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Chachoengsao ProvinceChachoengsao Province encompasses 5,351 square kilometres most of which is dedicated to rice and shrimp farming. The province came to historical prominence when, in the mid 16th century a Khmer King invaded and enslaved masses of the population from Chachoengsao, Prachinburi, Chanthaburi and Nakhon Nayok provinces and forced them back to Cambodia. Chachoengsao
Also known as Paet Riu, this town is located around 100 km from Bangkok and is best-visited on a day trip. Established around the mid 16th Century during the Ayutthaya era, Chachoengsao was innitially used as a recruiting ground for the armed forces but today is primarily an animated market town. Scenically set on the Bang Pakong River, 24 km upstream of the river mouth, Chachoengsao is best known as home to the bustling Wat Sothon—if you’re in town on the weekend, don’t miss it. Chachoengsao also seems to have a dissproportionate number of food stalls for its size making it easy to spend much of the day sampling market and street food. Otherwise a typical Thai market town with a couple of attractive shopfront lined streets and some good examples of traditional housing, Chachoengsao is a suitable destination for those looking for a slice of “real Thai” though be warned, little English is spoken. Its river setting is scenic and an afternoon stroll down the boardwalk is a pleasant way to round off the day.
Vital Information
Post Office The post office is on the southern side of Mahachakapudi Rd at the intersection with Chumpol Rd. The telephone centre is open between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm.Banks All the major banks have a branch in Chachoengsao, see the map for their position. Hospital The closest hospital to downtown is on Chumpol Rd about 500 m south of the intersection of Mahachukapudi Rd. Medical clinics and chemists are scattered through town. Police Station The main station is on Chumpol Rd near the intersection with Santirart Rd. Codes Chachoengsao's telephone code is (038) and the postal code is 24000. Cheap SleepsChachoengsao is best visited as a daytrip from Bangkok, however if you want to stay, there is one central hotel.River Inn Hotel 122/1 Marupong Rd ( (038) 511 921. This 75 room hotel has unbelievably overpriced, small and stuffy rooms which cost 370B/520B for fan/A/C. The entrance to reception is on Panich Rd next to Dunkin’ Donuts. The first two floors are part of the attached department store. Cheap EatsChachoengsao has a wide choice of street stalls and open markets to eat at. Along Chumpol Rd, Prampracha Rd and Soi 3 in particuular there are a lot of reasonable street stalls. The central fresh produce market has the usual noodle and rice vendors. In the northern part of town, just over the bridge there is a pleasant open- to- the- street Thai restaurant whilst for those looking for air conditioned comfort, the restaurant on Chumpol Rd next to the Thai farmers Bank is just about your only choice. There is also a branch of Dunkin’ Donuts next to the River inn Hotel. Outside Wat Sothon there is a selection of good small Thai restaurants, all of which have tables overlooking the Bang Pakong River. This is one of the more pleasant places to eat in town.Things to Do and Sights to SeeWat Sothon Wararam Worawihan More commonly called Wat Sothon, this wat contains one of the country’s most sacred Buddha images, Phra Phuttha Sothon, or Luang Pho Sothon as it is known by the locals. The statue is fairly small, 198 cm high and 165 cm across its lap, and is sitting in the meditation position. Legend has it that three Buddha images floated down the river from Prachinburi, the largest one ended up at Ban Laem in Samut Songkhram Province, the smallest landed at Samut Prakan, but the middle sized statue found its way to Chachoengsao. On seeing the image the townsfolk tried everything to lift it from the river however did not succeed until they built a shrine and paid homage to the image. It has since been preserved within the wat. On weekends, the wat is the place to be. People flood the compound from throughout the province and beyond to pay homage to Phra Phuttha Sothon. When we say flood, we mean flood. There are so many people that traffic jams are common and numbered parking attendants try to maintain some kind of order. Hundreds of people have to line up to take their turn in honouring the image. The weekend ritual has turned the grounds into a fair like display of lottery ticket sellers and food stalls. The image and its associated statues are actually located in the large shed in front of the wat with a green tiled roof. Thai dancers also put on a constant show throughout the weekend festivities. The wat is certainly not short of cash - the numerous donation boxes are full and need to be consistently emptied, with the money paying for the massive new wat next door. There are two major annual festivals which are held at Wat Sothon, the first falls in the middle of the 12th lunar month and the second is in the middle of the 5th lunar. Contact the TAT for exact dates. The Chinese temple next door is also worth a look. The ground level holds a large laughing Buddha where you can try to throw 1B coins into a small slot in his generous belly. The next level holds a beautiful wooden shrine. To get here, jump on a blue songtheaw heading south along Chumpol Rd for a few kilometres for 4B, and get off when you see the wat and huge chedi. A tuk tuk from town or the bus station costs 30B. Traditional Wooden Houses Just to the north of the bridge on Panich Rd there are two sois running off to the right, both of these have good examples of traditional Thai wooden houses and the end of the second soi is a popular fishing spot from where there is a nice view of the riverfront. Old Shophouses Panish Rd, mainly between Santirart and Prampracha Rd’s is lined with some old attractive shopfronts. They sit in stark contrast to the concrete blockhouse style of more recent additions to the street. City Fort Walls Around 700 metres south of town, the walls of the old Chachoengsao fort have been preserved in a public park of sorts. It is an easy walk to the fort and a pleasant way of killing some time if you’re waiting for the train. Arriving and Departing
Chachoengsao is best approached by train as it is quicker and more comfortable than by bus.Train Trains run between Bangkok and Chachoengsao almost hourly throughout the day and the third class fare is 13B. The train station is on Mahachukapudi Rd, just before the turnoff for the bus station. Catch a white songtheaw from here to the market part of town for 3B or a tuk tuk for 20B. Bus Buses travel to Chachoengsao regularly from Bangkok’s eastern bus terminal taking around 2 to 2˝ hours. The fare is 40B for an A/C bus which leaves every 1˝ hours between 07.00 and 19.30, the last return bus is at 18.00. Ordinary buses cost 28B and leave every 30 minutes between 06.00 and 18.00 with the last returning to Bangkok at 18.10. Chachoengsao bus station is 3 km out of town from where a white songtheaw into town costs 3B or a tuk tuk costs 30B. Map of Chachoengsao
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