Introduction

Most people classify Phetchabun Province as being in the North of Thailand, but it actually sits right between the North, Central, and Northeastern regions of the country. This makes it an interesting place to visit, but a difficult one to get to. From all the major routes out from Bangkok, you have to take a side track to get here (though there is direct bus service). Partly because of this, there are very few foreign tourists who come here which for more adventurous travelers is a good thing. Phetchabun is popular with Thai tourists as it’s one of the closest areas to Bangkok with high mountains that offer a cool climate to escape the normally stifling heat.

Recommended for

• Anyone looking for a cool weather escape
• Independent travelers who like to get off the beaten path
• People interested in military history

Getting there

By bus – There is frequent bus service to Phetchabun from Mochit Northern Bus Terminal in Bangkok. The ride should take four to five hours and cost a bit under 300 Baht.

By plane –
Phetchabun has an airport but it is currently served only by charter flights. You can fly to Phitsanulok airport and come here by car or taxi. If you are visiting Khao Kho, Nok Air has a combined plane and minibus ticket to get you there.

By train – There is no train service to Phetchabun. The nearest train station would be on the Northern Line in Phitsanulok, though this wouldn’t be a convenient way to come here. It could be a nice adventure.

Where to stay

We find our accommodation on Booking.com by first searching for the town or province and our dates, we then filter out any rooms with a score lower than 7 or 8 (depending on availability) as well as any rooms out of our budget. After this, we open the map and hover over all of the pins in the rough location we already decided we want to stay in. Hovering over the pins gives us the price for x nights plus the review score. We click on each pin to open those hotels in a new tab, review them and book our favorite.

Getting around

In Phetchaburi City, motorbike taxis and tuk-tuks are available near the market and at the bus station. Your hotel should also be able to arrange one for you, and possibly a private car and driver. There does not appear to be any motorbike rental shop in Phetchabun town.

What to do

Khao Kho – The mountainous area of Khao Kho is the highlight of Phetchabun tourism. Check out our Khao Kho travel guide for more information.

Fitness & gym

Phetchabun town has a few gyms. This gym is decent and has a 70 Baht day rate. No aircon but enough fans.

Getting out

From Phetchabun it’s just a small hop into any of the three surrounding regions.

Loei – Head north into beautiful Loei Province for some of Thailand’s best national parks and trekking.

Phitsanulok – Travel west to Phitsanulok, a transportatin hub for lower-northern Thailand and a great jumping off point to visit historical Sukhothai.

Saraburi & Lopburi – Head south back toward Bangkok and stop off Saraburi for limestone mountains and Thailand’s hidden rock climbin mecca, or hang with the monkeys in historic Lopburi.