Situated only 86km to the west of Bangkok, lies the old city of Nakhon Pathom. Once the centre of the Dvaravati Kingdom, the city is one of the oldest in Thailand and derives its name from the Pali, Nagara Pathama, meaning 'First City'.
The origins of the city are believed to date back to as long ago as 3 BC, when the Indian Emperor Asoka sent two missionaries, Sona and Uttara, to the area to spread the teachings of Buddhism amongst the populace.
The city flourished during its years as part of the Dvaravati Kingdom, between 6AD-11AD. However at the beginning of the 11th century, during the demise of the Dvaravati, the city was conquered by the Khmers under the leadership of King Suryavarman I. Not long after the Khmers had taken control of the city it was destroyed by the Burmese of Pagan in 1057. During the 12th century the city then became abandoned until being resettled in the late 19th century.
In 1870, after the long restoration of the Phra Pathom Chedi, the population at the nearby Nakhon Chaisi moved in to the township of Nakhon Pathom. Thus once again, after its long abandonment, this ancient city was to prosper again.
The massive Phra Pathom Chedi is the city's major attraction. The bell-shaped structure dominates the city centre and has dominated its religious and cultural past. Today the famous chedi is the only remnants of its colourful history, though there are further attractions from the time of King Rama VI.

Places of Attraction

Phra Pathom Chedi

The towering chedi is probably one of Thailand's most well-known Buddhist monuments. Standing at a height of 235.5m, it is assumed to be the largest Buddhist monument in the world. The construction of the massive pagoda  began in the time of King Mongkut, who added the massive dome over the remains of an earlier site. The original shrine was a Mon shrine dating back to the 4th century. In the early 11th century the shrine was covered with a Brahman sanctuary by the conquering Khmers. The shrine was then destroyed by the Burmese invasion of 1057.
The massive pagoda was finished in 1870, during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, after taking 17 years to complete. The northern viharn at the main entrance to monastery houses a large standing Buddha, Phra Ruang Rojanarit, a restored image that was found by King Rama VI at Si Satchanalai. The base of the image holds the ashes of the king.

Sanaam Chan Palace

This palace dates back to 1907 and was built for King VI when he was still the Crown Prince. The palace was built over the remains of older royal residencies, at a site called Noen Prasat. The palace' buildings are built in a mock-Tudor style and are set in a spacious park surrounded by a canal. The King added names to the buildings from characters in the play, My Friend Jarlet, by A. Golsworthy and E.B. Norman.

Thai Human Imagery Museum

The museum contains life-like models of historical figures from Thailand. There are fibreglass models of the former kings of the Chakri dynasty, along with figures of highly revered monks from all over the nation. Also included is the famous poet, Sunthorn Phu, along with characters from his famous writings, Phra Apaymanee.