Temple, River, and Classic Lifestyle at Nakhon pathom
Nakhon Pathom is another interesting county in Thailand that is not far from Bangkok. The province is rich in tourism resource and as a home of various local delicious foods. Undoubtedly, Nakhon Pathom is another famous tourist landmark for both domestic and international tourists. As a place that anyone should not miss to visit either come by yourself or with the one you love, here we brought you the top favorite sightseeing in Nakhon Pathom which can help you to plan the trip in this interesting county. Well, let’s have a look!
Highlights and Things to Do in Nakhon Pathom
1. Wat Phra Pathom Chedi
The bright gold large pagoda which recognized as ‘the largest pagoda in Thailand’ is a religio-political object of Nakhon Pathom province. The most worshipful stupa stands elegantly inside the compound of Wat Phra Pathomachedi Ratchaworamahavihara where the place is another significant historic site to visit in Thailand. Phra Pathom Chedi which means ‘the first pagoda’ is a bell-shaped pagoda with the sermon halls in four directions and two layers of the defensive wall.
The great pagoda is the house to enshrine the Buddha’s relics that is worshipped among the Buddhist worldwide. According to the Buddhist belief, anyone that has a chance to pay homage to the pagoda will be blessed to have prosperity in life. Every the 12th waxing moon to the 5th of waning moon in the 12th lunar month there is a big celebration event at the holy site.
Additionally, in the evening, the numbers of street food stands will be seen in general around the area of the temple. Many delectable local foods and desserts are waiting for the gastronomy to enjoy such as flying ice-cream, Pad Thai, Hoi Tod (Deep Fried Oyster / Mussel Omelet), Guay Jab (Chinese Roll rice Noodle with Soup), Rad Na (Fried Rice Noodle with Gravy), Khanom Beung (Thai Crispy Pancake), and more. The temple opens to the public with free of charge for Thai and only THB40 for the foreigners.
2. Sanam Chan Palace
Similar to the castle in the fairy tale, Sanam Chan Palace was established by King Vajiravudh or the Rama VI of Siam with about 4 years of construction. And when the building completed the king graciously named it in “Sanam Chan Palace” followed to the name of the old pool in front of the Brahma Sanctuary. This royal court is former the residence for the king and the royal family members during the trip to worship Phra Pathom Chedi and vacation. The royal house that is pleasant with the shady trees and beautiful landscape has spacious area contains many throne halls, royal courts, and villas. For example;
2.1 Bhimarn Pathom Hall
Bhimarn Pathom Hall, the first hall of this royal residence which was built around 1907. It is a 2-level masonry building in western style; however it was modified to fit the tropical weather.
2.2 Patiharndhasanai Hall
Patiharndhasanai Hall is a Thai style building constructed in 1914.
2.3 Charliemongkolasana Hall
Charliemongkolasana Hall is the most remarkable residence among the royal courts and the halls within the palace complex. The building was established in 1908 with the outstanding character that is the perfect blend of two architectural of art – French Renaissance and English Half-Timber and adapted to be compatible with the local weather of Thailand.
2.4 Mareerajaratabunlung Hall
Mareerajaratabunlung Hall, a 2-story architecture made of the gold teakwood and furnished in red. The building is the neo-classic style that modified from the original western to suit the tropical weather, as well.
2.5 Dhevalai Ganesh (Ganesh Shrine)
Dhevalai Ganesh (Ganesh Shrine) which King Vajiravudh graciously commanded to create at the center of the royal residence complex. The shrine is the mind and spiritual center for the students and devotees to worship. Mostly, the holy shrine is famous among the students to make a vow for luck in academic purpose.
The palace, nonetheless after the death of King Rama VI, it became the office of the various department of the administration of Nakhon Pathom province. Inside the property is a vast space of beautiful garden with selections of the leisure corners for the public to visit; also the place is one of the campuses of Silapakorn University, too. Unsurprisingly, the beautiful structures and lovely atmosphere of the place appeal many people to visit with the impression. And any tourist would like to come to Sanam Chan Palace, the site opens daily excepts the public holidays between 9.00am – 4.00pm.
The entrance fee is THB50 for the foreigners (the ticket closed at 3.30pm). And the place is restricted for the proper dress which will not allow for any armless top, short trousers and skirt, however, in case you do not prepare for that there is sarong (Thai style fabric) for the tourist to rent with the fee is THB30 for Thai adults, THB10 for children, and THB50 for the foreigner.
3. Don Wai Floating Market
Another traditional floating market of Nakhon Pathom. Although the market that has existed since the period of King Rama VI it still keeps the signature of the old style of wooden edifice nearby the riverside of Tha Chin River very well. Don Wai is a top famous floating market in Thailand that any tourist whether local or from the overseas would come to visit. The narrow lane leading to the riverside is plenty of the vendor stands in particular food stalls along both sides. And around the space of Wat Don Wai is an agricultural market with many productivities from the local farmers. The market opens from 6.00am through 6.00pm daily.
The exciting things to shop at Don Wai Floating Market are food, dessert, snack, basketry, fresh fruits and vegetables, and plants. And the highlight products here are Salt-Crusted Grilled Fish, Pla Salid Dad Diew (Sun Dried Gourami), Pla Tapien Tom Kem (Salt Slow Cooked Carp), Ho Mok (Steam Fish with Curry Paste), Ped Paloe (Pot-stewed Duck), Goon Chiang (Chinese Sausage), and various chili dip. Also, Thai dessert i.e., Salee (Thai Sponge Cake), Khanon Tan (Sugarpalm Cake), Pui Fai (Thai Steamed Cupcake), Khanon Bueng (Thai Pancake), Look Choup (Fruit-shaped Monk beans), Thong Muan Sod (Soft Rolled Wafer), and Khanom Fak Bua Boran (Classic Thai Deep Fried Rice Dough), for instance.
Moreover, the place also offers the boat trip to see the life along the riverside and many sightseeing nearby. The popular boat operator like ‘Vintage Srisawas’ that adapted from a fishing boat and equipped with the comfort seats to serve the passengers. The ship provides the customers with 3 directions of the trip.
4. His Majesty the King Insect Park and Museum
To mention about Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsaen Campus, it is well-known among the local regarding the lovely scene of the pink Rosy trumpet-tree blossom. Nonetheless, some would know that this academic site has another exciting attraction which is the His Majesty the King Insect Park and Museum, the most significant insect dome in Thailand. That will be another must-not-miss to visit place in Nakhon Pathom.
This insect center was founded to celebrate the 72nd Birthday Anniversary of HM King Bhumiphol and opened officially on October 1, 2003. Inside the enormous dome-shaped structure is allocated into 4 sections which are section 1 and 2 are the exhibition hall and museum inside a single level building displays the specimens with more than 1,000 species. Part 3 is the place for field study with the highlight is the largest insect dome in Thailand which is over 1,000 sqm with 45 meters in its diameter and 15 meters tall. The interior modeled the tropical rainforest environment to be the home for insects and other beings, also it serves as the insect research center and demonstration plant regarding the commercial insect farming.
Besides, His Majesty the King Insect Park and Museum is the learning center to learn about the life of the insects or the ecosystem of both living and abiotic insects the site also the house to breed any rare species and extinct insects, as well. Moreover, the area to raise insects and butterflies. The park opens to the public Monday to Friday between 8.30am-4.30pm and Saturday to Sunday between 9.00am – 4.00pm. The admission fee is THB40.
5. Red Lotus Floating Market at Bang Laen
A brand-new floating market in Nakhon Pathom with the outstanding point of the beautiful red lotus pond for the visitors to sightsee and snap the photos. The market covers more than 38,400 sqm of space including the endless lotus flowers. The lotus regularly will bloom by 9.30am. And another breed blooms all day long. The visitors that arrive at the floating market in the morning would see both types of the blooming lotus which is very fantastic scenery to see the pinky red of the lotus covers the surface of the canal endlessly.
Red Lotus Floating Market offers many delicious foods, although it may not take a lot as you may see at other floating markets. But the good thing is the market focuses to provides the best experience to the visitors with more comfortable and not too crowded. Therefore, the tourist can enjoy the moment while visiting this floating market without any frustrating from the business. And also, the market offers the boat trip in case that anyone would like to experience the red lotus pond closely with the price is THB100 per boat for 2 – 5 passengers.
6. Wat Lam Phaya Floating Market
Another famous floating market in Nakhon Pathom situates at the riverside of Nakhonchasri River or better known as “Tha Chin river.” About an hour from Bangkok you will see the lovely place nearby the river that more than ten thousand various fish are swimming and waiting to welcome all tourists. The floating market here opened since 1999 over the land of Wat Lam Phaya and the bank of Tha Chin River to promote the occupation and income for the local people. The place which can claim as the central market of local products – handicraft, agriculture, and goods, also the tourist can experience the simple way of life of the residents live in the place surrounded with the lovely atmosphere of the river and green nature along both sides of the Tha Chin River.
Definitely, the floating market at Wat Lam Phaya serves you with many delicious foods and snacks on the vendor boats that some are rare items to find nowadays even for the Thai. Along 270-meter water curve various size of the ships provided you with the broad array of cooked menus, snack, fresh fruit, and vegetable with reasonable price. And if you would like to feel the life along the river here, you can take the boat trip that you can select either the classic style boat or bamboo raft.
And interesting to know is the products sell at Wat Lam Phaya Floating Market mostly are from the local farm except for some items that are not local plant. Moreover, there are food stalls that you can grab much delicious local food and snack, including the basketry products. Also, the brown rice which derived from the collaboration of the farmer of Lam Phaya sub-district and Traditional Thai Massage. Wat Lam Phaya Floating Market opens every Saturday – Sunday and also the public holidays during 8.00am – 5.00pm.
7. Tha Na Market
Over 140 years old of age, Tha Na Market has lasted together with the lives reside nearby Nakhonchaisri River community that backgrounded since the reign of King Rama I of the Rattanakosin. And the name “Tha Na” (means Rice Port) is based on the location was the home of rice farming and also the area at the riverside is the important port for commercial included rice.
Presently, Tha Na is another old marketplace that is interesting to visit in Nakhon Pathom province. The place is full of the classic style wooden buildings, a hub of the riverside restaurants and many delicious food shops. The famous foods that you should not miss to try here including Som Tum (Spicy Papaya Salad), Pad Thai, Ped Paloe (Pot Stewed Duck), Khanom Pang Yen (Icy Bread with Topping), Pla Grim Kai Tao (Sweet Rice with Coconut Cream), Bua Loy (Dumpling in Coconut Milk), for example. And for anyone who is the vintage fan or vintage and antique collector, the market offers many antique shops for you to check-in, too.
8. Bang Luang Market Ro Sor 112
The vintage market is about 10 km from the Ban Laen district where the place is an ecotourism site. The location is more than 100 years but still maintains its classic condition perfectly. The buildings which are the wooden structure since 1893, nevertheless, it has not been transformed by the modernization as much. Instead, the location presents the vintage atmosphere with the old-style wooden structure in the classic style architecture art in the age of King Chulalongkorn. Over 130 units of the 2-level wood buildings in vis-à-vis style from the transportation hub through the raft house next to the riverside including shops, coffee shop, restaurants, barber, etc. which are all in old style until we would think that we could turn back to the oldie’s countryside.
The market nowadays releases the plan to restore and enhance the local tourism, specifically during the weekend. The market operates every Saturday and Sunday between 9.00am – 5.00pm. And also the tourist can touch the living of the residents nearby the river by the boat trip that available at the market, too.
9. Wat Klang Bang Kaew
Wat Klang Bang Kaew or formerly known as “Wat Kongkaram” or “Wat Klang” according to the location of the temple is at the mouth of Bang Kaew Canal in Nakhonchaisri sub-district. The place is an old temple established since the Ayutthaya Era in the late of Uthong Dynasty followed to the evidence of the archeological objects inside the compound; ordination hall, Sema (the stone boundary marker), and vihara (sermon hall). Inside the ubosot or ordination hall is the red sandstone Buddha image that is the main statue of the church called “Luang Pho To.”
The highlight of the temple including Tripitaka library, Phra Putthavithinayok Museum, mural painting, and the remarkable ubosot that furnished with the delicate fresco art by Petchburi artisans. Also, the mural painting inside the building that is the story of Lord Buddha which is very exquisite with gilded. So, the place is one should not be missed for the tourist to see the fabulous architecture of art and worship the sacred things inside the monastery for fortune.
10. Woodland Muangmai
Mentioned about the woodcraft, we can’t skip from the attraction like Woodland Muengmai, the spectacular landmark for one who loves in the wood art in Nakhon Pathom. The place that established from love and passion in wood included any art from timber that has inherited for 4 generations of the family. Over the 224,000 sqm of land is the center of many collections about wood; museum, wood village, and resort under the concept “a learning center of woodcraft” with up to 20 categories of the exotic and magnificent engraved wood artwork.
The Woodland Muangmai’s museum allocated into 2 sections which are ‘Woodland Tale’ that wood art gallery with more than 2,000 pieces of the collections and there is a kind woodman named ‘Pu Sak’ or Grandpa Sak (Sak in Thai means teakwood) to tell the story about the origin of the earth and the adventure of the woodland people in the mystery land to reach the land of the creator of the universe. All collections are exhibited inside the large building covers over 5,000 sqm capacity with full light and sound presentation. The hall divided into 10 partitions with different theme such as Root Gallery, Wildlife, Naga, and Under the Sea World.
Another part of Woodland Maungmai is a private gallery of the owner “Narong Thewphaingarm” which is the place to display the engraved woodcrafts and has just opened for the public recently. Each piece of the collections here is so valuable and rare, plus some of them are age generations.
Apart from that, Woodland Muangmai provides the facilities for the visitors including Thai Village, restaurant nearby the river, coffee shop, and gift and souvenir shop with the woodcraft products, and resort & spa that modified from the guestroom of “Thewphaingarm Family,” too.
The Woodland Muangmai opens daily between 10.00am – 5.00pm. The ticket fee is THB300 for adults and THB for children (Thai) and THB650 for adults and THB300 for children (Foreigners).
*the price is only for the Woodland Tale Zone only).
11. Sampran Riverside
One of the top list tourist attractions in Nakhon Pathom that allows the visitors to gratify the traditional lifestyle and native wisdom of the local. With the definite purpose to preserve the nature and culture together to give an opportunity to the community to join in. Sampran Riverside origins from the will of Dr. Chamnarn and Khunying Walee Yuwaboon to protect a 100-year butter wood that was nearly died because of the collapse of the basin. Thence, the couple purchased a piece of land to build the vacation house for the family together to restore the old tree. And with love to grow roses as a hobby at the first place until it expanded to be the core business that resulted in the reputation of the roses in Sampran Garden was renowned among the foreigners as ‘The Rose Garden’ or ‘Sampran Garden,’ later.
Within the complex is full facilities for the visitors to relax and enjoy including resort nearby the river, dining rooms, meeting rooms, and organic farm where the place supplies the raw materials to use in the hotel and restaurant. Moreover, the fresh market “Talad Sukjai,” the local fair-trade marketplace that the farmers will bring their products to sell in every weekend.
Today, Sampran Riverside is more than a tourist attraction since the place also serves as the workforce development center for the community, as well. The tourist who yearns for a place that you can enjoy and relax in nature with the beauty of traditional culture via the various workshops; rice farming, pottery, basketry, etc. and not spend too much time of journey from Bangkok. So, Sampran Riverside is might be a good choice for you to visit any time of the year.
12. Thai Human Imagery Museum
A remarkable museum that established from the passion in the waxwork led by an artist Duangkaew Phityakornsilp that had research and developed the work for more than a decade. Consequently, the new way to create the waxwork with ‘fiberglass’ instead of the tradition wax which is durable, delicate and virtual.
In 1982, the year of that the museum was established to be the place to display and exhibit the fiberglass waxwork in order to preserve, promote, and publish Thai art, culture, and tradition that will be valuable knowledge for one who interesting.
Inside the 2-story building contains the exhibition rooms in different collections. For example, the Chakri Dynasty Kings, Princess Srinagarindra the mother of King Ananda and King Bhumiphol, the Venerable Buddhist monks, A Corner of Life, and many royal duties of Princess Srinagarindra at the lower floor. And the upper level is the place to present the waxwork of many important persons both Thai and international; the legendary Thai composer Master Euah Suntornsanan and Paiboon Butkhanvithi, Sir Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, for instance. The museum, currently displays 120 pieces of waxwork and opens on Monday – Friday between 9.00am – 5.30pm and on Saturday – Sunday and public holidays during 8.30am – 6.00pm.
How to travel to Nakhon Pathom
By Car:
From Bangkok, it is 2 directions to go to Nakhon Pathom which are the highway number 4 (Petchkasem Road) and another way is Borommaratchachonnani Road and pass Phutthamonthon to Nakhon Pathom.
By Train:
The State Railway of Thailand operates the trip from Bangkok at Hua Lamphong Station and Thonburi Station to Nakhon Pathom daily with about 1 hour of the journey. The tourist can catch the train at Hua Lamphong, Samsaen, Bang Sue, and Bang Bamru Station. And for more information and booking the ticket can call 1690 24 hours every day.
By Bus:
There are many bus services depart from Bangkok to Nakhon Pathom at the Southern Transportation Terminal (Bormmaratchachonnani Road) every day between 5.30am – 11.15pm. For more information, please call 1490. And also, the online ticket is available at website www.thaiticketmajor.com
Traveling in Nakhon Pathom
Within the province, there are many selections of transportation for the visitor to take. However, the most popular one is the pick-up truck service that is available at the transportation station to anywhere in the city. The price for charter is about THB1,000-2,000 per day depends on the distance and negotiation.
And the tricycle-motor and motorcycle taxi service at any places – municipal market, transportation station, Phra Pathom Chedi, etc. And the price is costed both the distance and charter.
Things to Know before taking a trip to Nakhon Pathom
To make the boat trip at any floating markets or the riverside locations, please bring along the umbrella and hat, in particular in the summer since it is the intense sun. However, some boat operators offer the facility for the tourist with the trip.
It would be a good idea to check the operating time of any floating market and tourist attraction before travel since some markets open only Saturday and Sunday or just in the morning.
