Ban Tha Khwai

Open Days: Daily

Opening Hours: Visitors can explore the village throughout the day

 

Ban Tha Khwai in Village No. 3, Chai Watthana Subdistrict, Pua District, Nan Province, is a northern Thai village located along the Pua River. The village is known for its meaningful name, riverside landscape, agricultural way of life, and local traditions that continue to reflect the relationship between people, animals, water, and farming culture.

 

In the past, Ban Tha Khwai was known as “Ban Lap.” The old name came from the village’s location beside the Pua River, where the riverbank was steep and the landing area received no sunlight in the evening. Because the area appeared hidden from the sunlight, local people called it Ban Lap, meaning a hidden or concealed village.

 

The present name, Ban Tha Khwai, developed from the traditional lifestyle of local farmers. In the past, many households raised buffaloes for agricultural work. In the evening, after the buffaloes had been released to graze in the rice fields, villagers would lead them down to the Pua River to rest and soak in the water before returning home. The sight of buffaloes lying in the river became a familiar image of the village, and the place came to be called “Tha Khwai,” meaning the buffalo landing.

 

Ban Tha Khwai is located about 6 kilometers from Pua District Office and about 66 kilometers from Nan town. The village lies on a lowland area with the Pua River flowing through it. Its total area is about 550 rai, and most of the land is used for agriculture. This landscape has shaped the village’s identity as a farming community closely connected with water and rice fields.

 

The villagers of Ban Tha Khwai are mainly northern Thai people who practice Buddhism. Their main occupation is agriculture, while some residents also work in construction, wage labor, or collect forest products as supplementary income. This simple economic structure reflects the rural lifestyle of communities in Pua District.

 

Local culture remains an important part of village life. Important traditions include Songkran and the Bai Sri Su Khwan ceremony, a traditional blessing ritual that plays an important role in northern Thai belief systems. The ceremony is closely connected with ideas of good fortune, encouragement, spiritual balance, and community bonding.

 

The village is bordered by Chiang Klang District to the north, the Pua River to the south, Ban Nat in Chai Watthana Subdistrict to the east, and Ban Pa Lan in Pua Subdistrict to the west. Its location makes Ban Tha Khwai part of a wider cultural and rural landscape connected to nearby communities in Pua District.

 

For travelers interested in community-based tourism, Ban Tha Khwai offers a quiet and meaningful experience. The village is not a large commercial attraction, but it preserves stories of local life, farming culture, and riverside settlement history. Visitors can learn how a village name can carry memories of daily life and agricultural identity across generations.

 

Ban Tha Khwai can also be included in a cultural route around Pua District. Nearby places such as Wat Phuket, Wat Phra That Beng Sakat, Ban Tai Lue Nong Bua, and Doi Phu Kha National Park allow travelers to combine village history, temples, ethnic culture, and mountain scenery in one trip.

 

Getting There from Nan town, travel toward Pua District for about 66 kilometers. From Pua District town, continue to Chai Watthana Subdistrict and Ban Tha Khwai, located about 6 kilometers away. The route is suitable for private cars or rental vehicles.

 

 

A: Ban Tha Khwai is located in Village No. 3, Chai Watthana Subdistrict, Pua District, Nan Province.

 

A: The village was originally called Ban Lap because the riverside landing was hidden from evening sunlight.

 

A: The name comes from the riverside area where villagers used to let buffaloes soak in the Pua River before returning home.

 

A: Important traditions include Songkran and the Bai Sri Su Khwan blessing ceremony.

 

A: The village is suitable for community-based tourism, local history, agricultural lifestyle, and northern Thai culture.

 

A: It is located about 6 kilometers from Pua District town.