San Kamphaeng District

Why San Kamphaeng District is special ?

San Kamphaeng is a district just outside of Chiang Mai (in Nothern Thailand) that is well worth the half day trip. The district goes back to the Kwaeng Mae Om, which was established in 1902. In 1923 the district was renamed San Kampaeng. San Kamphaeng is famous for its many silk factories. Along the road from Chiang Mai to San Kamphaeng are many handicraft shops selling traditional Thai items to tourists, like the umbrellas of Bo Sang.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/

What to explore at San Kamphaeng District?

The Hot Springs

The best time of the day at the hot springs is just when it opened. Devoid of visitors, hawkers and litter, it is intended, clean and pristine. Steaming hot water gushing mile high at intervals, a meandering river making it’s way downhill so you can find just the right temperature to dip your feet into (or boil eggs in baskets if you please) all at a very negligible entry fee.

The Umbrella Factory

Pointing out to a number of “tourist-friendly” spots along the way, you will be interested in a particularly diminishing handicraft. At the Bo Sang Sa Paper and Umbrella Handicraft Centre, pulp is pressed into paper, dried, glued and painted on into the most beautiful rainbow coloured umbrellas that lay flowering before you.

The Silk Factory

Coming from a country that produces a whole lot of silk, it suddenly struck you that you’d never actually seen silk worms doing their thing, nor the weaving after that. At the Shinawatra Silk Factory, walking through the stages of silk manufacture in the little museum, being lulled into the rhythmic clicking of bamboo as the weavers wove their silk sloth, you leave after strolling through the shop in an almost trance-like state. And what pretty colours!

Source: http://different-doors.com

How to get to San Kamphaeng District?

Hunting for a taxi in Thailand can get rather confusing given the language barrier. Private car is the best way to get there from Chiang Mai.