The phrase Pae Muang Pee sounds weird enough to Thai people let alone foreigners as it literally means “a forest in a ghost city”. Also known as Thailand’s Grand Canyon, the “forest in a ghost city” is a wavy plain with eerie-looking stone pillars and earth formations caused by water erosion.

Situated in the Mae Lai district of Phrae, Pae Muang Pee Forest Park  attracts a large number of tourists during Songkran festival (Thai New Year in April).

According to legend its name originated from a mysterious folktale about a grandmother named Sum who found a pond full of gold which she removed and started to carry back before she was lost in the forest.

When she returned to her village she told the people there about the find and told them to go and retrieve the gold that she had left in her bags. However, when they reached the pond the gold had disappeared and on the ground there were only footprints leading to nowhere.

Since then the villagers have called this particular spot Pae Muang Pee.

The scarcity of trees or animals has also contributed to the belief that Pae Muang Pee is haunted.

While all of this might sound spooky and freak you out, Pae Muang Pee has become a famous tourist attraction as well as a haven for geologists due to its unique soil structure and formations which reportedly date back more than 2.5 million years.

A wide range of rare plants can be found in the forests – including Dipterocarpus obtusifolius, Meliosma pinnata, Bombax anceps, Croton argyratus, Combretum spp. and Gigantochloa albociliata, while wildlife includes snakes, lizards, butterflies, lizards, hares and various bird species.

Located only 10 kilometers from Phrae, Pae Muang Pee is highly recommended and makes an impressive trip.