Central Thailand

The central region of Thailand is the area which contains and surrounds the national capitol of Bangkok. The area contains many places of historical interest and natural beauty. Everything from the old capital of Ayutthaya, to the world war II "death railway" to beach resorts can be found within a two hour drive from Bangkok. Traditionally the central region has extended all the way east to the Cambodian border, but due to recent development of places such as Pattaya, the East coast is now considered a whole region on its own.

We've highlighted the major tourist places on this page, along with articles from Chieng Fa and other resources. Although most of these places are easily reached within a few hours from Bangkok they also make great stopping places for leisurely travel further up country.

Major Attractions

Here's what you'll find when you venture outside of Bangkok, arranged by province.

Ayutthaya

Bang Sai Folk Arts & Crafts Center: Located on the banks of the Chao Phraya river, the Bang Sai center was founded by her majesty the queen to preserve traditional arts and crafts. A large store cum museum was opened in 1998 to sell the products of the craftsmen, as well as display paintings, ceramics and other arts. You can wander through workshops to see the students in action. There's also a large park, aquarium and walk-through aviaries. Open every day. Admission is 50 Baht for adults.
Bang Pa In Summer Palace: A relatively modern royal retreat on an island in the Chao Phraya river. A rather tour-de-force in styles ranging from Thai houseboat to art nouveau to Chinese pagoda.
Ayutthaya Town: The capitol of Siam from the mid-fifteenth century until it was sacked by the Burmese in the late eighteenth century. The center of the old capitol was on a large island and this is where most of the main palaces as well as the national museum are located. However, take the time to see the many old temples spread along both banks of the river. The capitol was also where emissaries of France, England and other European powers first made contact with the court of Siam.

Saraburi

The Buddha's Footprint: The Phra Buddha Bat Woramahavihan Temple houses one of the most sacred places for Thai Buddhists, a depression in a rock shelf believed to the the Buddha's footprint.

Lopburi

Lopburi Town: Occupied since at least the sixth century, Lopburi has been an important city since the Khmer empire in the tenth century. Later it was used as a second capitol of the Ayutthaya kingdom by King Narai. The remains of his palace is one of the main sights. Also of interest is the Bahn Wichayen, used as a residence by Narai's Greek-born chief minister. Also of interest, sort of, is the Kala shrine, a temple located in a traffic circle near the railroad tracks. The temple itself isn't very interesting, but is quite popular with Thais. It used to be over-run with monkeys who have grown fat and even rather aggressive on tourist handouts, but they've since be forced to relocate to the nearby Khmer ruins. Don't say we didn't warn you!

Suphanburi

Khao Yai National Park: One of Thailand's oldest national parks, Khao Yai is in serious danger of over-development. After all, how many national parks have golf courses?

Nakorn Pathom

Phra Pathom Chedi: The largest Chedi in the world, this temple is the site of a huge temple fair in late October. Its also extremely old, having been originally built in the sixth century, although added to and "improved" many times since then, which is how it reached it current girth.
Floating Market: Although now rather touristy, the market on Klong Damnoen Saduak still offers a few photo opportunities. Be warned that a trip here involves rising at a very early hour, as the market is practically deserted by 8:00 in the morning.

Kanchanaburi

Death Railway: This is the real life location on which the film "The Bridge on the River Kwai" was based. Thousands of Thai slave laborer and allied prisoners died constructing the railway from Bangkok to Burma in world war II. Among the places to see are the (in)famous bridge (don't listen to what anyone says. Its not THE bridge.) There are also war cemeteries and Wat Chaichumphon has a war museum.
Waterfalls: Kanchanburi province contains some of Thailand's most scenic falls. Among them are the Erawan falls, a sort of watery wedding cake.
Raft Trips and Houseboats: The area is also home to many outfits offering day trips floating down the river on bamboo rafts, and even hotels consisting of houseboats.
Three Pagodas Pass: Marking the border between Thailand and Burma, the pass may or may not be reachable, depending on recent events between the two countries.

Petchaburi

About 80 miles south of Bangkok, this beach town has a lot to recommend it. Its almost the complete opposite of Pattaya, which is about the same distance in the opposite direction from Bangkok.

Phra Nakorn Khiri: Hilltop retreat build by King Mongkut. The palace is beautiful, as are the views of the countryside.
Khao Luang Caves: The large main cavern is filled with Buddha images. Sunlight pouring in from opening in the roof make this place a favorite with photographers.
Cha Am: Up-and-coming resort town 12 miles further south of Petchaburi. Accommodations are generally high-end, at least from a Thai perspective.

Prachuap Khiri Khan

Hua Hin: Site of another royal palace and summer retreat, like Cha Am. The railroad hotel, now run by Sofitel, is a beautiful colonial style building. The resort is popular with an older, higher-class crowd. Good golfing opportunities abound.
Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park: A huge park, who's name translates to "300 peaks." Thought by many to be the most beautiful of Thailand's national parks.

In this section

Ayutthaya

Map of Ayutthaya Province Click on any of the sights to find out more, or check out the summaries below. Ayutthaya province is home to Thailand's former capital, the golden city of Ayutthaya, center of an empire that dominated almost all of Southeast Asia and lasted 400 years, until it was destroyed and sacked by the Burmese in 1767. Despite the destruction, some impressive sights still remain. Mosts tourists visit the city on a day trip from Bangkok, even though it could well be worth a few days for anyone interested in ancient architecture.

Kanchanaburi

The bridge on the River Kwai Yai The city and province of Kanchanaburi, west of Bangkok, may be the first destination in Thailand where tourism got a big boost from a Hollywood movie. The 1957 David Lean film "The Bridge on the River Kwai" had people seeking out the 'real' bridge featured in the movie. The problem is, the film, like the novel it's based on, is pure fiction. There really wasn't ever a bridge over the River Kwai.

Lopburi

Map of Lopburi Province The province of Lopburi lies just over 150 kilometers due north of Bangkok, at the eastern edge of the great flat flood plain of the Chao Phrya River. Aside from the historic city of Lopburi, there's not much else to see in the province. Vast fields of commercially grown sunflowers have proved a popular weekend day trip for Thais, but certainly aren't worth making a special trip for the foreign tourist.

Nakhon Pathom

Nakhon Pathom lies about 56 kilometers west of Bangkok. It sits on the broad flat plain of the Chaophraya Basin. According to legend, the area was once a coastal region when it was first settled around 1,600 years ago, but sedimentation has since moved the coastline almost 50 kilometers away. The two main sights of interest in the province are the Phra Pathom Chedi and Sanam Chan Palace, both of which are in the provincial capital.

Petchburi

Just south of Bangkok, the coastline curves around the gulf of Siam and heads southward, all the way to Singapore. Two provinces stretch along the upper portion the central coast: Petchburi and Pracuab Khiri Khan. Petchburi's capital city has been an important stop on north-south trade routes since at least the fifth century. The city was obviously large and important during the time of the Khmer empire, as evidenced by the remains of a large Khmer Hindu temple at Wat Kamphaeng Laeng.

Prachuap Khiri Khan

The long, narrow province of Prachuap Khiri Khan - just “Prachuap” to most Thais - runs from Petchburi in the north down to Chumpon province in the south. On the east is the Gulf of Siam while on the west is Burma. The province marks Thailand's 'skinniest' point, where there's just 11 kilometers between the sea and Burma. Scroll down for a summary. Base map image © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC BY-SA The province is best known, at least among travelers, for its many beaches.

Wat Phra Buddhabat

The Pavilion (Mondop) housing the buddha footprint. For a westerner, perhaps one of the more curious aspects of Buddhism is the tradition of Buddha footprints. Many temples will have reproductions of the feet of buddha, which are used to illustrate the 108 "auspicious signs" by which they can be recognized. One of the best examples of these is the feet of the reclining buddha found in the Bangkok temple commonly known as Wat Po.