumphon Phisai district. Built in the reign of King Jayavarman I, all structures were fashioned out of laterite and adorned with mural sculptures depicting Hindu deities and auspicious animals.

The sanctuary is home to five pagodas and the main one is in the middle of complex, taking inspiration from Mount Meru. A new viharn has been built alongside and houses the sacred 1,000-year-old Buddha in meditation posture on Naga’s tail created in reign of King Javarman VII after he converted from Hinduism to Buddhism.

The spectacular architecture of Sa Kamphaeng Yai Temple

We continue to the ancient Khmer village of Ban Mueng Luang in Huai Thap district. Famous for its black traditional blouses with elaborate embroidery locally known as suea saew, the Ban Mueng Luang Silk group was formed in 1992 and weave silk in the old Isaan motif of look kaew to earn more income.

“Saew means seam stitch and each ethnic group in Si Sa Ket has different patterns. These days, we draw our inspiration from nature to develop such creative designs as a bunch of roses, water clover, candlestick and latticework,” says Chaluay Chooseesattaya.

“We dye the silk with local plants and flowers. For example, we use coconut husk for pink, bastard teak for orange, myrobalan leaves for green and lac for red.”

We are shown how the fabric is dyed with ebony tree, mud and ming aralia that make its texture more durable and fragrant. The village also offers a tailor-made service that offers customers a choice of designs and colours.

ALL ROADS HEAD NORTHEAST

>> Si Sa Ket is an hour’s drive from Ubon Ratchathani Airport. Thai Smile, Air Asia, Nok Air and Thai Lion Air offer daily flights from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani.

>> Ban Trakuan village is Srirattana district. Book a sightseeing tour at (091) 834 1195.

>> Ban Mueng Luang village is in Huai Tap district. Call (085) 763 4261.

I WASN’T sure what to expect when I was invited recently to spend two days and one night at Ban Laem Homestay in Nakhon Si Thammarat. But within minutes of arriving, I knew it was going to be an experience I would treasure for a long time. Warmly welcomed by the amiable villagers, the atmosphere was like being at a friend’s home – a place where you can kick back and relax without judgement.

Fishermen at work in the Golden Bay. /Courtesy of Local Alike.

Located in the Golden Bay area of Tha Sala district, this hamlet is luring visitors with cosy accommodation, tantalising seafood meals and several fun activities that allow guests to experience the lifestyles of this Muslim fishing community and learn more about marine ecosystems.

Ban Laem Homestay is being promoted as a model of sustainable community with an enhanced standard of hospitality. It is part of the “Happy Home Happy Stay” project, a collaboration between The Erawan Group and Local Alike.

“The Erawan Group operates more than 60 properties both in Thailand and the Philippines. In 2016, we initiated the ‘Happy Home Happy Stay’ project, aiming to share our hospitality and management experience to develop communities. We travelled around the country looking for the type of strong communities we could help grow sustainably,” says Petch Krainukul, the group’s president.

“Ban Laem Homestay is a pilot project. We picked this village because it has beautiful nature, a unique mud spa and striking Southern-style houses that identify its character. We educate villagers about hygiene and help renovate public areas, bathrooms and landscapes because cleanliness is the heart of any hospitality service. A team from Hop Inn teaches villagers how to greet guests and how to use the QR code system for check-in. We also plan to expand our project to other communities around the country,” he adds.

Bang Flittary’s House offers tourists comfortable accommodation. 

A mere 20 kilometres from downtown Nakhon Si Thammarat, this land was once home to a pristine beach with boutique resorts and seafood restaurants and 40 years ago was a popular holiday escape for local residents and Malaysian tourists. Then so-called “progress” set in, with the mangrove forest destroyed to make way for shrimps farms that before too long were also abandoned.

In 2014, Bang Taksin Minman joined with his neighbours to open their houses and welcome guests for overnight stays in the hope they could bring their home back to life and promote tourism.

“Eight years ago, hundreds of local students came here to reforest the area but they also turned our home into a garbage dump. We started by providing a catering service to reduce the number of plastic bags and foam containers in the area then we created a fun activity programme that included a mud battle that made our village widely known,” says Bang Santi Himma, secretary of the Community Enterprise of Ban Laem Homestay Mangrove Forest Conservation.

“The idea for launching a homestay programme came when we met an 18-year-old foreign biker who was cycling around the world. With a budget of just Bt100 as day, he was delighted to stay with us for a month and helped us create a fanpage on Facebook to promote our village.”

Popular with Thai families and tourists from the UK and Malaysia, the village has now four families ready to accommodate guests in their home for a two-day, one night programme. For just Bt1,750, tourists can enjoy three meals, an eco-cultural tour and cooking classes and for an extra Bt200 also get an airport transfer to the village thrown in – though this is limited to four people.

“I have long dreamt of improving the quality of our lives. In the past, our village had a drug problem and residents lived in poverty and were always exploited by loan sharks,” says Bang Taksin, another leader of the Community Enterprise .

Fishermen at work in the Golden Bay. /Courtesy of Local Alike. 

“Now, our village can accommodate around 50 guests and we plan to expand services to 10 houses. Thanks to our focus on sustainable living, we can earn Bt40,000 a year and we’ve learnt how to save. This project belongs to everyone and will be handed down to the young generation.

Surrounded by tropical plants and towering coconut trees, I spend one night in Bang Fittary’s house. Built of hardwood, it boasts a living area on the lower level, a private balcony and a bathroom with separate shower and toilet.

The airy bedroom has everything the urban traveller needs. There are four clean mattresses, towels, a television, three fans, mosquito nets and plenty of plugs. A fully-stocked mini bar corner is available in the house though there’s no refrigerator.

In the afternoon, we ride a modified motor-tricycle for a village tour and Bang Santi takes us to the headquarters of the Hang Uan Weaving Group. Jinda Laohawiwat, 60, and her members are happy to demonstrate the traditional techniques used to weave a 15-inch bolt of hang uan as young palm leaves are known in the southern dialect.

“In the past, fishermen used hang uan to interlace with their nets. With their soft texture and durability, they are ideal for fashion accessories and home furnishings such as shoulder bags, hats, coasters and place mats and are now available at many resorts in southern provinces and handicraft shops in Bangkok,” says Jinda.

We continue to Ban Suan Wanlee, home to a large organic mulberry garden. It’s the brainchild of former accountant Prasat Wanlee, who got his first mulberry tree from Chiang Mai and used pruning techniques to propagate.

Visitors can pick and eat mulberries at Ban Suan Wanlee.

“Now I have more than 500 mulberry trees in my garden and can harvest around 30 kilograms of fruit a day. I use chicken manure as fertiliser. The black fruits are sweet and light red ones are sour. The peak of the harvest season is March and April. As part of the homestay programme, I invite tourists to pick and eat the fruit fresh from the bushes and feed them crackers topped with mulberry jam that contains no gelatine and refreshing mulberry soda,” Prasat says.

We also join a cooking class led by local housewives and learn how to make several southern curry pastes like red curry, yellow curry and tai pla curry. The main ingredients are chilli, curcuma, garlic, galangal, shallot and salt and all the ingredients are found in their backyards.

And we also get to taste kanom pa da. Made from rice flour mixed with sweet nam wa banana, it looks like a doughnut but is filled with spicy curry and mangrove leaves before being fried.

We’re up before the birds the next morning, climbing into a fishing boat at 5.45am for a three-hour cruise through the mangrove swamp. We stop at the mouth of the Golden Bay to watch the sunrise and enjoy a breakfast served by Bang Santi of hot coffee and Ovaltine, deep-fried dough sticks, kaoman gaeng massaman (rice cooked with coconut milk and with massaman curry) and roasted sticky rice stuffed with taro.

Bang Santi serves hot coffee.  

“The Golden Bay occupies 3,000 rai and offers a beautiful view of Nakhon Si Thammarat’s mountain ranges. Local fishermen have transformed seven rai into a marine life sanctuary where schools of small fish live to conserve the ecosystem. We are now in seabass season, which runs from January to March,” he tells us.

A few fishermen are already out and we watch them for a while before planting a mangrove tree. On the way back to the shore, Bang Santi invites to jump into the water and enjoy a mud spa that nourishes the skins and the hair. The mud here has a blue tinge and is rich in more than 40 kinds of minerals. It’s even certified by the Pikunthong Royal Development Study Centre and Thailand’s Institute of Nuclear Technology.

The trip ends with a lunch of khaoman talay khlon (rice cooked with coconut milk and squid gallbladder) served with deep-fried mangrove leaves with shrimps and other seasonal seafood dishes.

“Our slogan is ‘Ban Laem Homestay has nothing but the heart’. Coming here, tourists can experience the ways of a Muslim community. We’re friendly and nothing like the negative portrayal of us that’s given out on the news. We always treat visitors as our friends,” says Bang Taksin.

IF YOU GO

>> Ban Laem Homestay is in Tha Sala district, Nakhon Si Thammarat.

>> Booking can be made by calling (065) 513 7273, (088) 768 9036.

>> Check out the programme at the BanLaemHomestay page on Facebook.

The good people of Lampang are tired of travellers whizzing across their province on the way to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Nakhon Elsewhere. They’ve got plenty of interesting things to see and do and would really like to share them with outsiders if they can just get them to stop for a day or overnight or longer.

So, in order to get off the list of 16 northern “secondary cities” that tourists ignore, the province and its capital of the same name are promoting “Lampang … Plai Thang Fun” (Dream Destination).

“Lampang is a destination for dream hunters,” says Songpol Sawasditham, its governor since 2017. He’s keen to chime in with the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s campaign somewhat clumsily translated as “Over the Dream of Million Inspirations”, which focuses on the North.

“The idea is to make Lampang a destination rather than a secondary city,” Songpol says, “but it goes deeper, making Lampang a destination for every dream, appealing to travellers from every walk of life and every category.

“It’s a place not only for those interested in the slower life, but also for those who like taking pictures and sharing them on social media. It’s a great place for adventurers seeking to discover new places, such as Baan Paa Miang, for example. And we want people to see Lampang as a romantic small town with activities such as ‘Fun Tam Roy Phaphayon’.”

Here he’s referring to a tour of the locations selected as settings for a string of films, including the 2015 Hollywood feature “No Escape”, shot in part at the airport, and the Thai TV series “Rak Nakara”, shot at the Burmese-style Wat Sri Rong Muang.

“We’re always ready to accommodate senior citizens and retirees, whether just for sightseeing or to hold their group meetings,” Songpol says. “We’re very proud of places like the Kew Fin and Chae Son hotsprings.

“For art lovers there is the Lampang Arts Centre and lots of street art to enjoy, and more at Baan Paa Miang.

“Our goal in promoting tourism isn’t just helping to stimulate the national economy but also to spread prosperity locally and thus reduce inequality, so the focus is on secondary tourism and community tourism.”

One eye-popping attraction is the charmingly named Hug You, which really ought to be called Hug Ewe because it’s a sheep farm where you can cuddle a Lampang lamb.

Cameras are essential because of the photogenic Harvest Moon Farm & Café, Rai Sub Muen San with its windmill landmark and lots of gaily painted signage, as well as a beautiful vineyard and strawberry fields. And don’t knock the resident livestock’s wool coats. As standup comedian Udom “Note” Taepanich once sarcastically remarked, “Lampang nao mak!” It can indeed get very cold.

For more adventurous tourism, Songpol recommends Baan Paa Miang in Muang Pan district, home to the hot springs and waterfalls of Chae Son National Park.

You can haul around a tent or you can arrange to stay with a family in the village of Mae Chaem. It’s a winding road up the mountain to the homestay-friendly “agrotourism” community. You move in with the clan in a house alongside a stream, sample some khai paam, which is an omelette cooked in a banana-leaf krathong, and plan your excursions off into the wild.

There’s a learning centre focused on community health where they show you how miang leaves are used to make tea and stuff pillows for the head and neck.

Next door the householders are advertising foodstuffs like nam phrik phao (chilli paste) made from mushrooms, though you have to order in advance. A stroll around the village takes you to Wat Paa Miang, then Baan Paa Miang School, whose walls are decorated with paintings of cats, chickens and cows. And finally you reach the Paa Miang Coffee and settle in for a lovely iced lemonade with wild honey and a spectacular view of a temple in the valley.

Early-morning risers are rewarded with a gorgeous sunrise at Kew Fin, a lookout 1,517 metres above sea level.

Governor Songpol isn’t done pitching attractions yet.

“Another outstanding event is the Dok Siew Festival in Baan Paa Miang every February and March, and you must see the love bridge that the street-art team from Silpakorn University painted with a dok siew pattern,” he says.

He’s got another promotional campaign underway, “Nakhon Hathasil Thin Utsahakram Sangsan” (Craftsmanship City, Creative Industries) that centres on Baan Luk Tai, a community skilled engravers, and the Dhanabadee Ceramic Museum.

The word “luk” in the village’s name refers to a turbine-driven bailer locally invented to draw water from a stream to irrigate crops. As if that weren’t enough, the residents are so talented at carving that they’re nationally famous. They can whip a chunk of mai chamcha (raintree wood) into a nifty pestle and mortar or, if it’s a big enough block, a life-size elephant and rhinoceros like the ones the kids can clamber on.

For now most of the carvings are sent to the Baan Tawai Handcraft Village in Chiang Mai to hawk to tourists, but that trade is expected to shift back to the source soon.

Songpol, who had success boosting tourism in Songkhla while he was governor there, says Lampang gets 900,000 a year now and he wants that number up to two million within two years.

Lampang is also renowned for its ceramics, including the ubiquitous and ultra-handy “chicken bowl”, and the Dhanabadee Museum traces that history. You can examine two ancient kilns, visit a showroom of impressive modern designs, and see “the world’s thinnest chicken bowl”, another one smaller than a grain of rice and another coated in gold, plus a ceramic flute that was made for National Artist Thanis Sriklindee.

The horse-drawn carriages that never fail to delight visitors to urban Lampang are well worth a try. They ply the well-treed old part of town, cross the Tha Ma-O community and stop by at the wonderful colonialera home of master tradesman Louis Leonowens, son of Anna, tutor to the children of King Rama IV.

Dropped off amid a jangle of street-art colour on the Wang River, you can meander along Thanon Talad Gao, a walking street each evening, to the Ratsadaphisek Bridge and past venerable Burmese-style houses.

Kad Kong Ta sells a huge variety of goods and foods including khai namrae Chae Son, a spicy salad with eggs hardboiled in a hot spring.

Stay just a little longer

Bangkok residents still not convinced about the appeal of Lampang should visit the Lampang Open House Fair at CentralWorld from February 19-21.

It will have glimpses of all the top sights and samples of all the main cultural and gastronomic highlights.