Phrae
Thailand's teak capital until depletion—British logging from 1883, ~100 teak houses remain, now pursuing Swedish partnership for 'Wood City' sustainable forestry.
Phrae was Thailand's teak capital—until the teak ran out. Founded as Muang Phon around 828 under the Mon Haripunchai kingdom, the city functioned as a semi-independent kingdom until the late 19th century. Then the British won logging concessions in 1883. The Borneo Company, Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, and Louis T Leonowens Company arrived, drawing Tai Lue from Yunnan, Shan and Kayin from Burma—all following the timber. The 1902 Ngiao rebellion ended local sovereignty; Phrae's last ruler fled to French Luang Prabang.
What the logging boom built, the logging bust preserved. "If you look at Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, or other northern cities, they have fewer teak houses left than Phrae," notes a local heritage club founder. About 100 old teak houses remain; perhaps 20 are truly beautiful. Khum Chao Luang, built in 1892, was the last independent ruler's residence. Pratubjai House, Thailand's second largest teak structure, was assembled in 1972-1977 from nine demolished houses—recycled wood from the vanishing era.
Now Phrae pivots again. Thailand's first forestry school was established here over 60 years ago. The province claims the country's fifth-largest natural forest area. In 2025, a Swedish partnership aims to make Phrae a "Wood City" prototype—learning from Sweden's own deforestation recovery a century ago. The teak houses that tourists ignore may become the sustainable forestry classroom that regional planners study.