Introduction
Nakhon Si Thammarat ,the second largest province of the South and the land of predominant Buddhism during the Srivijaya Period, is 780 kilometres from Bangkok . It occupies an area of 9,942 square kilometres consisting of high plateau and mountains in the west then sloping down towards the east and becoming a basin along the coastline of the Gulf of Thailand .

     In addition to its great history, Nakhon Si Thammarat boasts pristine verdant jungles abundant with luxuriant vegetation and is also noted for picturesque beaches and beautiful waterfalls.

The courtyard garden of the National Museum.

National Museum
     Nakorn Si Thammarat's branch of the National Museum is full of artefacts of the South's long history. Of particular interest are some seventh century Mon inscriptions taken from Wat Phra Mahathat, ceramics from the Chinese Tang (518 - 907 AD) and Song (960 - 1274 AD) dynasties found in the waters around Nakorn Si Thammarat, and golden niello fittings from King Rama V's royal barge. Off the courtyard on the ground floor, you'll also find a model of the city as it probably was in the sixth century, just after the walls and main temples were built. On the second floor near the barge fittings are old pictures of Wat Phra Mahathat dating from the turn of the twentieth century. The second floor of the north wing displays many examples of local handicrafts.

Admission Fees
     Admission to the museum is 30 Baht (about US$0.75) for non-Thai citizens. The museum hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays.

Getting There
     The National Museum is right on Ratchadamnoen Road about 2.5 kilometers (1.75 miles) from the city center. The best way to get there is by songthaew - a small pickup with benches along either side of the bed. Each trip costs just 5 Baht.

Khanom
Khanom – The Town Formerly known as Muang Tranom. This town was founded in the reign of King U-thong 800 years ago. It was a big center for navigation and sea-trade and a center of Buddhist cultural arts. The name of the town was later known as Panom and Khao Nom and lastly Khanom. In the reign of King Rama the Fifth Khanom became a village under the jusdiction of Ta-saala District. In 1959 it was upranked to the district level under the jurisdiction of Nakhon Sri Thammarat province.

      Foreign visitors presently have not discovered Khanom. It is still a sleeping village with fishing, rubber and coconut plantations as the main source of income.

Native fishermen can still be seen around the area with small colorful fishing boats. Their catch is served up in hotel and resort restaurants specializing in a dozen of tempting choices.      Getting there from Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani is no problem. Visitors can hire local taxis or travel in the air-conditioned microbus from the heart of the city of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani right to the beach of Khanom. A direct bus leaves Bangkok twice a day to Khanom.

Relaxing at Khanom The main attractions of Khanom are sea beaches and water sports: swimming, sailing, water-skiing, skin-diving and scuba diving. The seafood is fresh and delicious and there is comfortable accommodation in hotels and bungalows.

     Skindivers can hire a speedboat or fishing boat to make the trip to a group of small islands (known as the group islands of the South sea) only some short distance offshore where the coral and tropical fishes in various shape and color are admired. Some visitors will enjoy a collection of handpicked shells to take home as souvenir. Some of the more enterprising visitors may try a little deep-sea fishing enroute to the islands.

The beaches of Khanom are about 8 miles long...
     • Nadan Beach is a quiet long narrow beach with white sand surrounded by coconut trees.
     • Nai Pred Beach is an unbroken of stretch of golden sand, lined with shady trees.
     • Nai Phlao Beach with a long curving beach ideal for swimming. This is the most popular as well as the biggest of Khanom's beaches where restaurants, water sports facilities and many other services are located.
     • Thong Yi Bay is located between two mountains. This narrow, extensive, circular beach has fine sand and picturesque rocks, and is excellent place for swimming and rests since it is isolate and quiet.
     • Thong Yang Bay is a little bay in the southernmost of Khanom with a large area for swimming. It is calm and quiet place, good for relaxing. The road to Thong Yang Bay is 6-7 kilometers from the main road.

Kao Wang Thong Cave it is about 9 miles away from the city and is one of the most awesome caves of the province. The cave has many large and small chambers, each with stalagmites and stalactites of odd sizes and shapes, like pagodas, dinosaurs, custard apples, and fried eggs. Some chambers can only be accessed by crawling or climbing, making it fun for visitors. To get there, start from Khanom district office, turn right at the intersection to Don Sak and take a left turn. The entrance has a bus stop called Sala Tansakun which is easily noticeable. Drive for 6 kilometers until you reach the cave. Visitors must first obtain the cave key from the keeper at the cave entrance.

Wat Kradangnga It is an ancient temple of Khanom that was probably built during the Ayutthaya period. The temple is about 200 meters away from the Khanom-Nai Phlao road. Inside the convocation hall are exquisite murals of Lord Buddha's life. There is also a magnificent Buddha image from the Ayutthaya period and interesting artifacts, particularly plates and bowls.

Khanom Beach
Khanom Beach We have something of a soft spot for Khanom, at the extreme northern end of Nakorn Si Thammarat province. We spent many pleasant long weekends there several years ago, when we had friends in the area.
     Its 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. They're a bit rocky and windswept. But that, along with the solitude we found there, was in fact the attraction.
     In the mid-1990s, there were no more than a half dozen groups of bungalows in operation on the beach. There were no high-rise hotels and hardly anybody even knew about the place.
     That has since changed. There are at least two low rise hotels on the long stretch of beach. However, Khanom remains far off the international tourist trail, so if you're looking for a bit of quiet its probably still a good choice. Khanom is also very handy for exploring some nearby national parks, making the beach a good base for eco tours.

Wat Phra Mahathat
Wat Phra Mahathat ,The Phra Mahathat Woramaha Wiharn temple with its huge chedi 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.

The ubosot and chedi of What Phra Mahathat

   The chedi was built in 555, or 757 according to some sources, at nearly the exact center of the original walled city. It wasn't unusual for large monumental stupas to be built by themselves back then. The structure was originally smaller and in the squarish style of the Srivijaya empire. It is said to contain relics of the Buddha bought from Sri Lanka two thousand years ago. The chedi was enlarged and given its current 'Sri Lankan' shape around 1227, which is probably also when a temple was built around the chedi.

The huge central chedi of the temple.

     The chedi sits in a large cloister-like courtyard filled with a forest of 158 smaller chedis. The smaller stupas are in a variety of styles and appear to be funerary reliquaries built by the faithful over many hundreds of years.

     The base of the chedi is encircled on three sides by a covered gallery. Niches in the base of the chedi hold Buddha statues as well as statues of guardian elephants. Another row of statues in various styles line the spaces between the columns of the gallery.

     On the north side of the chedi, which is sited off-center in its courtyard, a sequence of chapels extends out to the north side of the courtyard. The first chapel actually houses the stairway which takes you up to the platform at the base of the chedi. The stairs are guarded by many demons and standing Buddhas.

The gallery around the base of the chedi.

     Next to the chapel covering the stairs is another chapel which now houses the temple museum. On dispaly are hundreds of artifacts from the temple's long history, although very few of the items are labeled. Another chapel next to the museum houses a reclining Buddha and more exhibits, but it was closed on our last visit.

     South of the chedi's courtyard is the monumental ubosot (ordination hall) of the temple. Built in 1628, the hall is a masterpiece of the Ayutthaya style. The steeply slanted columns around the exterior create a forced perspective, making the building look taller than it really is. While not unusual in Thai temples of the period, this is perhaps the best and most successful example. The columns spring from elegant inverted lotus-bud bases finished in gold and blue mirrored tiles.

The steeply angled columns of the ubosot.

     Inside, the nave is rather plain at eye level, but slanted columns again force your eyes upward to an elaborate red coffered ceiling. The ceiling steps upward towards the alter, on which sits a huge Buddha image.
     South of the ubosot is a small market full of souvenir stalls where you can buy shadow puppets, brass, bronze, silver and basketry. There are also a few food stalls where you can get a bite to eat.

Admission Fees
     Tourists pay a 30 Baht (about US$0.75) fee to enter the courtyard of the giant chedi. The museum carries and additional 20 Baht (US$0.50) entry fee. The museum hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Getting There
     Wat Phra Mahathat is right on Ratchadamnoen Road about 2 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the city center. The best way to get there is by songthaew - a small pickup with benches along either side of the bed. Each trip costs just 5 Baht.

Souvenir
Nielloware ,Nielloware is a famous craft of the province and is well known since the old days. There are two types; black surface with white designs and black surface with gold designs. The Nakhon Si Thammarat College of Arts and Handicrafts teaches this craft. Nielloware of this province is popular for its durability and intricate designs by hand. The finished product is a bright, shiny black object with beautiful patterns. Items include rings, necklaces, bracelets, bowls, pedestals, and trays. The best shopping area is Tha Chang Road , behind Sanam Na Mueang in the area of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, Nakhon Si Thammarat Municipality , and the Tha Wang market area.

Brassware ,Brassware can be found at the Suan Maphrao Thai-Muslim village behind Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan. The only brassware product now available is a cylinder for making noodles.

Necklaces ,Necklaces have long been the work of local silversmiths who can create gold, silver and mixed (gold, silver and an alloy) necklaces. The centre is at Tha Chang Road behind Sanam Na Mueang.

Shadow play ,Shadow play making is an art that goes with the popular southern entertainment of shadow play. Thai shadow play figures have been transformed from those found in Java so that they are now very Thai. The hands and feet of the figures are fully movable during performances. The hide used can be either raw cow or goat hide. Designs are made by using chisels of various sizes to make small holes along drawn patterns. The price of each figure varies according to the delicateness and size of each one. Shadow play figures are now important products of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phatthalung. Nakhon Si Thammarat city, in particular, has plenty of shops selling this unique product.

Yan Liphao basketry ,Yan Liphao basketry is another famous product of the South, particularly in Nakhon Si Thammarat where people have been making it for over 100 years. Yan Liphao is a climbing plant that grows in damp places. It likes to exist among other plants. The trunk is very tough and durable, so locals found a way to make good use of it by making household goods such as handbags, tobacco boxes, tea utensils, etc. Some pieces are encased in silver alloy, gold alloy or gold. It takes around 10 days to a month to make one item, depending on the details of the design. The major Yan Liphao production spots are Ban Mon, Tambon Tha Rua and Ban Na Khian, Tambon Na Khian, both in Amphoe Mueang, and families in Fort Vajiravudh.

Kapho fans ,Kapho fans are made from a kind of palm called Ton Pho by locals. The villagers of Ban Khok Yang in Ron Phibun use their spare time to make the fans. The leaves are dried and then woven into fans. Some are dyed into bright colors and sold at reasonable prices. Kapho fans are well known and sold throughout the country. Fans in Nakhon Si Thammarat can be bought at stores at Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, souvenir shops on Tha Chang Road and in Bowon Bazaar in the Tha Wang market area.

Souvenir Shops ,The souvenirs of Nakhon Si Thammarat include silverware, brassware, nielloware, and Yan Liphao basketry. They can be purchased from stores in the area of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, behind Sanam Na Mueang, Tha Chang Road, Tha Wang area, Burapha Plaza, Bowon Bazaar, Robinson Ocean Department Store, Twin Lotus Hotel, etc.

Map
     This page You will find two maps on. The upper one is a map of Thailand, showing Khanom on the south-eastern coast. The lower one only displays the area near to Khanom.

Khanom on the south-eastern coast of Thailand