Central · Thailand
Nakhon Pathom · นครปฐม
Phra Pathom Chedi — the world's tallest Buddhist stupa — plus Sanam Chandra Palace.
- Region
- Central
- Population
- 924,000
- Area
- 2,168 km²
- Stories filed
- 1
About Nakhon Pathom
History
Nakhon Pathom — literally "first city" — claims to be the oldest settled place in Thailand, its Mon Dvaravati inhabitants credited with introducing Theravada Buddhism to the Chao Phraya basin some two thousand years ago. The original stupa was already ancient when King Mongkut had it encased in a new 127-metre chedi in the 1860s, creating Phra Pathom Chedi — the tallest Buddhist monument in the world. A second royal chapter opened in 1910 when King Vajiravudh built Sanam Chandra Palace as a retreat from Bangkok, adding English mock-Tudor manor houses to the province's unlikely range of monuments.
Landscape & geography
The province occupies the western edge of the Chao Phraya delta, flat and well-irrigated by the Tha Chin River. Pomelo orchards fill the southern districts, and the province leads Thailand in pomelo production. The copper-coloured peak of Phra Pathom Chedi is visible from most parts of the province — a permanent orientating landmark across the plain.
Why visit
Phra Pathom Chedi is the centrepiece — walk the circular colonnade, browse the Dvaravati relics in the museum, and arrive on a Sunday morning for the alms-giving ceremony. Wat Sam Phran's pink 80-metre cylindrical tower, spiralled from base to tip by a full-scale painted dragon, is one of Thailand's most surreally photogenic temples. Sanam Chandra Palace's English-style gardens and Thai pavilions are a gentle counterpoint. Don Wai floating market on the Tha Chin rounds out a comfortable day trip from Bangkok, 56 km east.
Stories from Nakhon Pathom
Articles, reviews, and itineraries tagged to this province.
