The province of Nakorn Si Thammarat certainly deserves more attention from tourists that it gets, especially from those interested in Thailand's rich cultural heritage. The area around Nakorn Si Thammarat town has been settled for at least 2,000 years, and it is through this ancient trading port that the form of Buddhism practiced through the country today first entered the region. Those looking for wilder beaches where they may have some degree of solitude won't be disappointed either.
Nakorn Si Thammarat's city pillar shrine is a modern construction in a mixture of styles which includes both Thai and the Srivijaya style of Summatra. It houses a golden city pillar that is two meters (about six foot six inches) tall and crowned with four faces looking out of the four doors of the temple.
The city pillar shrine with one of its pavilions One of the unusual aspects of the shrine's design is the four pavilions which surround the shrine.
Nakorn Si Thammarat is a relatively easy place to get to, although it is a bit off the main north-south travel routes.
Planes Nakorn Si Thammarat's small airport is served by at least two flights a day from Bangkok. One flight is operated by the national carrier Thai Airways, although they are now letting their budget carrier, Nok Air, handle the route.
The airport is about 15 kilometers (8 miles) from town.
The Ho Phra Isuan shrine and its neighbor across the street, the Ho Phra Narai, are all that remains to show there was once a sizable Hindu Indian population based in Nakorn Si Thammarat. The Ho Phra Isuan is dedicated to Shiva. On the altar in the shrine is a large Lingam shrouded in flowers. The Lingam is thought to date back to the sixth century.
The Ho Phra Isuan shrine and the ritual swing for Brahmin rites Next to the Lingam on the altar is a statue of Shiva dancing in a ring of fire.
I have something of a soft spot for Khanom, at the extreme northern end of Nakorn Si Thammarat province. I spent many pleasant long weekends there several years ago, when I had friends in the area.
It's not that the beaches at Khanom are that great. They can't really compare to the white sand and calm waters of Samui just a few kilometers to the north. Khanom's beaches are a bit wild by comparison.
Nakorn Si Thammarat is perhaps the most overlooked tourist destination in Thailand. Although short on tourist facilities, there is an amazing amount of history and culture on display in this pleasant and welcoming city. It may well be the oldest continuously occupied city in Thailand, and is where many of the classical fine arts of Thailand originated.
History Although its exact founding date is unknown, references to the city as a major trading center date back as far as the first century.
The Phra Mahathat Woramaha Wiharn temple with its huge chedi (pagoda) is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Thailand, and one of the very oldest. It is one of only six primary royal temples. The exact dates and order of construction are unclear, although it is known that the Phra Borom That Chedi at the center of the temple pre-dates the rest of the buildings by as much a six hundred years.
In the modern bustling city center is the shady retreat of Wat Sao Thong, also know as Wat Wang Tawan Tok. The temple gained some notoriety in 1993 when it restored an old Thai traditionally styled wooden house that was used as monk's quarters (kuti). The structure consists of three houses connected by a common elevated platform, and was built between 1888 and 1901. The house is full of finely carved detail panels and the restoration was given an award by the Architects' Association of Thailand.
Nakorn Si Thammarat is a city of temples. While some of them have important historical or architectural significance, there are many more that are just pleasant places to stop for a rest. One of the latter is Wat Suan Pahn, just off Ratchadamnoen Road behind the clock tower.
The standing Buddha in front of the ordination hall The temple consists of a large sandy compound filled with many palms and other trees.
The Buddha image in the old hall About halfway between the National Museum and Wat Phra Mahathat along Ratchadamnoen Road is Wat Thao Khot temple. The temple actually incorporates the remains of five previously abandoned temples.
Hard against the street is an old ordination hall, only partially roofed and now partially burned as well. The hall appears to have had some murals painted on the wooden part, but they're now almost unreadable.
The Thais divide the year into three seasons: the cool season, hot season, and rainy season. For most westerners, this translates to "hot," "really hot," and "really hot and wet." Temperatures rarely drop below 25° C (70° F). Historical Weather Patterns for Nakorn Si Thammarat Nakorn Si Thammarat has very constant temperatures with average highs and lows varying by less than five degrees over the course of the year.
Average Monthly High & Low Temperatures (°C) The rainy season, which in Nakorn Si Thammarat coincides with the European and North American winters, is not an entirely bad time to visit, since the rain generally falls within the span of an hour or two in the late afternoons.
