22 March,2010 (Mon)  


 

 
Nonthaburi

Formerly famous for its durian orchards, this "market garden" riverine province north of Bangkok is full of fruit and flower plantations as well as historical temples. It is conveniently accessible by road or river.

Major Attractions

  • Old City Hall

    • It was constructed during the reign of King Rama VI in a European architectural style with fine carved teak wood decorated a1l over the building. Its front area facing the Chao Phraya River is served as a public rest area.

  • Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat

    • This royal temple is on the western side of the river in Tambon Bang Si Muang. It was built in a mixed Thaiand Chinese architectural style. The temple features exquisite porcelain-decorate gables, a castellated enclosure and excellent mural paintings.

  • Wat Khema Phirataram

    • This riverside temple is 2 kilometres south of the town centre. The main pagoda called 'Phra Maha Chedi' contains Lord Buddha's relics. There are Buddha images of the Ayutthaya period enshrined in the ubosot.

  • Wat Prasat

    • This temple is on the Bang Kruai-Bang Bua Thong Road. The carving designs on the gable of the niche and the mural paintings in the ubosot maintain special characteristics of the Nonthaburi school of arts.

  • Wat Chonprathan Rangsarit

    • It is located in the vicinity of Tambon Bang Talat, Amphoe Pak Kret. Every Sunday and Buddhist holy day, its compound is always crowded with Buddhists coming to offer food to the monks and listen to the sermon.

  • Wat Ku

    • The temple is located 4 kilometres from Amphoe Pak Kret. There is a building constructed to commemorate King Rama V's Queen Sunantha who drowned in a shipwreck.

  • Ko Kret

    • It is a tiny island in the Chao Phraya River, accessible by boat from Wat Sanam Nua. On it lives a community of craftsmen famous for their distinctive style of pottery which dates back many centuries. Ko Kret's pots are known for their fine, red-black glazed surface and intricate design. The islanders are the descendants of the Mon people, and they have managed to retain the skills of their forefathers.

  • Wat Paramaiyikawat

    • This ethnic Mon-style temple is located on Ko Kret. It houses wallpaintings, a marble reclining Buddha image crafted in the Mon style and a chapel decorated with delicate stucco work on the doors and windows.

  • Wat Sao Thong Thong

    • Located on Ko Kret, the temple is noted for an extremely beautiful Thai- style golden cone ceiling above the principle Buddha image in the chapel.

  • Bang Sai Garden

    • This orchid farm is situated only 2 kilometres from Pak Kret Intersection along Chaeng Watthana Road. Orchids of several kinds and colours, as well as other decorated plants are available for gardeners.

  • Wat Amphawan

    • This temple of the late Ayutthaya period is located by Khlong (canal) Om. It can be accessed either by boat or by car. It houses a wooden 'Ho Trai Klang Nam' (a hall for keeping scriptures situated in a pond) constructed in magnificent Thai architecture with intricate designs.

  • Plant Market

    • On a journey along the Taling Chan-Suphan Buri route via Bang Kruai and Bang Yai Districts, a vast variety of plants, both flowers and fruits, are available for gardeners.

  • Khlong Ban Khu Wiang

    • At the mouth of the canal is a traditional floating market where, every morning, farmers congregate in produce-laden sampans to offer a gli mpses of a rapidly disappearing way of life. It takes about 10 minutes by boat to go to this floating market from Amphoe Bang Kruai.

    Major Event

  • Nonthatori Fruits Fair

    • This annual fair is held during April-June to celebrate the abundance of local fruits such as durian, mangosteens and maflgoes, then at their peak of succulent ripeness. Besides stalls selling the produce of surrounding orchards and local products, there are colourful processions of floats decorated with fruits and flowers, beauty pageants, fruits contests, cultural shows, exhibitions of provincial handicrafts and agricultural produce, and local entertainment.