Laplae District is a district in Uttaradit Province. It has existed since the Sukhothai Kingdom. According to the assumption of Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, the name “Laplae” originated when people from Phrae and Nan fled forced labor and settled in this area. The land was covered with dense forests and surrounded by complex hills, making it an ideal place to hide. People unfamiliar with the area could easily lose their way. Because of this, stories spread that this place was the Hidden City. The word “Laplae” literally means “hidden from sight” or “invisible.” Over time, a legend developed that only people with great merit could find and enter the city.
According to the legend of Laplae, a young man once wandered into the forest and saw several young women walking out from the woods. When they reached the edge of the forest, each woman hid a leaf she had been carrying before entering the city. Watching from a distance, the young man became curious and secretly kept one of the leaves. Later, when the women returned, each of them retrieved her own leaf, except for one woman whose leaf had disappeared. She became very anxious. The young man then stepped forward and returned the leaf to her. In return, he asked if he could accompany her because he wished to see the hidden city of Laplae. The young woman agreed and led him into the city. The young man noticed that the city was inhabited only by women. The woman explained that everyone in the village strictly observed moral principles and always kept their word. Anyone who broke this rule had to leave the village. Since most men failed to keep their promises, they had all been expelled. She then introduced the young man to her mother. He fell in love with the young woman and asked for permission to stay with her. Her mother agreed, but only on one condition: he must live a moral life and never tell a lie. The young man later married the woman from Laplae, and they had one son together.
One day, while his wife was away, the young man stayed home alone to take care of their son. The child cried continuously, calling for his mother. In an attempt to comfort him, the father said, “Your mother is here.” Although it was only meant to calm the child, it was not true. His mother-in-law overheard those words and became very angry because her son-in-law had spoken falsely.
When her daughter returned home, she told her everything that had happened. The young woman was deeply saddened that her husband had broken his promise to always speak the truth. She told him that he must leave the village. Before he left, she prepared a shoulder bag filled with food, daily necessities, and many turmeric rhizomes. She then accompanied him to the edge of the forest, showed him the way home, and returned to Laplae. The young man had no choice but to follow the path his wife had shown him. As he walked, he felt that the bag was becoming heavier and heavier, and the journey seemed very long. Thinking the turmeric was making the bag too heavy, he threw away almost all of it along the way.