Phrae - Phae Muang Phi

Just like at Pong Yup (Ratchaburi) and Lalu (Sa Kaeo), erosion has formed a special landscape in Phrae. As Phae Muang Phi is located only 17-18 km from Phrae city center, it is one of the most visited landmarks in Phrae.

Thailand's Grand Canyon

According to a signboard at the site, Phae Muang Phi is a mix of local dialect and Thai and roughly means "Forest Ghost Town". Legend has it that this name relates to an event centuries ago.
An old lady was foraging in the woods far from her village when she stumbled over a treasure. Excited, she took all the gold and silver she could carry and headed home.

However, the forest spirits guarding the treasure would not let the old woman return. She felt her load get heavier and heavier and that she seemed to go backwards rather than forwards. She finally gave up and dumped what she had taken. The spirits then let her return to her village.

When she reached her home, she immediately alerted the village people about the treasure. They all rushed back into the forest. However, where the treasury had been, they only found footprints. Determined, the villagers followed these footprints until they came upon a coffin. Convinced that ghosts and potentially evil spirits had a hand in this, they all scurried back to the village. To remind people to stay away from that area of the forest, they named it Phae Muang Phi.

Although an interesting legend, it fails to explain anything about the strange landscape erosion has left behind.

In any case, the area is not large. Although larger than Pong Yup, it to me seemed smaller than Lalu, but the erosion has cut deeper than at Lalu. It certainly takes longer to drive from Phrae to Phae Muang Phi than it takes to walk around the site.

Probably to compensate for that, the forest park administration has planted two (supposedly) ticklish trees. I could not get it to work, but according to signs, the leaves of these trees will fold if you gently touch the bark on the tree trunk.

Please be gentle when you tickle me