Global Staci

Thailand, The Land of Smiles, never truer than during the week my team and I spent volunteering with the Fuller Center in Lampang. I hope you will consider leading or joining a team there, especially in the very able hands of their new host coordinator, affectionately called Angel. She’s amazing!

While it is a bit out of the way, it’s worth the trouble getting to Lampang, especially if you have a few more days to enjoy Thailand. Many of my teammates spent more time in country, as did I, and you can read about some of my adventures in Chiang Mai and Bangkok.

Getting There

I recommend you fly into Chiang Mai, less than a two-hour drive to Lampang. You can also take the train or bus from Chiang Mai, which some of my teammates did successfully. Ask your host coordinator to arrange a pickup at either station, or to help you arrange a ride especially if you have a group. Incidentally, it cost more but you can get a Grab, the best rideshare app for Southeast Asia.

Flying into Bangkok necessitates coordinating another domestic flight, which are limited, and another airport transfer, as well as most likely having to spend a night in Bangkok if you are traveling to Thailand from North America. If you have time and don’t mind spending the extra money, perhaps flying is best for you. But I found the commute from Chiang Mai to be easy and affordable.

The Project

Despite Thailand’s popularity and well-developed tourism infrastructure, there is a great need for decent shelter. Many families who could never afford to improve their home with conventional builders and bank financing, live in very basic and inadequate structures made of teak wood. Wide gaps in the walls and dirt floors leave families exposed to the rain and insects.

With Fuller Center Thailand each team works on one house. This is a great build for volunteers because the evidence of your labor is immediate. Because the local crew had already poured the foundation, and had it under roof, we could enjoy putting up the walls in the shade.

Jobs for the week included mixing cement, moving bricks, laying bricks, installing windows, pouring headers and clearing and cleaning up the property. In just one week we made so much progress. And we had a great time laughing and trying to communicate with our local construction crew! Lunch is delicious, homecooked and served onsite, Monday-Thursday.

Lodging

Our team stayed at the Regent Lodge [278/3 Phaholyathin rd. T.Huaweang a.Muang , Lampang, 52000] which is a bit outside the city center where more of the cultural activities are. There’s not much to see or do nearby, but again, many sites are just a short Grab, or a long stroll, away.

[PRO TIP: Lampang is known for their horse-drawn carriage rides, and you can even have the driver drop you at the hotel. It’s a fun way to see the city for about 500 Bhat/hour.]

The hotel serves a breakfast buffet each morning and has a full-service restaurant with good local food. They do not sell alcohol, but you can purchase nearby (see below). Laundry service at the hotel is quick and top notch, I highly recommend. The best latte I had was at Green Field Coffee, about a 1/3-mile walk from Regent Lodge.

Just a couple doors down is a 7-11, ubiquitous in Thailand, and convenient for snacks and drinks, including alcohol. Next to it there is a Lotus grocery store, and next to that another grocery store, the name of which is in Thai. You can find most things you may want or need from among these three shops. There is a pharmacy across the street and the pharmacist, who speaks very good English, is very helpful! You can most likely buy a remedy for what ails you for a few Bhat.

[PRO TIP: Jonesing for limes and tonic water or a chocolate bar? You’ll find a large Western-style grocery store in Central Mall, easily reached in a Grab.]

Restaurants

Our host coordinator pre-ordered our food each night and it was served family-style. This definitely cuts down on lengthy restaurant meals, and she did an excellent job of taking everyone’s tastes into consideration. Be prepared to eat Thai food for (nearly) every meal. Supplement if you like at the grocery stores. On Thursday night we had a pizza party at the hotel, which everyone seemed to enjoy.

Kad Kong Ta Night Market | A fun way to have dinner on the move! You’ll get a few Bhat and stroll the market stalls and order what looks good for pennies on the dollar. It’s also a fun way to experience another culture and look for souvenirs.

Aroy One Baht Restaurant | An old-style two-story restaurant in one of the old wooden houses, typical in the old city. Great location, food and atmosphere.

Ruean Phae Restaurant | Lovely location just a short walk from the Regent Lodge.

Central Mall Food Court | The benefit to dining at the mall isn’t really the dining, although you can eat more than Thai food here. But the large grocery store, and for some, the Starbucks and Dairy Queen were a hit!

Pang Luang Garden Restaurant | At first I thought this might be a strange choice, but I can see the appeal of having our last meal together at a more upscale restaurant with larger banquet rooms and a lovely outdoor water feature.

R&R Day

Because our arrival day was a Saturday, we did our R&R the next day, Sunday. I recommend you make your arrival day on Sunday, and then you can do this at the end of your week. Either way, it was a fun and relaxing day outdoors. Bring your swimsuit!

The appeal of Chae Son National Park is its eponymous waterfall and hot mineral springs, some of which are the perfect temperature for a dip. Enjoy an easy hike to the multi-tiered falls, or for a small fee, you may want to book a massage. Also, for a small fee, I recommend you try the private onsens, small wooden rooms with tiled hot tubs filled with hot water from the natural springs.

On the way we stopped to admire another beautiful temple, Wat Chedi Sao Lang.

Cultural Outings

On Wednesday and Friday our team enjoyed a few extra surprises! I won’t spoil it for the rest of you, but one of our favorites was Wat Phra That Lampang Luang and lunch out afterward.

[PRO TIP: One afternoon we visited a military museum, but that was not a fan favorite.]

MORE INSIDE SCOOP

Lampang is small and safe enough, and there is enough free time in the evenings and weekends to explore on your own. I spent a few extra days in town, and these are all things I enjoyed, and if you have additional time, I recommend.

Have a walk around town and across the river; there is a bridge right around the corner from Regent Lodge. On the other side of the river is Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao Suchadaram, and other temples you may see along the way. If you are hungry grab lunch at Peirre Pizza, made fresh and baked in their woodfire oven. Delish.

If you walk along the river towards the center of old town pop into the Museum of Lampang (nice bathrooms inside). Nearby is an outdoor Ceramics Market with covered stalls, with good, if not ubiquitous buys. Near the Museum pick up a horse-drawn carriage and tour the town for 500 Bhat/hour. Have a look at the city’s famous Clock Tower Intersection landmark, not worth a separate stop.

It won’t take long to notice the symbol of Lampang, the chicken, and their famous chicken bowls. If you want one, I recommend you buy at the Dhanabadee Ceramics Museum (take the one hour guided tour for 100 Bhat) where you can learn the history and origin of the chicken bowls and see demonstrations. The tour takes you through the original on-site factory, and there are a lot of options to shop. I highly recommend lunch after the tour at Nalalin Home Cafe‑Lampang, which is nearly next door.

A large group of us enjoyed dinner at the Riverside Restaurant, which is, of course, on the Wang River. We dined on a Friday evening and there was live music, which felt like a special treat.

Others tried and liked Wooden House Cafe, Bourbon Yard, and ILI Pika Bar.

Next Stop: The Maldives by way of Bangkok.