Nakhon Si Thammarat Beach and Wat Phra Mahathat temples

Nakhon Si Thammarat is a province in South Thailand while Nakhon Si Thammarat city is the capital of the province. The city is about 610 km (380 miles) south of Bangkok, on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula.

The province sits on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand and is bordered by Surat Thani to the north, Phattalung and Songkhla to the south and Krabi to the west.

Nakhon Si Thammarat is Thailand's fourth largest city, but lack of tourists although the city has a lot of tourist sites.


Nakhon Si Thammarat Tourism

Nakhon Si Thammarat is the land of predominant Buddhism during the Srivijaya Period, so many temples will be found in the city. Wat Phra Mahathat is the most famous temple of Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Wat Phra Mahathat was originally an old monastery which is believed to have been constructed during the Srivijaya Period. The building has a 77-meter pagoda which houses Buddha relics brought from Sri Lanka over 1,700 years ago.

Do not forget to visit the Old City Wall which is 460 meters wide and 2,230 meters long. The wall was constructed during the Phraya Si Thamma Sokarat period and was renovated at least two times during the Ayutthaya Period.

A place that is revered by all Buddhist is located in Nakhon Si Thammarat town near the City Hall. This is the Ho Phra Buddha Sihing. The Buddha image enshrined in this temple is believed to have been constructed during the Sukhothai Period.

Besides, there are a lot of other important archaeological places such as Vihara Luang, Vihara Khien, Vihara Khot, Vihara Pho Lanka, museum, etc.

Predominantly mountainous with substantial forest areas including the outstanding Khao Luang National Park, Nakhon Si Thammarat also has a selection of beaches along its long, largely undeveloped coastline. There are loads of attractive coastal villages great for camping and as already mentioned, downtown Nakhon Si Thammarat is a good, and very local, place to spend a couple of days.

Nakhon Si Thammarat is different with another big cities in Thailand. You will find no sex tourism in the city.




Nakhon Si Thammarat Culture and Show

A distinctive aspect of cultural life in Nakhon Si Thammarat is the shadow puppets shows, called here Nang Thalung. The puppets are prepared with dried hides and shaped as the protagonists of Thai mythological or historical tales. This type of art is very popular in Southeast Asia and can be found in several variations.

A good place for experiencing the art is the Suchat Sapsin House at 10/18 Si Thammasok Road, Soi 3. The house includes a museum and offers performances as well.


Nakhon Si Thammarat Beach

Thailand is very famous for its exotic beach, let's say Phuket, Pattaya, Krabi. Visiti Nakhon Si Thammarat is not complete without visit the beach.

Being in southern Thailand, beaches are a compulsory part of any visit. Nakhon itself doesn’t have beaches (though there are a few nearby); yet it is worth a visit due to its cultural and religious importance. A way to overcome this problem is to make a stop along the way from – or to – Surat Thani at the town of Khanom. In such a way it is possible to enjoy a nearby beach without making lengthy detours to bad connected towns.

Located an hour north of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Khanom is a fishing village with attractive beaches, two caves, a road leading to the Dat Fa Mountain and a few waterfalls. Long-tailed boats allow exploring the Khanom River, where Irrawaddy dolphins can be seen in the early morning, especially during the rainy season. Nai Plao Beach features a few guesthouses and restaurants. The town is connected during the day with frequent minibuses to Nakhon and Surat.

Moreover, it is just twenty kilometers south of Don Sak, the ferry pier to Koh Samui.

Nakhon Si Thammarat Photos and tourist pictures :



Nakhon Si Thammarat downtown



"Nakhon Si Thammarat Street



Nakhon Si Thammarat City



Nakhon Si Thammarat Mosque



Taking a songthaew (10-15B within the downtown district) is the easiest way to travel around Nakhon Si Thammarat. The pickup trucks are scattered throughout town - just wave at one to get them to stop. The sights are very spread out along the main road that runs through the town called Rajdamneon Road, so it's
best to take them in order to visit them.



Wat Mahathat is the most important shrine in Southern Thailand due to the Buddha relics in it. The big complex is impressive and easily recognizable as a big religious center; it includes a museum which displays a rich collection of artifacts and statues.



Nakhon Si Thammarat National Museum occupies the area of the old Wat Suan Luang Tawan Ok on Ratchadamnoen Road. Opened in 1974, it displays artifacts found in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Surat Thani, and Chumphon – the last three are provinces adjacent to Nakhon Si Thammarat - as well as local handicrafts


Watch Dolphin at Southern Thailand, Dolphins, in Hat Khanom Mu Koh Talay Tai National Park, Nakhon Si Thammarat video